{"id":179792,"date":"2023-12-18T06:04:49","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T11:04:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/australian-english\/"},"modified":"2025-04-02T07:01:43","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T11:01:43","slug":"australian-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/australian-english\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Australian English (Plus Common Phrases)"},"content":{"rendered":"

You’ve probably heard about Australia\u2014fresh food<\/a>, gorgeous beaches<\/a>, sunshine and (of course) killer animals<\/a>.\u00a0Crocodiles, sharks and spiders aside, you’re probably more afraid of the dialect<\/a> than you are of the wildlife<\/em> (animals).<\/p>\n

Unless you’re an advanced learner of English<\/a>, Australian English can seem like a whole new world.\u00a0It’s similar to British English<\/a> in that, for example, it often skips the “r” sound and uses British spelling. But over time, it developed its own unique sound, vocabulary and slang.<\/p>\n

So, let me give you a rundown<\/em> (summary) of phrases unique to the English used in Australia.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A Brief History of Australian English\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Ever wondered why the English used in Australia sound a bit like British English?<\/p>\n

Back in the 18th century, Australia was part of the British Empire<\/a>. British convicts<\/em><\/a> (people who were found to have committed crimes) were transferred to Australia. A lot of other immigrants followed, including soldiers and their families. Most of them came from London, but their different dialects started\u00a0merging<\/em> (combining) together:<\/p>\n

<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n

Of course, Australian English was also influenced by local languages like those from the aboriginals<\/em> (people who lived in Australia before the British people came). For example, a lot of animal names are aboriginal words (kangaroo<\/em> and koala<\/em>), as well as fun slang like\u00a0yakka<\/em> (hard work).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

To explore this dialect of English, check out some podcasts<\/a>, movies<\/a> and TV shows<\/a>. There’s also FluentU<\/a>, which collects native English videos from Australia and other English-speaking countries<\/a> for language learners.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

<\/p> \r\n

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \"FluentU\r\n

\r\n