Australian English Vocabulary 101: 51 Australian Words You’ll Want to Know (+PDF)

Planning a trip Down Under? Whether you are going to visit Australia for business or pleasure, it might help to brush up on your Australian English vocabulary.

English is the national language of Australia, fitting as the country used to be a British colony and is still a member of the Commonwealth. However, there are some differences in the English spoken in Australia compared to what’s spoken in the UK and even other majority English speaking countries like the USA.

Think of the Avengers, or specifically, the Avengers actors.

If you’ve seen an interview with Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans, you might have noticed that there was a difference between how the two speak.

Hemsworth is speaking Australian English, which has its own rules about pronunciation, grammar, and even its own distinct vocabulary. 

If you have learned English as a second language, you should still be able to understand Australian English, but in order to really be able to communicate with native speakers, you need to familiarize yourself with Australian English vocabulary.

Hint: There's a PDF file waiting for you at the end of this article that you can download and print out!

What Do We Mean by Australian English Vocabulary?

Australian English history is shaped by the history of Australia. It is a mix of words taken from the Aboriginal people, words from British English, words from Irish English, and words from American English. 

Australian English vocabulary has a lot of slang words and phrases that are a unique part of the vocabulary of an Australian English speaker. They may be words that were “made up” in Australia or just used differently in Australia then they would say in the UK or US.

What Aboriginal Phrases Are Used in Australian English?

The Aboriginals are a minority group in Australia now, but they used to be the only people in the continent before the arrival of the British.

There are almost 400 different Aboriginal languages, though many are not spoken by most of the population. They have, however, contributed to the Australian English vocabulary.

Most Aboriginal phrases in common use refer to the flora and fauna of the country as well as the environment.

Here are a few common examples:

Quick Tips on Understanding Australian English Pronunciation

There is a distinctive type of accent that is thought of as “Australian” and one of the things that make it distinct is because of the way Australians pronounce things.

We will just take a quick look at some quirks of Australian pronunciation before we go on to give you an Australian English word list. It will help you understand the words when you hear them spoken.

• Australian English is non-rhotic. 

  • “R” sounds are dropped if they are found after a vowel and not followed with another vowel. So, “card” is “ca-d”.

  • “R” at the end of a word is pronounced like “ah”. So, “better” is “bett-ah”.

• “I” is pronounced like “oi”

• A soft “a”, such as what is in “cat”, is pronounced like “eh”

• A hard “a”, such as what is in “mate”, is pronounced like “aye”

• Words that end in “ing” get the “g” dripped. So “singing” is more like “singin”

51 Australian Words To Know + Printable PDF

Let’s take a quick look at some uniquely Australian English words that you might hear on your trip Down Under.

1. Amber – Beer

This is a generic term for beer in Australia. It usually means beer that is served cold or that is on-tap.

2. Aussie – Australian

This is basically a shortened version of “Australian” and is a casual way to refer to anyone who is from Australia.

3. Bathers – Swimwear

If someone tells you to grab your bathers, you’re probably going to the beach. This can refer to both men’s and women’s clothing. 

4. Battler – Hard worker

This is a person who might be born disadvantaged but works hard to get ahead. It can also be used to refer to a courageous person.

5. Beaut - Amazing

This is basically short for “beauty” and Australians use both terms to mean something is amazing or excellent.

6. Bloody ripper – Awesome

If you hear someone exclaim “bloody ripper”, they are saying something is “awesome” or cool.

7. Bludger – Loafer

This is a person who can’t be counted on to do their share of the work or do any work at all. It means someone who is lazy and doesn’t pull their weight.

8. Bogan or Yobbo - Redneck

These are two Australian terms that are similar to what’s known in American English as a “redneck”. 

A bogan or yobbo, when used as a noun, refers to someone who is uncultured, vulgar, and maybe stupid and drunk.

The difference between the two terms is that the bogan can also be used as an adjective. So, you can describe something as “low-class” by calling it “boggie”.

9. Bottle-o – Bottle shop

This is a shop where you can buy alcohol.

 In Australia, the purchase of alcohol is a bit restricted. You can’t get it in a supermarket; you need to go to the bottle shop. 

Bottle shops often have strict opening times depending on what state in Australia you are in, so stock up!

10.  Boardies – Board shorts

These are what you call men’s board shorts in Australia.

11. Brickie – Bricklayer

Australians have a lot of slang terms that refer to a job that someone holds. In this case, a brickie is a builder, specifically a skilled bricklayer.

12. Big Smoke – Big city

This is used to describe Melbourne and Sydney usually.

13. Bubbler – Drinking fountain

 In some parts of Australia, there are public drinking fountains. These may be referred to as “the bubbler”.

14. Budgie smuggler – Speedos

This is what Australian’s use to refer to a specific type of male swimwear. Use your imagination to figure out what they are referring to here.

15. Chippy – Carpenter

A slang term for someone who works in carpentry. 

