A Quick Guide to Aussie Slang

The Australian laidback attitude is well-known all over the world. It’s no wonder life is more relaxed in the land down under. The heat, pace of life and friendliness of the locals creates a vibe that’s sometimes a little leisurely but one that always has a lot of heart. And, when you think about Australia there are no-doubt some iconic places, people and, of course, words that come to mind. Anyone for a barbie?!

Yes, Australians love to abbreviate their words which can be a bit of a learning curve for international visitors. With this in mind, we have put together a brief list of some of the most common words, pronunciations and expressions so you can speak like a local in no time at all!

So, how about pronunciation?

Throughout the world, you’ll find local pronunciation rules and quirks. Australia is no different. And, you need to look out for differences in pronunciations of some vowels in particular.

• ‘a’ becomes ‘i’. It may sound a little strange in theory, however, in practice, you’ll know what we mean. For example, mate becomes ma-ite.
• ‘ou’ becomes ‘eah’. Putting this into practice, a phrase such as ‘see you’ becomes ‘see yeah’.
• ‘i’ becomes ‘oi’. Taking this pronunciation into account, the word ‘night’ will become ‘noight’.

As you spend time here, you’ll tend to notice these little differences less and less until you’re speaking like a local yourself!

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