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Pronunciation, tone, and slang to have you soundin' like a true blue Aussie
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- Vowels |
- Consonants |
- Tone |
- Slang and Fillers |
- Video |
- Q&A |
- Tips
G'day, mate! If you want to sound like you come from the land down under, you've come to the right place. The Australian accent is more than just a way of speaking—it reflects the casual Aussie lifestyle and their national values of informality and friendliness. [1] X Research source Read on to find out how to adjust your pronunciation of English so you sound more 'Strayan and learn the words and phrases you can throw in so your accent becomes even more believable.
Things You Should Know
- Draw out your vowels and bend them to make multiple vowel sounds in one, such as pronouncing "nice" like "noice."
- Pronounce unstressed short vowels as an "uh" or an "eh."
- Leave the "r" sound off of the end of words unless the next word starts with a vowel or vowel sound.
- Smile and relax your jaw when you speak to lift your tone and make your voice lighter and more nasal.
Steps
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Expand long vowels into multiple vowel sounds. When Australians are speaking, they have the tendency to really draw out vowels, often bending them into 2 or more vowel sounds as they do so. The key here is to really lean into a vowel rather than saying it in a short, clipped way. [2] X Research source
- For example, the word "nice" sounds more like "noice."
- With a long "a," such as in the word "mate," you'll hear the long "i" as well, so it sounds a bit more like "might."
- Sometimes this is referred to as "chewing" your vowels, perhaps because of the way sound tends to move all around your mouth.
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Add a soft "r" to the end of a long "o" sound. The Aussie long "o" is so, so hard for non-Australians to get right—but if you do, you'll sound Australian for sure. There's definitely the English long "o" sound that you're familiar with, but it's blended with the "ah" of an "a" and the "uh" of a short "u," with a bit of an "r" (as in "oar") at the end. [3] X Research source
- For example, an Aussie pronounces "no" a bit more like "naur."
- This only happens when the "o" isn't followed by a consonant sound. That means you'll also hear it in words such as "window" ("wehn-daur").
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Pronounce all unstressed vowels as "uh" or "eh." Generally, any unstressed vowel is going to flatten out to a "schwa" sound, like an "uh" or "eh," in an Australian accent. In most cases, the vowel is also short, so the effect is that the short vowels in unstressed syllables lose their distinctive sounds and all sound about the same—"Rosa's" sounds the same as the word "roses." [4] X Research source
- You do have to be careful here, because if you flatten out all short vowels into "eh," you'll end up sounding more like a Kiwi (New Zealander) than an Aussie. Only the vowels in unstressed syllables get the "schwa" treatment.
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Draw out all vowel sounds more than you usually would. Aussies draw out their vowels more than any other English speakers. A short vowel in an unstressed syllable is still going to be about 60% as long as a long vowel—not that you have to be that technical about it. [5] X Research source
- The important thing to notice here is how long and stretched-out Australian vowels are compared to other English speakers. [6] X Research source You'll hear this pretty easily if you pull up videos side by side and compare an Aussie speaking to a Brit speaking.
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Add a hard "y" sound when pronouncing the letter "u." Think about how you normally pronounce the word "music." When speaking with an Australian accent, you almost always pronounce a "u" that way. [7] X Research source
- For example, "tune" is pronounced like "tyoon" rather than "toon."
- Pronouncing the letter "u" without the "y" sound is known as "yod-dropping." In Australian English, there is very little yod-dropping.
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Soften a "t" to a "d" in the middle of words. At the beginning of a word, you get the same "t" as any other English speaker, but as the letter moves toward the middle of the word, Aussies soften it until it almost disappears towards the end. This means a word such as "matter" sounds more like "madder" when spoken by an Aussie. [8] X Research source
- At the end of a word, such as in the word "right," the "t" is pronounced as a glottal stop. If you think about how you'd say the phrase "uh-uh," the sound between the syllables is a glottal stop.
- Pronouncing "t" as a glottal stop is common in other English dialects as well, but happens more when there's a double "t" in the middle of a word, as in "matter," rather than at the end. So this is one way you can distinguish Aussies from many British speakers.
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Drop the "r" sound at the end of words or before consonants. Australian English is non-rhotic , which means the "r" sound isn't pronounced at the end of words as a general rule. [9] X Research source But at the same time, most Aussies will pronounce an "r" at the end of a word that's followed by a word that starts with a vowel or vowel sound—even if there wasn't an "r" in the word to begin with. This is called an intrusive "r," and it's also a feature of British Received Pronunciation (RP).
- For example, take the phrase "matter of fact." Said with an Aussie accent, it sounds more like "madda rof fac-."
- You typically won't hear an "r" before consonants in the middle of words either. Instead, the vowel sound is more rounded. So in "word," you don't get that "urr" sound, it's more like "wuhd."
