There is something unique about the Australians. How they speak is different from Americans, Brits, Canada, and New Zealand. The Australian accent dates back to 1788 when the Europeans landed in Australia. We won’t dwell much on the origin of the Australian accent.

But one thing remains for a fact that Australians use a unique slang. Also, they use shortened words that you might not hear in any other form of English. For some reason, you may want to assimilate yourself with Australian culture. Learning how to communicate and feel one of them is crucial. Therefore, this article tables down ways to speak with an Australian accent with ease.

Step 1: Pronunciation

  1. Drop the ‘R’ sound from the ends of words and instead use ‘ah’ for example forever (American English) should be forev-ah (Australian accent).
  2. Let your pronunciation of ‘I’ sound more like the I in oil. Therefore, you should adjust the way you pronounce I on words such as like, try, might, plus others. You want the I’ in those words to sound something like oi even though it is not so pronounced. Ensure that you pronounce the I sound by rounding the lips the way you do on words such as write, live, and spite. This is being the fact, you should not commit the oi sound fully. This is only meant to help you learn faster.
  3. After that, adjust the “A” sound to “aye”. This is somewhat a compound sound where you start with A sound and the slide in the I Your lips should guide you to know when you are getting it right. Ensure your lips move outward a bit when you are right.

Practice with the following words

  • Way → w-aye
  • Make→M-aye-ke
  1. If you have a letter T at the end of a word try to soften it. Instead of the ‘tuh’ in American English try to produce a short sound when pronouncing words such as right in the American accent it should sound as follows R-eye. When pronouncing the letter T in the word “right” you notice that your tongue pushes the rough of your mouth. You can repeat the same thing without touching your tongue to the rough of your mouth.
  2. Cut off the G from words ending with “-ing“. As mentioned, the shortening of words is quite often with the Australian accent. Hence when you come across words that end with “-ing” cut off the letter G. In that regard the word catching should sound as “cat-chn.“. Try out pronouncing the following words to guide you through;
  • Running → Runnin’
  • Eating → Eatin’
  • Ring → Rin’
  1. Simply abbreviate everything and add o, i, e, or y. shorten the words and just make sure it sounds right. For example;
  • Breakfast = brekkie
  • Afternoon = arvo
  • McDonalds = Maccas
  • Definitely = defo
  • Present → Pressie
  • Breakfast → Brekkie
  • Mosquito → Mozzie
  • Sunglasses → Sunnies
  1. Show emphasis by including words like; as, “but, as, hey? or aye.”. For example, “That movie was sweet as, mate!”

Step 2: Australian Question Inflection

For you to learn how to speak with the Australian accent you must be conversant with Australian question reflection. Let not the big word scare you. Australian Question Inflection is all about raising the voice at the end of a sentence simply as if you are asking a question.

You don’t have to exaggerate, get louder, and high pitched a little bit. In case you find it a challenge, ask those questions in normal and take note of how you change the pitch at the end. Repeat again and again until you get it right.

Step 4: Check On Your Intonation

When reading sentences try as much as possible not to move the tongue too much. You should see a sentence as one word. Do not make percussive and rhythmic sounds. Be calm as you let the sentence out.

Step 5: Lastly, Keep Yourself Updated on the Slang

It is no doubt that the Australian slang keeps evolving. Due to this fact, it becomes a challenge to know what words are in fashion and those that have lost meaning. As such, you must keep yourself abreast of what is happening. This is one way that helps you immensely in adopting the Australian accent. Some slang words continue to exist for a longer time. Here are some of the words you can use without having to worry about what the crowd says about you.

  • Arvo: Afternoon
  • Barbie: Barbeque
  • Bogan: Redneck, an uncultured person
  • Chockers: Very full
  • Esky: Cooler, insulated food and drink container
  • Fair Dinkum: true, real, genuine
  • Mozzie: Moosquito
  • Pash: A long passionate kiss
  • Ripper: Really great

It is good to consult on the usage of some words so as you don’t get yourself in trouble.  Australians use the word root to mean sexual intercourse.

Tips: other than what this article recommends other things might help you speak the Australian accent. Here are the tips you should follow;

  • Speaking to an Australian is highly recommended. You can learn how to pronounce words and adopt the Australian accent.

How can I get an Australian accent fast?

How do you speak an Australian accent fluently?

How does Australian accent sound like?

How to Speak Australian
  1. Drop the ends of words. If a word ends in r, drop it and replace it with a short ‘a’ sound.
  2. Add vowels. No, really.
  3. Finish your sentences by going up at the end. Known as the ‘Australian Question Inflection’, it makes everything you say sound like a question.
  4. Twist those vowels.

How do you say no with an Australian accent?

Australian accent also features flapping. This is the softening of /t/ in the middle of words or at the end of words between vowels. When the “t” sound is flapped, it’ll sound a lot more like a soft /d/ sound. Flapping is also present in General American Accent.

How do you say hello in Australian?

How do you say sorry in Australian?

How do you say goodbye in Australian?

What is I Love You in Australian language?

Hooroo = Goodbye

The Australian slang for goodbye is Hooroo and sometimes they even Cheerio like British people.

Is Heaps an Australian word?

Most times Aussies will use luv, luvya, seeya luv, I ♥️ 🇦🇺 (or simply say I love you but not in french cos that’s like really bunging it on.) Hooroo.

What is Australian slang for excellent?

Australians use the word “heaps”…. well, HEAPS. I’ve slowly stopped saying “a lot”, “many”, “hella”, and “tons”. All of these words have been swapped with HEAPS.

Is no worries an Australian saying?

Aussie Slang
Phrase/term Meaning
Ace great, excellent
Ankle-biter child
Arvo afternoon
Barbie barbeque

Why do Aussies say ta?

Let’s start with one of the most famous Australian slang phrases: No worries. It’s said to be the national motto of Australia. This expression means “do not worry about it”, or “it’s all right”.

What do Aussies call themselves?

‘Ta‘ means ‘thank you’.

Do Aussies say bloke?

Aussie is Australian slang for Australian, both the adjective and the noun, and less commonly, Australia. Aussie can be used in the form of an adjective or noun.

Why do we say ta instead of thank you?

Bloke is a slang term for a common man in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The “Aussie bloke” has been portrayed in important works of art and associated with famous Australian men. “He’s a good bloke” literally means “he’s a good man”.

How do you say thank you in Australian?

Online Etymology Dictionary says: ta: 1772, “natural infantile sound of gratitude” [Weekley]. Although possibly originating from the imitative of baby talk, this is in widespread use in the North of England and Wales as an informal “thanks” amongst adults. Used to express thanks.

Can I say ta instead of thank you?

“Cheers, mate” is the same as the English word, Thank You, while “No worries” or No drama” translates to “You‘re welcome” in Australian slang.

Is it rude to say ta?

Yes, “ta” means thank you. It is informal and you should only really use it with friends and family. If you wish to be polite and courteous always use “Thank you.”. Yes, it’s a British English colloquial or slang word for ‘thank you‘.