The short vowels KIT

The KIT vowel in New Zealand English is notoriously centralized, to such an extent that it is parodied by Australians using their STRUT vowel. While KIT is rarely as open as this suggests in New Zealand English, it is very centralized, probably varying between . The KIT vowel provides one of the shibboleths for distinguishing between Australian and New Zealand speakers, the phrase fish and chips being one which causes hilarity on both sides of the Tasman when spoken by people from the other side of the sea.

Because of the very central quality of this vowel, there is no phonetic distinction between the KIT vowel and the commA vowel where that occurs in non-final position. In other words, commA and horsES do not contrast phonemically, leading to homophony between boarded and bordered, and also between effect and affect. The first type of homophony is occasionally overcome by the use of the NURSE vowel in bordered, especially in slow speech or if a distinction is to be drawn. The second type may be overcome by the use of full vowels [i:] and [æ] respectively, even in less careful speech.

The vowel before [ŋ] in words like sing and coming requires some comment. It is much closer than other variants of the KIT vowel, and is regularly associated with the FLEECE vowel by students. Theoretically, there are at least three possibilities here: (i) it is a close allophone of the same vowel as in KIT; (ii) it is an allophone of the vowel in FLEECE, and the only tense vowel permitted before [ŋ] ; (iii) it is a stressed variant of the happY vowel. It is not clear how these possibilities are to be distinguished from each other. For some speakers, but not all the same variant is found before [g] in words like big, wriggle (the latter forming a minimal pair with regal). Close variants before other consonants are sporadic.

If vowels are to be paired in terms of length/tension, then in New Zealand English the KIT vowel should be paired with the NURSE vowel, as being the closest long vowel in terms of quality. Thus, bid and bird may for some speakers be distinguished primarily by vowel length.