Heading to Oz? Here’s Your Guide to Aussie Language

The Aussie vocab can feel like a whole new language – here’s what you need to know!

We recently spoke with international student Mai about what it was like studying in Australia.

One of the best moments of the interview that didn’t make the final cut was Mai discussing her discovery of Aussie slang.

Here's some handy tips to help you get your head around the Australian language, from popular slang to general tips and tricks.

Slang words and phrases.

The Aussie language loves shortening words, usually done by chucking an ‘o’ or 'y' at the end of them.

Here’s some popular examples:

• Arvo – afternoon.
• Thongs – flip flops.
• Maccas – McDonalds.
• Sickie – a sick day. “Chucking a sickie”.
• Woolies – Woolworths (supermarket).
• Brekky – breakfast.
• Esky – a portable insulated cooler.
• Schnitty – schnitzel.
• Spag bol – spaghetti bolognaise.
• Good on ya/onya – good work.
• No wucka’s – no worries.
• She’ll be right – it’ll be okay.

Watch Aussie TV/Movies.

Listen, we're not going to ask you to watch every episode of Home and Away, but it's a great way to get familiar with Aussie conversation.

Even watching the news or checking out the Aussie movie category on Netflix can help you understand the language and accent better.

Just take some of the accents and pronounciations lightly - we may be in denial but we say 'no', not 'NAUURR' as much as TikTok would like you to believe.

Okay, maybe we do sound like that sometimes.

@netflix naurrrrrrrr #netty #austok #h20justaddwater ♬ original sound - Netflix

Have an Australian English/Macquarie Dictionary handy.

Not only does a good ol' dictionary come in handy with learning general English as well as some more formal terms, but it's also great for checking your spelling too.

If you're familiar with American English, you'll find quite a few Aussie words that have a slight difference in spelling.

For example, color in the U.S. is colour in Australia, or 'analyzed' in the U.S. is spelt analysed.

Learn about Aboriginal Language and Place Names.

It's important to remember and respect the traditional owners of Australia.

We can all work together to acknowledge Australia's Indigenous history, and one way is through learning the traditional place names of your city and area.

For example, did you know Sydney's Traditional Indigenous name is Warrane?

As of 2021, you can include Traditional Place names in the address field of any letters you send out, which you can find out how to do here.

Learning the Aussie vocab is something that comes with time and practice, but with a few mates by your side, you'll master the language in no time!