Australian English

**Australian English** is the English that is used in Australia.

## History

People from Great Britain and Ireland first came to live in the Colony of New South Wales in what is now Australia in 1788. They brought different dialects of English along with them. The different kinds of English began to mix and to change. The newcomers soon began to speak with their own distinctive accent and vocabulary.

More and more people came to Australia in the 19th and the 20th centuries. Many of them came looking for gold. Some came from the British Isles. Others came from non-English speaking countries. Australian English continued to grow and to change.

Australian English has also been influenced by American English. During World War II, many soldiers from the United States stayed in Australia. American television shows and music have been popular in Australia since the 1950s.

## Accent

Australian and New Zealand English have similar accents.

In Australian English, the /r/ sound is dropped before a vowel. Many words sound different in other accents but the same in Australian English:

- _caught_ and _court_
- _raw_ and _roar_
- _aunt_ and _aren't_
- _formally_ and _formerly_

Some Australian English vowels sound different to vowels of other kinds of English. For example, the vowel in _day_ starts with a very open mouth, which makes the Australian _day_ sound close to the _die_ of most British or American people. Days of the week, however, are sometimes different, and the _day_ can then sound like _dee_ (usually short and sharp like the letter _d_).

- _Sunday_ becomes _Sun-dee_
- _Monday_ - _Mun-dee_
- _Tuesday_ - _Choose-de_e (see further explanation below)
- _Wednesday_ - _Wens-dee_ (The first _d_ and the second _e_ are rarely pronounced, and if so, it sounds more like _Weddinsday_ but never _Weddinsdee_)
- _Thursday_ - _Thurs-dee_
- _Friday_ - _Fri-dee_
- _Saturday_ - _Satta-dee_/_Sadda-dee_ or even shorter _Sat-dee_/_Sad-dee_ (both _D_<nowiki/>'s are pronounced separately, with a syllable break between them)

Australian English has some vowels that are not used in some other kinds of English. For example, the words _bad_ and _lad_ do not rhyme in Australia because _bad_ has a long vowel, and _lad_ has a short one. Also, _cot_ does not sound like _caught_, and _bother_ does not rhyme with _father_.

As with American English, the /t/ sound can sometimes sound like a /d/ sound, ususally between vowels:

- _waiter_ can sound like _wader_
- _betting_ can sound like _bedding_
- _got it_  can sound like _god it_
- _thirty_ can sound like _thirdy_

In Australia, the /t/ sound, followed by the sound of _you_, comes out sounding like _chew_, and a /d/ sound, followed by the sound of _you_, comes out sounding like _Jew_. These phrases sound the same.

- _Tuesday_ and _choose day_
- _lightyear_ and _lie cheer_
- _due_ and _Jew_
- _dune_ and _June_

Australians pronounce _wh_ and _w_ the same:

- _which_ and _witch_
- _whether_ and _weather_
- _whales_ and _Wales_

## Words

Australians use many words that other English-speakers do not use. The famous Australian greeting, for example, is _G'day!_ A native forest is called _the bush_, and deserts in Australia are called the _outback_.

Many words were brought to Australia from Britain and Ireland. For example, _mate_, meaning "friend", is still used in Britain. Some of those words have changed in meaning.

A few words have come from Australian Aboriginal languages, mainly names for animals, plants and places: _dingo_ and _kangaroo_.

Some words have uncertain origins. For example, _dinkum_, or _fair dinkum_. means "true", "is that true?" or "this is the truth". However, nobody knows where the word is from. Some say that the word comes from Chinese, but others say that the word comes from England.

## Spelling

Australian spelling is mostly the same as British spelling. In words like _organise_ and _realise_, _-ise_ is the expected and taught spelling method. In words like _colour and_ _favourite_, _-our_ is the norm, but there are exceptions such as the _Labor_ Party (which was deliberately chosen on the formation of the Party to avoid confusion with the British Labour Party), _Victor Harbor_ and _Outer Harbor _(geographically unique to South Australia, as opposed to placenames in other states: Boat Harbour and Coffs Harbour).

_Program_ and _jail_, on the other hand, are more common than _programme_ and _gaol_. Other examples of preferring the American spelling are _analog_, not _analogue_ (in general, the _-ue_ is dropped); _livable_, not _liveable_; _guerilla_ not _guerrilla_; _verandah_, not _veranda_; _burqa_, not _burka_; and _pastie_, not _pasty_. With the exception of _spelt_, Australia follows the American usage in.words that use _-t_ in British spelling and _-ed_ in American spelling..

## Kinds of Australian English

Most linguists split Australian English up into three main kinds: Broad, General, and Cultivated Australian English.

Broad Australian English sounds very strongly Australian when compared to other kinds of English. Steve Irwin spoke Broad Australian English.

General Australian English is the middle ground. It is used by most Australians and can be heard in Australian-made films and television programs. Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman speak General Australian English.

Cultivated Australian English is similar to Received Pronunciation, the type of British English that is spoken by David Attenborough and other educated people. Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush speak Cultivated Australian English.

Australian English changes from state to state but only slightly compared to the variety of British and American English accents. A mixture of Broad and General Australian English accents can be heard across southern and western Australia, abd Broad Accents are more common by themselves in places such as the Northern Territory and central Australia. Large metropolitan areas such as Melbourne, Sydney and South East Queensland share large portions of each accent. Cultivated Australian English is rare compared to the rest but can be observed in the upper and middle classes, from migrant families with recent British ties (up to a century and a half in some cases) and in performing arts communities in which pronounced English is of most benefit.

Subtle changes on an individual level include how the letter 'a' sounds like in words like _castle_, _dance_, _chance_ and _advance_. Some use the vowel in _calm_, but others use the vowel in _mat_ or _mad_. Another regional difference is the pronunciation of 'e' sounds especially followed by 'l', such as _Melbourne_, _helped_ and _cellist_, with Victoria generally transposing the 'a' and 'e' vowel sounds in many words such as by pronouncing an 'e' sound in words such as _alchemy_ or _chalice_ but an 'a' sound in _celery._

There are also geographical differences in the definition of words that Australians use in different parts of the country. For example, _football_ (or _footy_ for short) means "rugby league" in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory but "Australian rules football" in everywhere else in Australia. In New South Wales, a swimming costume is called a _cossie_ or _swimmers_ but _togs_ in Queensland and _togs_ and _bathers_ in Victoria.

## Other websites

- Australian National Dictionary Centre
- Australian Word Map (ABC and Macquarie Dictionary) - documents regionalisms
- Introduction to Australian Phonetics and Phonology
- Macquarie Dictionary
- World English Organisation
- Aussie English for beginners -- the origins, meanings and a quiz to test your knowledge  at the National Museum of Australia.
- Strine - Australian Terms Explained  -- basic list of Strine words at _School Spirit _ webstrip.