One of the first things you'll notice about Australia will no doubt be the very unique speaking habits of its people. Australians speak fast, 'chew' words and skip pronunciation of letters – combine this with their penchant for slang and abbreviations, and you have a language that's quite difficult to comprehend!
#1 The Australian accent is non-rhotic
The Australian accent is for the most part non-rhotic. This means that the pronunciation of the /r/ sound will never occur at the end of words. Where an American will say three separate sounds for the word car /kar/, an Australian native speaker will only say 2 /ka:/.
Australian English can be described as a new dialect that developed as a result of contact between people who spoke different, mutually intelligible, varieties of English. The very early form of Australian English would have been first spoken by the children of the colonists born into the early colony in Sydney.
Unlike some of the strong accents and dialects used back in England, the Australian accent was clear and easy to understand, because it was developed by people trying to understand each other!
While some Australian speakers would pronounce “no” as a diphthong, starting on “oh” as in dog and ending on “oo” as in put, others begin with an unstressed “a” (the sound at the end of the word “sofa”), then move to the “oh” and then “oo”.
People rarely leave tips or only do so if they received service that was exceedingly excellent. Always say please when asking someone for help or a favour or you will come across as rude. Punctuality is important in Australia, and people stick to the appointments, engagements and meetings they schedule.
– Be direct. Australians are known for being direct, so if you want to get their attention, it's best just to come out and say what you're thinking. – Make sure you have a sense of humour. Australians are known for their sense of humour, so if you can make them laugh, you're sure to win them over.
A few historians believe that the slight 'drool' or 'slurring' which with Australians speak can be traced back to the fact that so many of the first Englishmen, colonizers, sailors and prisoners were drunk often, and that the children, upon hearing this garbled, mushy type of speaking, picked it up and passed it along.
Australian customs & etiquette basics
It's common and perfectly polite to address people by their first names (even your boss or people older than you). People often call each other “mate”. Communication: Australians are very casual, direct and humorous when communicating.
Australian English is most similar to British English in spelling and sentence construction, although its accent and vocabulary are very distinct from the UK.
Strine, also spelled Stryne /ˈstraɪn/, describes a broad accent of Australian English.
Australian Communication Style
People say what they mean; no need to read between the lines. Message should be spelled out, no background knowledge is assumed. Words are primary means of communication. Status/hierarchy not important or considered when speaking.
According to linguists, there are three main kinds of Aussie accent: broad (think former Prime Minister Bob Hawke), general (closer to Kevin Rudd) and cultivated (like Malcolm Fraser).
Aussie Modesty
Humility and authenticity are strong values in Australian culture. As such, Australians are very down to earth and always mindful of not giving the impression that they think they are better than anyone else. They also tend to value sincerity, humour, informality, whilst loathing pretentiousness.
They value authenticity, sincerity, and loathe pretentiousness. Australians prefer people who are modest, humble, self- deprecating and with a sense of humour. They do not draw attention to their academic or other achievements and tend to distrust people who do. Australians place a high value on relationships.
They are typically outgoing and friendly, but others can be more shy and reserved, especially around strangers. Aussies are the happiest when they are interacting with people, especially their family. As long as they are given enough activity and stimulation, they are sweet and loving dogs.
If someone is angry, you could say they've 'gone crook'. Crook can also be used to describe a criminal. Cuppa: if someone asks for a cuppa, they want a cup of tea. Cut snake (Mad as a): this is an extremely Australian way to say that someone is very angry.
Why Do Aussies Use So Many Abbreviations? Nenagh Kemp, a psychologist at the University of Tasmania, told Australian Geographic her theories behind why Australians use these shortened words so often. Her theory is that Australians use them as a way of coming across as more friendly and less pretentious.