Kiwis have the most socially attractive English accent outside of the motherland, eh.
According to a BBC survey, the New Zealand accent is one of most charming and prestigious English accents outside of Britain.
New Zealand English came in ahead of Australian, American and most regional British accents in the study published in the international Journal of Sociolinguistics, edited by Auckland University of Technology professor Allan Bell.
More than 5000 respondents from throughout Britain completed an online survey rating the prestige and social attractiveness of 34 different accents of English speakers.
--------
HOW WE SOUND FINE INTONATION:Kiwis use high rising terminal intonation relatively strongly. This is the rise of pitch at the end of the sentence where you would expect it to stay flat, so a statement sounds like a question.
Kiwis are known for their use of 'eh' at the end of a sentence.
VOWEL PRONUNCIATION:For example, those who speak Kiwi English will pronounce the `e' in "bed" and "pen" with their tongue high in their mouth. Australians will hear this as "bid" and "pin".
VOCABULARY:This has been made most distinctive by the increase in Maori English and Pasifika English which is noted for its difference in the timing of saying words in a sentence.
Full Article
Calendar