16. Crikey – Wow

Yes, Australians will say “crikey” if they are amazed by something. It can also mean that they are surprised.

17. Garbo – Garbage man

This is a slang term for a particular job, that of those who take away the trash.

18.  Digger - Soldier

Australians began using this term around the time of the First World War. It was meant to refer to how during the war, Australian soldiers would dig trenches.

19. Dinkum – Truth

Dinkum or “fair dinkum” are phrases that translate to “truth” or “speaking the truth.” It also means “authentic” or genuine.

20. Dinky-di –Really

This is a phrase that you can use when you mean “really”. 

21. Drongo – Idiot

This is used to call someone stupid or call them out for acting stupid.

22.  Dunny –Toilet

If you need to go to the bathroom or comfort room, ask where the “dunny” is.

23. Esky – Cooler

This refers to portable coolers, the type you can take on picnics or to the beach, which keeps food and drinks cool.

24. Fair go – Good chance

When someone says “fair go” they are saying the situation is fair or that they are accepting it.

25. Few stubbies short of a six-pack – A little stupid

A stubby is a small bottle of beer, so if someone is a bottle short of a full pack of beer, they are not all there so just “a little stupid”.

26. Few sandwiches short of a picnic – A little stupid

Similar to being short a stubbie, being short a sandwich, means just a bit stupid.

27. Fully sick – Great

If you hear the phrase “fully sick” in Australia, it’s basically a way to say “This is great!” It can be used to describe a situation or an object.

28. Gander – Look at

When you say you’re going to “take a gander” at something, you are going over to take a look.

29.  G’day – Hello

This is basically a shortened version of the greeting “good day”. This is the most common way to say “hello” or greet someone in Australia.

 30. Give it a burl – Try it

When you hear this, someone is telling you to “try it”. 

31. Heaps – Very

You can use heaps when you mean very in Australia. It’s most commonly used in the phrase “heaps good.” So, if you really like something, you can say that it was “heaps good”.

32. Hooroo – Goodbye

This is an Australian English phrase that is used to say goodbye or to take your leave.

33. Jackaroo – Farmworker

This is a term that refers to agricultural workers.

34. Mate - Friend

If you are living or working in Australia, you want to hear an Australian call you their “mate.” While mate is usually meant to mean “romantic partner”, it’s more a general term for someone you have a good relationship with in Australia.

It can also be used as a casual greeting or acknowledgment. If you pass a stranger on the street and you make eye contact, they might say “mate” as a casual greeting. 

35. No worries – Everything is ok

This is probably one of the most recognized Australian slang phrases in the world.  Basically, it means that nothing is wrong and everything is okay or “Great!”

36. Oldies –Parents

This is an irreverent but rather affectionate way to refer to a mother and father.

37. Outback – Wilderness

The Outback refers to areas in Australia that are remote and sparsely-populated.

38. Oz – Australia

This is a slang term from the country of Australia. 

39. Pom/Pommie – British

This is Australian slang for someone from Britain.

40.  Runners – Running shoes

Instead of calling them “sneakers” like the Americans or trainers like the Poms (see above), Australians call them runners.  

41. Thongs – Flipflops

In Australia, thongs are not underwear but rather footwear. You’ll probably see a lot of Australians wearing “thongs” on their feet at the beach.

42. Too easy – No problem

If you hear an Australian say “too easy” they are basically saying that there are no problems.

43. Servo – Gas station

This means gas station or service station. Somewhere you can buy gas and which often has a store on the premises where you can buy snacks and drinks.

44. Sparky – Electrician

This is a cute Australian term for an electrician. It’s a reference to the fact that they work with electricity. 

45. Spit the dummy – Tantrum

If a child is upset – crying and maybe lying on the ground kicking – in Australia, that is known as “spitting the dummy”. If an adult is reacting in anger to something, they can also be “spitting the dummy.”

46. Streuth – What

This is an exclamation of surprise in Australia.

47. Suss – Untrustworthy

This is a shortened version of “suspicious”, so it refers to someone who you don’t think is trustworthy. It can also be used to refer to an object or even a situation that is a bit iffy. 

48. Stubbie – Beer in a bottle

As we mentioned earlier, a stubbie is a beer bottle.

49. Tinnie – Beer in can

This means beer that comes in a can.

50. Trukie – Trucker

This is a slang term for a truck driver

 51. True blue – For real

When an Australian say’s that something is “true blue” they mean that it is “the real thing”. It’s an especially flattering term to use when describing someone as you are saying that they are genuine and honest. 

Conclusion

If you speak English, there is a good chance that you will understand the Australian’s speaking English. However, if you really want to be fluent in Australian English, you need to work with a native language speaker.

If you have an online tutor who speaks Australian English, they can help you improve your pronunciation and your understanding of these Australian English words. 

This will surely help you make and keep friends in Australia!

Do you want to have the list on your computer and print it out? 

Get your copy of Australian English words here

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