传统上新西兰英语非常接近英国英语，拼写也一直遵循英国英语的习惯。近年来因为受到美国文化的影响——年轻一代中日常语言糅杂了美式用法或美国俚语。

发音上一个显着的特点是倾向于把「e」发成与「i」相近——如「bed」发成「bid」、「sex」发成「six」、「head」发成「heed」等。

同时，新西兰英语将「i」发成与「u」相似，比如「milk」发成「mulk」

另外跟澳洲英语相似，新西兰英语每句话结尾通常用升调

New Zealand English (NZE, en-NZ) is the dialect of the English language used in New Zealand.

The English language was established in New Zealand by colonists during the 19th century. It is one of "the newest native-speaker variet[ies] of the English language in existence, a variety which has developed and become distinctive only in the last 150 years". The most distinctive influences on New Zealand English have come from Australian English, English in southern England, Irish English, Scottish English, the prestige Received Pronunciation (RP), and Māori. New Zealand English is most similar to Australian English in pronunciation, with some key differences.