The Australian accent: broad, general and cultivated types, the main sound features and how to understand it

Where the Australian accent comes from

Wikipedia explains that Australian English began to separate from British and Irish English after the First Fleet founded the Colony of New South Wales in 1788. Its most significant influences were the dialects of southern England, though settlers from across Great Britain and Ireland also contributed. By the 1820s, the speech of native-born colonists was already clearly different from speech in Britain and Ireland.

Today, the same article reports about 18.5 million native speakers in Australia in 2021, and says English was the only language spoken in the home for 72% of Australians that year. So the accent you hear on films and in the news is the everyday speech of most of the country, with room for variation by region, age and background.

Three types: general, broad and cultivated

Australian accents are usually described on a scale. Researchers place speakers on the scale mainly by their vowels.

Wikipedia states that the broad type is used by fewer people in recent generations. It does not give percentage figures for the three, so be careful with any website that quotes exact shares.

For a learner, the practical meaning is this: if you listen to Australian news, podcasts or interviews, you will mostly hear the general accent. Broad speakers appear in comedy, in some rural interviews and in the famous "stereotype" voice. If you hear a very strong accent, that is broad, not typical of all Australians.

Sound feature 1: the vowels

Australian vowels are the best-known part of the accent, and they are where the three types differ. Wikipedia's article on Australian English phonology notes that the first part of the vowel in words like price may be raised and rounded in broad accents.

In practice, the vowel movements are bigger and more "slid" in broad speech. Many listeners notice these patterns:

• The vowel in day and mate starts lower in the mouth, so it can sound to some ears closer to die and mite.
• The vowel in price and time can sound closer to oy: time heard as toym.
• The vowel in no and go often starts more forward in the mouth than in American English.

Do not rely on these as rules for every speaker. The general accent has milder versions of all of them. The best way to hear them is to compare short clips: an Australian news presenter with a rural interview.

A useful tip: when you cannot understand a word, say it back with a different vowel. Mate heard as mite often becomes clear in context.

Sound feature 2: the missing r and linking r

Australian English is mostly non-rhotic, says Wikipedia. The r sound does not appear at the end of a syllable or before a consonant. So park sounds like pahk, car like cah and here like hee-uh.

But the r returns when the next word begins with a vowel. The same article explains that linking and intrusive r can occur before vowels, so far out keeps the r, but far more does not.

British English (RP) works in a similar way, while most American English keeps the r in all positions. For a learner who knows American English, this is a good first thing to listen for.

To practise, link words with a vowel start: I saw a car out there. The page on linking sounds covers the same idea.

Sound feature 3: rising intonation at the end of statements

Many Australians end statements with a rising pitch, as if asking a question. Wikipedia describes the high rising terminal as an intonation pattern where statements end with a rising pitch, as in yes/no questions. It is found in Australia and also in the United States, New Zealand, Britain and other places, and is especially common among younger speakers and women.

It does not always mean the speaker is unsure. The same article says research found it often served to discourage interruption by signalling that the speaker had not finished, and that it can help speakers establish common ground. Its meaning depends heavily on context.

Example: I went to the market yesterday? And I met your brother? The rising tone says "I am continuing" and "you know who I mean", not "is that right?"

For listeners, the rule is: do not treat a rise as a question unless the words ask one. For speakers, you do not need to copy it, but it helps to recognise it. To learn how pitch works in English, see English intonation.

Australian words and phrases you will hear

Vocabulary is the other half of understanding Australians. Wikipedia gives these examples, among others:

A typical pattern is shortening a word and adding -o or -ie. The shortening makes speech faster and friendlier. If you hear a word you do not know, try dropping the ending: servo is a service station, and brekkie is breakfast.

Some slang is regional or generational, so check before you use it in a formal setting. In job interviews and presentations, standard English is safer. For slang across the English-speaking world, our page of English slang words lists common examples from the US and UK; Australian terms are best learned by listening.

How to practise understanding Australian English

A simple plan works for most learners.

1. Start with the general accent. Listen to news and interviews. Notice the non-rhotic r and the rising tones.
2. Add the broad accent. Listen to a rural or comedy clip. Notice the bigger vowel movements.
3. Shadow short phrases. Play a sentence, pause it and repeat it. The method is explained on the page about shadowing English.
4. Collect five new words a week. Write them with the situation you heard them in.

You do not need to speak with an Australian accent to work or study in Australia. Clear stress, steady rhythm and polite phrases are enough, and Australians are used to a wide range of accents.

To compare with an American model, see American accent training.