Ruqayyah Snyder
The Australian accent is notoriously tricky to master, but there are some tips and tricks that can help you sound more 'Strayan'. Australian English is characterised by elongated vowels, dropped consonants, and a casual, laid-back tone. To start, try dropping the r sound from words like matter or river, and abbreviating words like breakfast to brekkie. Next, focus on drawing out your vowels, especially long a and o sounds, which are often blended with other vowels to create unique sounds. For example, no becomes naur. Finally, practice makes perfect, so listen to Australians and try to mimic their intonation and rhythm. It's also helpful to find some trigger words that are typically Australian, like might, right, and mate. With enough practice, you'll be sounding like a true Aussie in no time!
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Lazy language | Sentences flow together and the ends of words are indistinguishable or cut off |
| Abbreviations | Breakfast = brekkie, Afternoon = arvo, McDonald's = Maccas |
| Drop the "r" at the end of words | River = riva, Matter = matta, Liver = livah |
| Drop the "g" at the end of words | Catching = catchin', Kicking = kickin' |
| Long "o" sounds like "a" | "No" sounds like "nar" |
| Drop the "t" at the end of words | Right = "roigh" |
| The "a" sound becomes like an "i" | "No way, mate" = "No w-ay-e m-aye-ght" |
| The "ah" sound becomes like an "eh" | "That hat" = "Theht heht" |
| Chew words before speaking | |
| Draw out vowels | "Nice" = "noice", "Plain" = "plah-eh-een" |
| Ghost vowels | "Music" = "myoozik" |
| Soften "t" to "d" | "Water" = "wada" |
| Broad accent | Most recognizable to non-Australian English speakers |
| General accent | Likely the most common accent today |
| Cultivated accent | Historically associated with older, college-educated folks |
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What You'll Learn
Abbreviate words
Abbreviating words is a key feature of Australian English. The Australian language has been described as "lazy", with sentences flowing together and the ends of words being indistinguishable, cut off, or abbreviated.
When it comes to abbreviations, a good rule of thumb is to shorten the word and add "o", "i", "e", or "y". For example, "breakfast" becomes "brekkie", "afternoon" becomes "arvo", "McDonald's" becomes "Maccas", and "definitely" becomes "defo". You can also make up abbreviations, and they will likely still sound Australian.
In addition to abbreviating words, another way to sound Australian is to drop the "r" sound at the end of words. For instance, river becomes "riva", and together becomes "tagetha".
It is also common to drop the "g" sound at the end of words, so catching becomes "catchin", and kicking becomes "kickin".
The Australian accent also tends to draw out long vowels, sometimes bending them into two or more vowel sounds. For example, nice sounds more like "noice", and mate sounds like "might".
Finally, a key aspect of the Australian accent is the use of slang words and phrases. Some common Australian slang includes "G'day", "mate", "Straya" (Australia), and sheila.
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Drop the 'r' at the end of words
Dropping the "r" sound at the end of words is a key feature of the Australian accent. This is a good rule of thumb when trying to sound Australian. For example, the word “river” becomes “riva”, and “together” becomes “tagetha”. The "r" sound is also often dropped before consonants, so “soccer” becomes “socka”.
The Australian accent is known for its laid-back, casual style, with a tendency to slur words together and cut off word endings. This gives the accent a distinctive, relaxed flow. The accent is also marked by elongated vowels, with words like “no” sounding more like “naur”, and “plain” becoming “plah-eh-een”.
The "r" sound is also softened and blended with other vowels, particularly when it follows a long "o" sound. This is a unique feature of the Australian accent and can be tricky for non-Australians to master. The "r" is blended with the "ah" of an "a" and the "uh" of a short "u", with a slight "r" sound at the end, as in "oar".
In addition to dropping the "r", Australians also tend to drop the "g" sound at the end of words, so “catching” becomes “catchin’”, and “kicking” becomes “kickin”. This further contributes to the relaxed, fluid sound of the Australian accent.
To sound like a true Aussie, it's important to practice and get a feel for the unique mouth movements and tongue placements that create these distinctive sounds. It's also helpful to listen to and mimic the way Australians speak, as the accent is as much about the flow and rhythm of the language as it is about specific pronunciation rules.
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Drop the 'g' at the end of words
To sound like an Australian, one must master the art of dropping the "g" at the end of certain words. This means that words ending in "ing", such as "catching" or "kicking", would be pronounced as "catchin'" or "kickin'". This subtle change can help one blend in with the laid-back Aussie vibe.
The Australian language is often described as very relaxed and lazy. Sentences tend to flow together, and word endings may be indistinguishable or simply cut off. This unique flow contributes to the distinct sound of the Australian accent.
To achieve this effortless sound, it's important to remember to abbreviate words. For example, "breakfast" becomes "brekkie", "afternoon" shortens to "arvo", and "McDonald's" transforms into "Maccas". This rule applies to most words and can be easily adapted by shortening the word and adding "o", "i", "e", or "y".
When it comes to the letter "r", Australians tend to leave it out when it's at the end of a word. So, words like "river" become "riva", and "together" is pronounced as "tagetha". This small adjustment can make a big difference in sounding more Aussie.
