Pronouncing Maori

If you are fluent in German, pronouncing Maori words should be a breeze. For English speakers, a bit different but easy because everything is simple and equal. Maori vowel sounds are identical to German and only have one value each:

a = ahh
e = ay (long a)
i = ee
o = oh
u = oo

The one wrinkle is Wh, which is generally pronounced as F in English (oder V auf Deutsch). Every syllable gets equal emphasis. Tamaki, for example is pronounced Tahh - mahh - kee with each syllable given the same accent. Wharariki is pronounced Fahh - rahh - ree - kee.

Some everyday Maori words and phrases

Kia ora - Good day
Ka kite ano - See you later
Haere mai - welcome
Haere ra - Farewell

Kiwi English

The New Zealand dialect is a bit different from what most English speakers have heard. Here are a few light-hearted examples of Kiwi speech:

hee = here
sex or seeks = six
wit - a bit more than damp
beetta - a step up from good
tea - the brewed kind but also means a meal, usually supper
full stop - completely
chockablock - crammed full
Bum is your butt; fanny is a particular intimate spot of female anatomy, often referred to with the p euphemism. So, that little purse you wear around your waist is not a fanny pack but a bum bag
petrol - gasoline
docket - bill, invoice, check (as in restaurant)
boot - trunk (of the car)
bonnet - hood (of the car)
tyres with a y
cheque (as in bank), pronounced chick
fush - those things that swim in the ocean (u sound very short, almost missing). Also, chups as in fush & chups which, by the way are incredibly good and cheap. Freshly prepared and the chups (fries) are fresh, nicely cooked, plentiful and very tasty
woodint - short for would not
Motorway - freeway
The police don’t wear guns
The cuts of meat are all different and have different names
Mince - ground meat
Eggs and dairy products more flavorful and nicer
Haven’t seen any frozen OJ. Most common packaging is a 3L plastic bottle that is non-refrigerated (I assume it must be pasteurised - note spelling - other than in New Zealand you don’t see many zeds)...also homogenised, standardised, etc.
and one says En Zed for NZ, not En Zee
Beer comes in 6, 12, 15, 18, 20, and 24 packs
Of course, there’s litres and metres, not quarts and feet
biscuits - either crackers or cookies
scones - biscuits (sort of)
a road is sealed, not paved, conversely unsealed rather than unpaved
Most common kitchen appliance is an electric kettle for boiling water for tea or coffee (instant or plunger style)
Even the Starbucks menu is different. Most popular upscale coffee drink is a Flat White (coffee with a shot of espresso and hot milk)
KFC has only original recipe and the combo meals are served with chups (see above) AND mashed potatoes and gravy.
No bills smaller than $5. $1 and $2 coins. Easy to wind up with $20 in coins. Retailers round off (usually down) to the nearest 5¢ - and there are no pennies. All coins of the same metal composition (silver looking) and smallest to largest are : 5¢, 10¢, 20¢ and 50¢. No such thing as quarter, dime, nickel.
Car registration is handled at the post office
Dial 0 for long distance, 111 for emergency
Hot water tap is on the right (most of the time, better look and feel)
If you order lemonade, you will get the local approximation of Sprite/7Up. You might even be served a Sprite. Real lemonade is called lemon squash
Common road sign abbreviations for North and South are Nth and Sth
Traffic roundabouts are an adventure and crop up very often
Likewise one way bridges
Timber - Lumber
holiday - vacation
caravan - camper trailer
Coca-Cola is not the same recipe
ring (verb) - call, as in I’ll ring you.
Standard telephone ring is two short.
Com-pew-tah - a PC/Mac
Ninth grade is college
Flat - apartment. To go flatting is to go out and hire (see below) an apartment or share a house.
If someone asks, “Would you like a drink?” they mean coffee, tea or soft drink.
Nibble (noun) - snack
hire - rent
takeaway - take out (as in food to go)
carpark - parking lot
lollies - candy
answerphone - telephone answering device
power = pah
here = hee
farmer = fah mah
America = Ameriker

flown, known, blown and shown are two syllable words - flowen, knowen, blowen, and showen