- The intrusive "r" can also be heard within a single word if you have 2 syllables that both end in a vowel or vowel sound. For example, "drawing" would be pronounced more like "draw-ring." [10] X Research source
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Drop the "g" on words that end with "-ing." This is also pretty common with casual American English, so it might be one of the easiest things for you to do right off the bat. This "rule" only applies to words of at least 2 syllables—no Aussie pronounces "ring" as "rin." [11] X Research source
- For example, you might say, "I reckon I'll go surfin' this arvo" (I think/guess/figure I'll go surfing this afternoon).
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Relax your mouth and loosen your jaw. When you're speaking Australian English, you have to move your mouth a lot—more than you would with any American or British accent. You can only do this if your mouth and jaw are relaxed and open. As you speak, keep your lips wide across your face (never pursed or pinched together) and your mouth slightly open. You already sound a little Aussie! [12] X Research source
- Watch videos of Aussies talking and pay close attention to how they move their mouths when they speak, as well as how their faces look when they're not speaking.
- Mimic Aussie facial expressions and movements as well as the sound of their voice and your accent will sound (and feel) more authentic.
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Blend your words together when you're talking rather than pausing between them. The phrase "G'day" is perhaps the most well-known example of the Aussie tendency to blend their words together when they speak. [13] X Research source You can imitate this simply by speaking a little more quickly—you'll find that words naturally tend to blend together.
- There are other examples: "got to" or "you've got to" becomes "gotta," "ought to" becomes "oughta"—really any phrase with the word "to" is gonna be blended like this.
- If you want your accent to sound really good, listen to native speakers as often as possible and mimic their speech patterns.
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Speak with more of a nasal twang. You can add a little twang by smiling when you practice the accent. Smiling will make your vowels sound much more nasally. Then, raise the pitch of your voice towards the ends of words. [14] X Research source Munoz, Patrick. Personal interview. 12 November 2019.
- Remember that Aussies are very friendly! If you speak with a broad smile, you'll automatically sound just a little more Australian—even if you don't change anything else about the way you talk.
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Raise the pitch of your voice at the end of sentences. You can call this the Australian Question Inflection, or "high rising terminal" if you're fancy. You already know what it sounds like? Even if you don't associate it with Australians? [15] X Research source
- Listen to native speakers to get a good sense of when to do this because nobody does it all the time. There's a natural rhythm that you'll pick up by listening.
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Abbreviate longer words and add a diminutive suffix. Aussies abbreviate words and turn them into diminutives more than any other English speakers. [16] X Research source So if you want to sound more Australian—er, Aussie—get in the habit of lopping off the end bits of words and making them cute. One Australian linguist took on the massive task of tabulating all these abbreviations and found the following endings were the ones most used: [17] X Research source
- -ie/y : barbie (barbecue), lappy (laptop), footy (Australian rules football), brekkie (breakfast), selfie (self-portrait), mozzie (mosquito)
- -o : doggo (dog), arvo (afternoon), servo (service station), rego (registration), aggro (aggressive), weirdo (weird person), avo (avocado)
- -s : totes (totally), probs (probably), dins (dinner)
- -ers/as : preggers (pregnant), Maccas (McDonald's), champers (champagne)
- -z/za : soz (sorry), appaz (apparently), biz (business), coz (because)
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End sentences with "mate" when talking to someone else. Aussies use "mate" the way Americans might use "man" or "dude." In a sense, it's as though you're addressing the person you're talking to, but it's also just a filler at the end of a sentence. Pretty much everyone is "mate" in a casual situation. [18] X Research source
- For example, you might say, "We're headed to the beach, mate. Wanna come?"
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Use "as" at the end of a sentence to maximize an adjective. Think of starting a simile and just not finishing it. "Sweet as" might be the most common (with "sweet" meaning "cool" or "awesome"), but you can use this construction with basically any adjective. [19] X Research source
- For example, you might say, "How'd you get an A on that test without studying, mate? You're lucky as!"
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Place "but" at the end of the sentence. You don't want to use the question inflection for every single sentence—Aussies don't actually talk like that. For sentences without question inflection, though, Aussies will often throw on a "but" at the end—even if there's nothing else to add to the sentence or the word doesn't really suit what they're saying. [20] X Research source
- For example, you might say, "We spent the day at the beach? It was right hot, but."
- Sometimes, "but" keeps its usual meaning, it's just put at the end of the sentence rather than at the beginning. For example, if someone says they want to go to the shops, you might say, "We haven't got enough time, but."
