Have you ever looked at a place name in New Zealand and thought, ‘eh, how on earth do I pronounce that?’ If so, you’re not alone…

Lots of people get stuck on New Zealand place names (New Zealanders included!), and it is not uncommon to hear people mispronouncing the names of towns and cities all over the country. I reckon we can do better, so in this video I share a bunch of tips for learning the correct pronunciation of New Zealand place names (both English and Māori).

In this video you will:

• hear a brief history of why New Zealand has a mix of both English and Māori names (and why mispronunciation is so common)
• learn about the Māori sound system • learn common spelling patterns in English place names (e.g., -ton, -bourne)
• receive tips for pronouncing difficult sounds in English (e.g., th)
• get a list of resources for further self-study
• get access to a free PDF with audio recordings of New Zealand’s main towns and cities. We’ll cover 8 place names in this video, plus learn over 30 more in the free PDF

Closed Captions (CC)
Select CC to view English captions and follow along while you listen! ⚠️Select “English” from Settings (⚙️) Do NOT select “English-autogenerated” – it’s full of mistakes!

Timestamps 
00:00 Introduction
02:48 A brief history
06:32 Taupo
07:59 A lesson learned…(My experience with mispronunciation of Māori names)
11:42 Gisborne
12:37 Rotorua
14:09 Tauranga
15:36 Auckland
17:50 Whāngarei
19:15 New Plymouth
20:56 Wellington
22:27 Wrapping up the first 8 place names
22:48 New Zealand / Aotearoa
24:09 Recap
26:31 Recommended Resources

Learn more with me
keen to learn more about New Zealand English? Check out playlist(s) below:

• • Vocabulary & Slang in NZ (for ESL learners!)

Prefer to learn in real time? Consider joining me for a conversation lesson. Or sign up to the waitlist for group classes – coming soon!

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