Clips of Australians saying this short, two-letter word have been trending on TikTok over the last year, with listeners fascinated by its pronunciation. Speakers from outside Australia are also having a go at pronouncing the word themselves. Interestingly, when they write it out, they spell the word “naur”.
Americans created 'naur' as a way of phonetically spelling the word “no” in a typical Australian accent. There is a tinge of playful mockery to it, of course.
(Internet slang) Pronunciation spelling of no, representing Australian English. quotations ▼
Yeah, nah – 'yes, no' - became popular in Australia in the 90s and has continued to grow in use, both in Australia and overseas. Like all good things, the Kiwis claim it as theirs too, even using it for a major drink driving campaign.
Ain't is a non-standard feature commonly found in mainstream Australian English and in New Zealand, ain't is a feature of Māori-influenced English.
Oi /ɔɪ/ is an interjection used in various varieties of the English language, particularly Australian English, British English, Irish English, New Zealand English, and South African English, as well as non-English languages such as Chinese, Hindi/Urdu, Japanese, and Portuguese to get the attention of another person or ...
The most widely accepted theory to why Australians have the accent they do is that the first Australian born children (of the colonizers, not the natives obviously) simply created the first trace of the recognizable accent amongst themselves naturally.
Australian English arose from a dialectal 'melting pot' created by the intermingling of early settlers who were from a variety of dialectal regions of Great Britain and Ireland, though its most significant influences were the dialects of Southeast England.
The word “mate” is very common in Australian and British English and can help you sound a lot more natural when speaking Englsih in these places. Although it's not used in American English, it is understood by English speakers all over the world.
5. Sheila = Girl. Yes, that is the Australian slang for girl.
No furries
Certainly, no worries (along with its offspring) featured in our slang survey of 2300 Australians, and on the ABC Facebook pages (where listeners posted their favourite slang expressions). In fact, it's one of Australia's international success stories.
Too easy means something along the lines of that is easy to do and no problem (also known as no wakkas!). Example: After ordering a coffee, the waiter tells you that it is “too easy”.
"Eh?" used to solicit agreement or confirmation is also heard regularly amongst speakers in Australia, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom (where it is sometimes spelled "ay" on the assumption that "eh" would rhyme with "heh" or "meh").
Swearing: Swearing is more common in Australia than in many other cultures. Television programmes are less censored and mainstream society is largely desensitised to words that foreigners may find vulgar. It is normal to hear an Australian swear at some point during a conversation.
“How ya goin'?” is the ultimate Aussie greeting. If you're not from Australia, this mash-up of “How are you?” and “Where are you going?” might leave you a little perplexed. If it helps, think of how the Brits say “y'alright?” - it requires no detailed response. In fact, a simple “hey!” will suffice.
Ask an Aussie to name a truly Australian word, and they might yell "Bonzer!" Bonzer, sometimes also spelled bonza, means "first-rate" or "excellent," and it is the Australian equivalent of the American "awesome": "It's a good clean game ... and the standard is red hot," Thies said.
They refer to a color of a neutral tone between black and white, and can also be used metaphorically to convey gloom and dullness. However, gray is the more popular spelling in the US, while grey reigns supreme in the UK as well as Ireland, Australia, and other places that use British English.
bin. Avoid the use of the word garbage at all costs especially if you are trying to get children to throw something out, as you are giving them good reason to ignore you. You throw 'rubbish' out in the 'bin' in Australia.