Additionally, the "a" sound in words often transforms into something closer to an "i" sound. For example, "no way, mate" might sound more like "no w-ay-e m-aye-ght". This particular nuance just takes practice and a good ear for mimicry.
Lastly, it's important to remember that there are numerous variations of the Australian accent, and these tips may not apply to every region. However, by incorporating these tricks and listening to native Australians, one can develop their own authentic version of the Aussie accent.
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Practice 'chewing' your vowels
To speak with an Australian accent, it's important to know how to draw out your vowels. This is sometimes referred to as "chewing" your vowels, because of the way the sound moves around your mouth.
First, let's identify some "trigger" words that will help you get into an Aussie character. Try saying the following words out loud: Australian (Strayan), like, might, right, fight, dire, mate, date, no, hat, water bottle, catching, running, and together.
Now, let's break down the steps to chewing your vowels:
- Draw out your vowels: When Australians speak, they tend to draw out their vowels. For example, with a long "a," as in the word "mate," you'll want to draw out the long "i" sound as well, so it sounds like "might." Try drawing out the word "plain" to sound like "plah-eh-een." Once you get the hang of it, the sound will be more condensed, like "pl-aye-n."
- Bend your vowels: Expand long vowels into multiple vowel sounds. For example, the word "nice" sounds more like "noice." This is because Australians tend to bend their vowels into two or more vowel sounds.
- Pronounce unstressed vowels as "uh" or "eh": In an Australian accent, unstressed vowels tend to flatten out to a "schwa" sound, like "uh" or "eh." For example, "Rosa's" sounds the same as "roses." However, be careful not to flatten all short vowels into "eh," or you might sound more like a New Zealander.
- Add a soft "r" to long "o" sounds: This is a distinct feature of the Aussie accent. For example, "no" becomes "naur."
- Practice, practice, practice: Chewing your vowels might feel unnatural at first, so it's important to practice. Listen to recordings of Australians speaking and try to copy the sounds they make. Focus on how they draw out and bend their vowels.
Remember, 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. So, have fun with it, and don't be afraid to embrace the laid-back Aussie attitude as you practice!
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Listen and mimic
To sound Australian, listening and mimicking is key. There are a variety of accents and slang words, but some general rules can help you get started.
First, listen to how Australians speak. There are many resources available, from YouTube videos to podcasts and movies. LazarBeam on YouTube, for example, has a very broad, stereotypical accent, or you could try the Aussie English channel for Australian pronunciation guidance. Listen to how they form words and the rhythm of their speech.
Next, try to mimic what you hear. Focus on the pronunciation of specific words and the overall flow of sentences. Australians tend to have a very relaxed and casual way of speaking, with sentences flowing together and words sometimes blending or being cut off.
- Abbreviate words. For example, "breakfast" becomes "brekkie", "afternoon" becomes "arvo", and "McDonald's" is "Maccas".
- Drop the "r" at the end of words. So, "river" becomes "riva", and "together" becomes "tagetha".
- Don't pronounce the "g" at the end of words. For example, "catching" becomes "catchin'" and "kicking" becomes "kickin'".
- Drop the "t" at the end of words. "Right" should sound more like "roigh".
- The "a" sound often becomes more like an "i". So, "no way, mate" might sound like "no w-ay-e, m-aye-ght".
- The "ah" sound in words like "that" or "hat" becomes more like the "eh" sound in "egg".
- Draw out your vowels and make them bouncy. Australian English is known for its elongated vowels and diphthongs (when two vowels combine to form one sound). For example, "nice" sounds more like "noice", and "plain" becomes "plah-eh-een".
- Add a soft "r" to long "o" sounds. So, "no" becomes "naur".
Remember, the Australian accent reflects the casual and friendly Aussie lifestyle, so embrace the laid-back flow of their speech and don't be afraid to over-exaggerate those trigger words at first—you can always dial it back later!
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Frequently asked questions
There are many ways to sound like an Australian. Here are some tips:
- Abbreviate words. For example, breakfast becomes brekkie, afternoon becomes arvo, and McDonald's becomes Maccas.
- Don't pronounce the "r" at the end of words. For instance, river becomes riva, and together becomes tagetha.
- Drop the "t" at the end of words. For example, right becomes roigh.
- Draw out long vowels. For example, with a long "a," you can draw it out like ah-eh-ee.
- Listen to Australians and mimic their pronunciation and tone.
Some common Australian slang words and phrases include:
- G'day, mate! — A friendly greeting.
- Straya — Australia.
- Brekkie — Breakfast.
- Arvo — Afternoon.
- Maccas — McDonald's.
Yes, a paper published for the 2010 Third International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining identified three main classifications of Australian accents: broad, general, and cultivated. The broad accent is the most recognizable to non-Australian English speakers due to its slower speech pattern and longer diphthongs.
The word "nice" with an Australian accent would sound like "noice" due to the elongated diphthong.
When pronouncing the letter "u" in words like "music," an Australian accent would add a hard "y" sound, so it would sound like "myoossic."
