An experimental study was carried out to determine the correlation between the internal flow in a circular nozzle and elliptical nozzles with the external flow. The flow rate, spray angle and drop size were measured under various conditions of the injection pressure. Numerical simulations were attempted to investigate the internal flow structure in the elliptical nozzles, because the experimental study was limited in its measurements of flow velocity and pressure distributions in the relatively small orifice. In the case of the elliptical nozzles, the disintegration characteristics of the liquid jet were significantly different from those of the circular nozzle. Surface breakup was observed at the jet issued from the elliptical nozzles with injection pressure. This is due to the internal flow structure, which is reattached to the orifice wall at the minor axis plane of the elliptical nozzle, unlike that observed with the circular nozzle.