{"id":2463,"date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/local.events.com\/how-to-speak-with-an-australian-accent\/"},"modified":"2021-04-07T16:53:25","modified_gmt":"2021-04-07T23:53:25","slug":"how-to-speak-with-an-australian-accent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/english-speaking\/how-to-speak-with-an-australian-accent\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Speak with an Australian Accent"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Australians have a way of speaking that is very distinct from Americans<\/a>, Brits<\/a>, Canadians, and even nearby Kiwis (New Zealanders). It\u2019s not just their intonation and pronunciation, either. The Australian accent uses unique slang and shortened words that you wouldn\u2019t hear in any other form of English.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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So, how exactly do Australians speak? How does the Australian accent differ from other accents in English? Finally, what techniques can you use to learn how to do an Australian accent?<\/p>\n

We will answer all of these questions and more, but first, let\u2019s look at the origins of the Australian accent:<\/p>\n

Where Did the Australian Accent Originate?<\/h2>\n

The Australian accent, as we know it today, first began when European settlers landed in Australia in 1788.<\/p>\n

There are various theories as to how the accent became so distinctive, but the prevailing theory<\/a> is that the settlers had too many varied accents. They needed to pair them all down in order to communicate. This, combined with influences from the Aboriginals\u2019 language, led to a completely new type of English.<\/p>\n

As the Australian population grew and the country expanded, international influences took hold, changing the language forever.<\/p>\n

The elocution movement of the late 19th century pushed to standardize English. The proponents of the movement wanted to make Received Pronunciation (the accent of southern England) the standard by which people could measure all other forms of English. This led to fractures and variations in the Australian accent.<\/p>\n

Prior to this change, the \u201cMiddle Australian\u201d was the prevailing accent in the country. However, by the mid-20th century, three distinct accents replaced Middle Australian: broad<\/em>, general<\/em>, and cultivated<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Broad Australian<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Broad Australian English is the accent that is most familiar to people outside of Australia. This strong Australian accent is characterized by slower speech, a more nasal tone, and longer diphthongs.<\/p>\n

While it is the most recognizable accent for foreigners, Broad Australian English is not the most common accent in Australia. The majority of speakers live in rural, remote areas of the country.<\/p>\n

General Australian<\/strong><\/h3>\n

General Australian English is the most common accent in Australia. You will hear this accent in most suburban areas of the country. Additionally, General Australian English is the standard accent for most Australian media, television, and film.<\/p>\n

This accent is not as strong as Broad Australian, though it can still be characterized by nasality and distinct pronunciations.<\/p>\n

Cultivated Australian<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In many ways, Cultivated Australian English resembles the Received Pronunciation of England. However, it still retains some qualities unique to the Australian dialect.<\/p>\n

Though not widely used throughout the country, Cultivated Australian English developed from the elocution movement in an attempt to conform with the Standard British English. People most often associate Cultivated Australian English with higher social classes.<\/p>\n

Australian Accent Pronunciation<\/h2>\n

While there are three distinct types of Australian accents, most linguists recognize that they exist on a spectrum, with Broad Australian on one end and Cultivated Australian on the other.<\/p>\n

As one moves closer to the Broad Australian side, the pronunciations become more distinctly \u201cAustralian,\u201d while the pronunciations on the Cultivated Australian end lie closer to British or American English.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Since General Australian is the most common accent and represents a kind of \u201cmiddle ground\u201d between Broad and Cultivated Australian, we will examine how different letters and sounds are pronounced with this type of accent:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Australian Consonants<\/h3>\n
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