The vowels

The acoustic structure of the vowels

The values for formants 1 and 2 of the more monophthongal of the Maori English vowels are presented in the table below. These figures are for male Maori speakers from Kaikohe, analysed by Hall (1976). They may represent old fashioned values, and they may also represent regionally specific values, but we have no other comparable figures.

Patterns of neutralization appear to be similar to those for general New Zealand English, with a similar range of variation.

There is in Maori a general rule of phrase-final vowel devoicing, especially for close vowels. Although there are some reports of this phenomenon being transferred to Maori English, we have not heard it