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Add common slang phrases to your regular speech. Your everyday conversations are likely full of slang phrases—some of which you might not even recognize as slang—and Aussies are no different! Using slang rather than speaking formally tells people you're at home and comfy with the language and makes you sound more like a real Aussie. Here are some you can try: [21] X Research source
- "How ya goin'?" (How's it going/How are you doing)
- "G'day, mate" (Good day, friend)
- "Good on ya" (Good on you—a sign of approval, like saying "well done" or "good job")
- "No worries" (Typically a response to "thank you," but often used in other contexts)
- "She'll be right" (It'll be okay)
- "What you after?" (What are you looking for) [22] X Research source
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Replace more formal-sounding words with casual ones. This tendency goes back to the general Australian mindset. Aussies have a reputation for being pretty laid-back and casual, and their use of the English language reflects a more relaxed, easygoing attitude. So when you're speaking in an Aussie accent, think more in terms of how you'd talk to your friends rather than how you'd talk to a professor or a high-ranking government official. Here are some you might try: [23] X Research source
- Reckon (instead of "think," "believe," "figure," or similar words)
- Yeah (instead of "yes")
- Chuck (instead of "throw" or "make")
- Blended words like "gotta," "gonna," and "shoulda" (instead of the more enunciated "got to," "going to," or "should have")
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Community Q&A
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QuestionIt says above that words ending in 't' just drop it at the end, but what about for words like "what's" when it ends in apostrophe 's'?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerThe "t" never really goes away, it's just pronounced as a glottal stop. You'd still use that same glottal stop with a word like "what's." The important thing to remember is the sound the word ends in, not necessarily the letter or how it's spelled. Since "what's" no longer ends in a "t" sound, you'd still hear a slight "t," it just wouldn't be as enunciated as it might be in other accents.
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QuestionHow do I say sister with an Australian accent?Community AnswerSay "Sis-tah".
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QuestionHow do I say "brother"?Community AnswerWith an Australian accent, you don't pronounce the "r" on the end, so it would be "brotha."
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Tips
- If you want to listen to Australians speaking, focus on unscripted television over films—the pronunciation and way of speaking will be more natural.Thanks
- Australian English is closer to British English than American English in terms of general word usage, so that's something to keep in mind, particularly if you're American.Thanks
- Talk to native Australians as much as you can to get a better handle on the flow of a conversation and the natural rhythms of their speech.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://daily.jstor.org/australians-obsessed-nicknaming/
- ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4084655_Analysis_of_acoustic_correlates_of_British_Australian_and_American_accents
- ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4084655_Analysis_of_acoustic_correlates_of_British_Australian_and_American_accents
- ↑ https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/rosas-roses-unstressed-vowel-merger-in-australian-english
- ↑ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-phonetic-association/article/australian-english/8B2DA5419C7F52650AD8107DEC3E47FD
- ↑ https://youtu.be/SuNWtCEz_sQ?t=24
- ↑ http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:899992/FULLTEXT01.pdf
- ↑ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-phonetic-association/article/australian-english/8B2DA5419C7F52650AD8107DEC3E47FD
- ↑ https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/history-culture/2014/07/knowing-the-aussie-accent/
- ↑ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-phonetic-association/article/australian-english/8B2DA5419C7F52650AD8107DEC3E47FD
- ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/how-to-do-an-australian-accent-75427/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/SuNWtCEz_sQ?t=85
- ↑ https://www.abc.net.au/education/learn-english/australian-english-different-and-shocking-for-new-migrants/9687206
- ↑ Munoz, Patrick. Personal interview. 12 November 2019.
- ↑ https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/history-culture/2014/07/knowing-the-aussie-accent/
- ↑ https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2010/08/why-we-shorten-barbie,-footy-and-arvo/
- ↑ https://daily.jstor.org/australians-obsessed-nicknaming/
- ↑ https://ielts.com.au/australia/prepare/article-australian-slang-words-phrases
- ↑ https://ielts.com.au/australia/prepare/article-understanding-the-aussie-slang
- ↑ https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/resources/aus/word/map/search/word/but/The%20Riverina/
- ↑ https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20150427-pervs-greenies-and-ratbags
- ↑ https://www.abc.net.au/education/learn-english/learn-english:-understanding-the-aussie-accent-and-slang/8940242
- ↑ https://daily.jstor.org/australians-obsessed-nicknaming/
About This Article
Article Summary
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If you want to speak with an Australian accent, pronounce your "I"s like the "I" in "Oil." To make this easier, try rounding your lips as you say "Write," or "Spite." You should also turn your hard "A" sounds into "Aye" like in "Way" or "Mate." Once you've got your "A"s and "I"s down, try dropping the “G” at the end of “ing” words. For example, instead of saying "running," you would say "runnin'." When you're happy with your Aussie accent, try incorporating some classic slang words, like "chunder", "durry," and "runners," to build your vocabulary. For more tips, including how to learn some filler words to perfect your Australian accent, read on!
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