Synopsis: phonetics and phonology of English spoken in the Pacific and Australasian region

The following discussion describes the most significant phonological features of the varieties of English spoken in the Pacific and Australasian region. To simplify the discussion, we have broadly divided the brief descriptions here into those of native Englishes (Australian and New Zealand English) and of contact Englishes (Kriol, Cape York Creole, Bislama, Tok Pisin, Solomon Islands Pijin, Hawai‘i Creole, Fiji English and Norfuk).

The sound system of any language will defy completely uniform and unambiguous description and it is always difficult in a short summary such as this one to do justice to the rich diversity that inevitably exists. This holds particularly for the contact languages represented here. These show enormous regional and idiolectal variation and their phonological inventories differ considerably depending upon two main factors:

– the influence of local vernacular languages (which may or may not be the first language of speakers), and

– contact with English – for certain (particularly urban) groups a growing force of influence.

Typically these languages range from varieties close to standard English in everything but accent (the acrolect) through to so-called heavy creoles that are not mutually intelligible with the standard (the basilect). In between these two extremes there exists a range of varieties (or mesolects). This kind of variation means that some phonological aspects of the more extreme varieties of Aboriginal English will be creole-like. Nonetheless we have decided to consider both Aboriginal English and Maori English under the umbrella of Australian and New Zealand English. For reasons provided in the Introduction, it paints a more accurate picture to separate these two varieties from the creoles and other contact varieties whose phonological repertoires pattern more closely the systems of the relevant substrate languages than that of English.