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Yep the accents are totally different, but to an untrained ear can sound very similar. I find within New Zealand itself there is more variation in the accents, particularly between the south and north islands.
Whereas in Australia the accents are all pretty much the same, except maybe for a slight difference between country and city folk.
I agree. Im originally from the North Is near Auckland but have lived in Christchurch now for many years having met a Cantabrian for my wife. My siblings and parents are still in the the North Is and when I talk to them on the phone, their accents just about make me cringe! Just so much more different to what I am used to here in Christchurch now.
This is one American who can tell the difference. I can easily understand Australians, no matter from what part of Australia they come (the sole exception being local slang). I attribute this to the fact that the mother of my long-time best friend was Australian.
Though I can also understand most New Zealanders, it always requires a fair amount of initial effort for me to get "tuned in." There are some New Zealanders who, to me, may as well be speaking Lower Slobbovian...
-- Nighteyes
I have a hard time understanding some Australians.
Not really related, but I read somewhere that Australia has the largest area where people still speak with the same accent and language/dialect. Is this true?
Not really related, but I read somewhere that Australia has the largest area where people still speak with the same accent and language/dialect. Is this true?
Probably true, since the accent is much the same throughout the country and it is a pretty big country.
I agree. Im originally from the North Is near Auckland but have lived in Christchurch now for many years having met a Cantabrian for my wife. My siblings and parents are still in the the North Is and when I talk to them on the phone, their accents just about make me cringe! Just so much more different to what I am used to here in Christchurch now.
I grew up in the Midwestern U.S., but left home at age 18 and have lived primarily in the Western U.S. since then. My parents accents do the same thing to me, and once I heard an old recording of myself as a child and couldn't believe how I sounded
I find the disrespectful tone about NZ accents childish. People are born where they are born, they have no control over it. Their accent derives from where they have grown up.
Get over it.
First, and speaking only for myself, my comments intended no disrespect to anyone.
Second, we're talking about the normally-occurring individual differences in human language and speech. Winston Churchill once said that the United States and England were "two countries divided by a common language." That also applies to Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand, India, and any number of others. We are ALL "divided by a common language."
Yes, people have no control over where they are born and how they are taught to speak. With all due respect -- Duh! I do have, and have admitted to having, difficulty understanding some New Zealanders. Hell, for that matter, I also have difficulty understanding some people who come from your part of the world -- New England in the good ol' US of A. (Who the hell talks like THAT??? Just kidding, of course! )
None of this means, nor should be assumed to imply,that anyone is better or worse than anyone else -- NOT AT ALL!! It only means that we're different. Once again, DUH!
This is a normal, natural part of life on Planet Earth. I am honest enough to admit it, and to try to deal with it.
Regards as always,
-- Nighteyes
Last edited by Nighteyes; 06-23-2011 at 01:52 PM..
Probably true, since the accent is much the same throughout the country and it is a pretty big country.
Speaking purely as an outsider, and as a sample of ONE, it seems that regional accents may be similar but not the same. My personal experiences suggest that there are some differences, North vs. South, East vs. West, Urban vs. Rural, etc. Thet are not so pronounced as in the US, but they still seem to be there.
Yep the accents are totally different, but to an untrained ear can sound very similar. I find within New Zealand itself there is more variation in the accents, particularly between the south and north islands. Whereas in Australia the accents are all pretty much the same, except maybe for a slight difference between country and city folk.
Well I find the people of Queensland have an slightly different accent compared to other states. Also there is an NSW accent. Victoria accent and South Australian accent. Not sure with Western Australian accent either.
First, and speaking only for myself, my comments intended no disrespect to anyone.
Second, we're talking about the normally-occurring individual differences in human language and speech. Winston Churchill once said that the United States and England were "two countries divided by a common language." That also applies to Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand, India, and any number of others. We are ALL "divided by a common language."
Yes, people have no control over where they are born and how they are taught to speak. With all due respect -- Duh! I do have, and have admitted to having, difficulty understanding some New Zealanders. Hell, for that matter, I also have difficulty understanding some people who come from your part of the world -- New England in the good ol' US of A. (Who the hell talks like THAT??? Just kidding, of course! )
None of this means, nor should be assumed to imply,that anyone is better or worse than anyone else -- NOT AT ALL!! It only means that we're different. Once again, DUH!
This is a normal, natural part of life on Planet Earth. I am honest enough to admit it, and to try to deal with it.
Regards as always,
-- Nighteyes
I am from New Zealand. I am not an American, I just live here.
Accents make us all different. It would be a very boring world if everyone was the same. Living here in the US I have found a few accents difficult to comprehend, for example New Orleans and other parts of the South.
Personally I have found the only people who can't understand me well are the hard of hearing elderly and the real country hicks. Everyone else has no problem and I get lots of comments about how lovely I sound.
Well I find the people of Queensland have an slightly different accent compared to other states. Also there is an NSW accent. Victoria accent and South Australian accent. Not sure with Western Australian accent either.
Yes, the differences are there but are very slight, at least to me they are. Other than the very broad, ocker accent, everybody else sounds much the same to me. I think the Aussie accent is more homogenous than most other English-speaking countries.
Within NZ there's the North and South Island and Maori accents, which are very distinct to my ear.
Within the US and UK, of course, there are vast differences. And Canada also has some very distinctly different accents.
All our countries have a general sort of accent that is hard to distinguish sometimes though, i.e., I noticed some of the NZ news readers on the telly sounded very unKiwi to me, very Queen's English versus the average bro on the street.
I prefer the distinct accents versus everyone trying to sound the same. That plummy British accent is the most annoying for me. I hear it sometimes here from born-here Australians. It doesn't sound right to me, sounds like they're putting on airs.
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