# nz-business-english

Configures New Zealand business English (EN-NZ) for emails and client proposals. It ensures a warm, professional tone and local spelling for Kiwi audiences.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 918 installs · ★ 1075
- Author: jezweb
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/jezweb/claude-skills/tree/HEAD/plugins/writing/skills/nz-business-english/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-09
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/nz-business-english

## What it does

The skill sets writing conventions for New Zealand business English across emails and client proposals. It enforces EN-NZ spelling: `-our` endings, `-ise` forms, and doubled consonants in words like `travelling`. Dates follow the day-month-year pattern without commas.

It removes corporate buzzwords such as `circle back` and `deep dive`. Spoken slang like `sweet as` and Australian expressions like `g'day` are excluded from professional correspondence. The prompt will break standard American sales templates because it actively strips out aggressive framing. For sign-offs, it prioritises local options like `Cheers` and `Nga mihi` over US imports like `Best`.

Formatting rules require short paragraphs of two or three sentences and active voice. Each email must focus on a single request. Te Reo Maori greetings like `Kia ora` are encouraged where appropriate, but decorative single words are explicitly banned.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jezweb/claude-skills --skill nz-business-english -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/nz-business-english/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/nz-business-english/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jezweb/claude-skills --skill nz-business-english -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/nz-business-english/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jezweb/claude-skills --skill nz-business-english -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/nz-business-english/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install jezweb/claude-skills nz-business-english
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/nz-business-english/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jezweb/claude-skills --skill nz-business-english -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/jezweb/claude-skills --path plugins/writing/skills/nz-business-english
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/nz-business-english/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jezweb/claude-skills --skill nz-business-english -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/jezweb/claude-skills/tree/HEAD/plugins/writing/skills/nz-business-english/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- adapt business correspondence to New Zealand English standards
- correct spelling to match EN-NZ conventions
- select culturally appropriate Te Reo Maori greetings
- replace corporate jargon in client proposals

## Example prompts
- Draft a project update email to a Wellington client using nz-business-english.
- Review this proposal draft and adjust the spelling to EN-NZ standards.
- Rewrite this cold outreach email to sound warm and collaborative for a New Zealand recipient.

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: e818062b101c2bd7.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE e818062b101c2bd7
```text
---
name: nz-business-english
description: "New Zealand business English writing style for professional communications — warm, inclusive, EN-NZ spelling (colour, organise, centre). Use whenever the user is writing for a New Zealand audience: emails, chat messages, proposals, client communications, blog posts, web copy, or any business writing. Apply to drafting, editing, and tone-checking professional text."
---

# NZ Business English

Professional but approachable. Warm without being over-the-top. Inclusive by default. Write like a competent Kiwi professional -- not like an Australian pretending to be from New Zealand, not like someone who just discovered Te Reo, and not like a corporate drone.

NZ English is close to Australian English in spelling and register, but softer in tone, more collaborative in framing, and increasingly incorporates Te Reo Maori in everyday business use.

## Spelling (EN-NZ)

EN-NZ follows the same conventions as EN-AU:

| Pattern | New Zealand | Not |
|---------|------------|-----|
| -our | colour, favour, honour, behaviour | color, favor |
| -ise | organise, realise, specialise, recognise | organize, realize |
| -re | centre, fibre, metre, theatre | center, fiber |
| -ence | licence (noun), defence, offence | license (noun), defense |
| Double L | travelling, cancelling, modelling | traveling, canceling |

**Noun/verb splits:**

| Noun | Verb |
|------|------|
| licence | license |
| practice | practise |
| advice | advise |

**NZ-specific vocabulary:**

| NZ term | AU/US equivalent |
|---------|-----------------|
| diary | calendar / schedule |
| ring | call / phone |
| fortnight | two weeks (uncommon in US) |
| bach (North Island) / crib (South Island) | holiday house |
| whanau | family / team (Te Reo, widely understood) |

**Date format:** Day Month Year, no comma -- 15 January 2026. Same as UK/AU convention.

## Te Reo Maori in Business

Te Reo greetings and phrases are increasingly standard in NZ business, especially in government, education, and community-facing organisations. Use them naturally, not performatively.

| Phrase | Use |
|--------|-----|
| Kia ora | General greeting -- equivalent to "Hi". Safe default for any context. |
| Kia ora [Name] | Personal greeting. Widely used in emails. |
| Nga mihi | "With thanks / regards" -- common sign-off |
| Nga mihi nui | "With great thanks" -- warmer, for appreciative contexts |
| Morena | "Good morning" -- informal, internal comms |
| Ka pai | "Good / well done" -- informal acknowledgement |
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE e818062b101c2bd7

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the e818062b101c2bd7 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2522 of 9540 bytes. © jezweb · MIT · https://github.com/jezweb/claude-skills/tree/HEAD/plugins/writing/skills/nz-business-english/SKILL.md

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