Diphthongs

The rising diphthongs in AusE and NZE are significantly different from other dialects of English. They are also important differentiators for the social variants within these two dialects. This is especially true for the FACE, PRICE and MOUTH vowels. Compared to their RP equivalents, FACE has a more open starting point; PRICE a raised and backed first target, especially for broad speakers; the back-rising diphthong MOUTH has a fronted and first target, again most notably for the broad end of the spectrum. The other back-rising diphthong GOAT has an open and central starting position with a closing glide approximating the GOOSE vowel. CHOICE shows the least variation for these dialects.

One of the most characteristic features of falling diphthongs in Australia and New Zealand is the monophthongal [ɔ]  pronunciation for the CURE vowel. This is evident in the pronunciation of lexical items such as poor, moor, sure and tour. If the CURE vowel occurs it is generally following /j/. In parts of Australia the quality of the offglide for the NEAR vowel is weak and is often realized as length; in NZE a long monophthongal variant also appears before liquids /l/ and /r/. A more striking feature of New Zealand is the variable merger that is currently taking place between the vowels of NEAR and SQUARE. For most young speakers pairs of words such as rear and rare or cheer and chair are not distinguishable. Although there has been considerable debate over the years concerning the quality of the neutralized vowel, most linguists now agree the merger is in favor of a high variant [iə].