Is there a reason why New Zealanders, despite being Commonwealth and British derived, sound more like Americans than the Australians who are next door?
The “british” accent as we think of it has evolved greatly since the colonial era. I’m not a linguist but I’d suggest the similarities you hear between Kiwi and American accents are things that were ubiquitous at one time then other English speakers lost them along way.
Is there a reason why New Zealanders, despite being Commonwealth and British derived, sound more like Americans than the Australians who are next door?
The “british” accent as we think of it has evolved greatly since the colonial era. I’m not a linguist but I’d suggest the similarities you hear between Kiwi and American accents are things that were ubiquitous at one time then other English speakers lost them along way.