No two people speak the exact same way - no matter what their language. However, groups of people who come in frequent contact with each other tend to speak more similarily than those who don't due to geographical and/or social factors. In the case of English, the language was spread by imperialism to areas where diverse languages were already spoken. In those areas where English was at first a second language, traits from the native languages influenced the English of the speakers there. In addition, English (like any language) has undergone change overtime. Even if a group of people start out speaking similarly, if you split that group into smaller groups that associate little with each other, the language of the smaller groups will evolve differently due to both internal and external forces. ------------------------------------------------- New Zealanders and Australians do sound alike - unless you are from either area. Both countries do have different dialect features. Similarly, people from other countries might think that most Americans sound alike - although people who grew up here can generally make good guesses about what region another person is from. Another reason why New Zealanders and Australians sound similar is because the two places share similar patterns of immigration (at least as far as their white populations goes), and much of that immigration occured only within the last century or two. Give them another century more and we'd notice much great distinctions. ------------------------------------ thintaonga, I have simplified my answer in order to be brief and to write for non-linguists. Obviously, the issue is a very complex ones and there are many books out there about the subject for those who want to study it in-depth. If you have anything you'd like to add, please do so, or ask another more specific question to address your concerns.

You'll find that in most languages there are different accents. For example, within China, you'll find several accents. Many Chinese people not only can tell you what part of China you're from, but they can tell that you're an overseas Chinese!

Accents are almost random intonation differences between same-language populations. Those populations can vary in sizes to an incredible degree. If you visit areas of the West Country in the UK (Devon, Cornwall and Somerset) or the Valleys of South Wales, you will find localised accents distinct and strong enough that locals can tell the difference from one town to the next. It is harder for outsiders, but with coaching not impossible. But in the US, you can have huge areas and millions of people with very, very similar accents. Differences within the English speaking nations are sourced, originally from the differences in the original accents of immigrant populations (not the native populations). The original immigrants to Australia and New Zealand were drawn largely from the populations of London and there is still an area of South East London where you can hear an accent uncannily alike the Australian/Kiwi accent. The original pool of immigrants established the accent which was infectious enough that when future migrants arrived, they adopted the tones. Regional variations are partly the influence of random drift and partly the influence of additional immigrant groups bringing different influences. Spoken styles change very rapidly. You only have to watch documentaries from the forties to recognise that. American (US) accents, on the other hand, have a wider variety of sources, including the variety of original languages that were spoken by immigrants who had to learn English on arrival. There is very heavy influence on New York accents from Ireland, and much of the vowel sounds that make “Da Noo Yoik” accent so distinct can be understood as an amalgam of Irish and Italian influences. “Hey Waddaya want for nutten?” (Mama mia! Mary Mother of God!). If you move much further south, to say New Orleans, then the strong French influence is obvious. When the Southern Belle (there’s a clue) says, “Well my! I do declare,” the arching vowel sounds centre around the ‘a’. Oui, c’est ca. This is a vowel centricity that has its route in a French accent. None of the English speaking nations integrated with the indigenous peoples when they were being established. In America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, land was taken away from the indigenous population and the culture, language and traditions of those peoples were marginalised at best and annihilated at worst. The invading populations specifically excluded any influence of the local language and these have little or no bearing on major population accents. Only countries such India, where English is very widely spoken as a second language and where the indigenous population ended up retaining control after the British Empire declined, does the indigenous language have significant influence on the accent.