Learn Australian English

Australian English is often shortened to “Aussie English.” Other than that, it doesn’t have a separate name - it’s just a variation of English formed in the region over centuries.

Thanks to globalization, the Internet, and high-quality education in Australia, British, American, and Australian English differences have become blurred. Australian institutions pay special attention to the correct English language. For example, television presenters speak standard British. But in colloquial speech, you will often hear dialect words different from the standard pronunciation. While the spelling of Australians corresponds to the British versions, you need to be aware of some phonetic differences and tone quirks.

Great Britain had many colonies from the 16h century, and Australia was added to that list in 1788. Over time, British prisoners and settlers from different corners of the UK and Ireland formed their own speech patterns. As a result, Australian English became a “melting pot” for different local dialects. 

As such, the Australian language does not exist but lives as a variation of English, which is not always understandable to a person accustomed to the classic British phrases and expressions. The lexical uniqueness of Australian English lies in slang, the most prominent feature of which is the use of diminutive forms of words. Australian pronunciation and vocabulary can cause a lot of trouble to non-natives. It takes time to get used to Australian English speaking, so learners opt to work with a tutor to get there.

Many non-native speakers find Australian English harder to understand than the standard British pronunciation. It is tough if you’re used to the American speech patterns because Australians are far more removed from them. 

Many vowels and diphthongs sound different, and abbreviated words and slang are a large part of the Australian experience. The life of a foreigner is also complicated by the fact that Australians pronounce phrases fairly indistinctly, “smearing” and “swallowing” sounds.

You don’t have to learn Australian English grammar as a separate entity. They use British standards for spelling, sentence formation, and so on. The differences in grammar between different national versions of English are always minimal. Most of the differences will be between how Americans and Australians speak.

For example, one difference comes down to using prepositions. So Australians tend to say at the weekend instead of on the weekend, and so on. 

Another aspect is the use of Tenses. Present Perfect, for example, is never substituted by Past Simple to simplify things. In short, Australian English follows the British standard of grammar and borrows very little from their cousins in the USA.