Australian English
How to understand the Aussie accent
Australians are not mumbling, and you are not bad at English. The vowels sit in different places, the R drops at the end of words, and everyday words get shortened to arvo, brekkie and servo. You do not need to sound Aussie. You need to know what you are hearing.
This is the short version. The longer guide, with the vowel detail, is how to understand the Australian accent.
Hear it in the app.
Learn has 312 real Australian voice recordings. Talk with Bruce includes 3 free chats a day.
What to listen for
- Vowels shift. Today can sound like to die to an ear used to British English.
- The R drops at the end of a word. Car sounds like cah. Hard sounds like hahd.
- Between two vowels, an R can turn up. Far out can sound like fa-rout.
- In relaxed speech, water can sound softer, closer to wadda. Not every Australian does this.
- Words get shortened. Arvo is afternoon. Brekkie is breakfast. Servo is a petrol station.
- How ya going means hello. A short reply is enough. Good, you? works.
- Some statements rise at the end and sound like questions. They are often not questions. A nod or yeah is enough.
The idea that the accent comes from drunk convicts is false. The longer guide explains that, and the smaller differences between states.
Hear three things you will meet this week
Hear it
Hear the recording already on this site.
Arvo means afternoon. More words are in the Aussie slang glossary.
Hear it
Hear the recording already on this site.
Servo means petrol station.
Hear it
Hear the recording already on this site.
How ya going, no worries and she'll be right are on the she'll be right page.
Practise with real recordings
Reading the patterns helps. Hearing them every day helps more. Learn in the Aussie Talk iPhone app has 6 stages, 46 lessons and 312 real Australian voice recordings. Those lesson recordings are never text to speech. You listen, then say the words yourself.
Talk with Bruce is a cheeky larrikin AI chat for practice. You get 3 free chats a day. You can speak or type, and Bruce replies in Australian English slang. The Australian English app page lists what else is in the app, including Translate with a free Slang of the day and the sport card game.
What it costs
- The iPhone app is free to download. Talk with Bruce includes 3 free chats a day.
- Premium from A$14.99 a month in Australia, local currency elsewhere.
- Annual is A$39.99 with a 7-day trial for eligible new subscribers.
- Lifetime Learning is A$24.99. It unlocks Learn and the slang dictionary. It does not include unlimited chats with Bruce. The number of those chats is shown in the app.
- Premium includes unlimited chats with Bruce. Fair-use limits stop abuse. Normal use does not reach them.
The price is shown in the app before you buy, in your App Store currency.
Questions about the Aussie accent
How do I understand the Aussie accent?
Listen for shifted vowels, a dropped R, and shortened words such as arvo, brekkie and servo. How ya going means hello. The longer guide on this site walks through each pattern. The Aussie Talk app has 312 real Australian voice recordings in Learn so you can hear the accent and practise.
Why is the Australian accent hard to understand?
The vowels sit in different places, the R drops at the end of words, and everyday words get shortened. Australians are not mumbling. You do not need to sound Aussie. You need to know what you are hearing.
What does how ya going mean?
How ya going means hello. It is shaped like a question and it is not one. Good, you? or not bad is enough.
Where can I hear the Aussie accent?
This page plays recordings that are already on Aussie Talk. Learn in the iPhone app has 312 real Australian voice recordings. Those lesson recordings are never text to speech. You can also chat with Bruce, 3 free chats a day.