Australian English

Australian English is the main variety of about 17 million native speakers across Australia. It's non-rhotic like British English (the r at the end of words isn't pronounced), but the vowel system has shifted in distinctive ways: mate, day, and night all sound noticeably different from both American and British versions. A signature feature is the high-rising terminal: statements end with the same upward melody as questions, which can confuse learners trained on flatter intonation. Australian speakers love word-shortening (arvo for afternoon, brekkie for breakfast, servo for petrol station), and casual slang carries a lot of the cultural texture. The register skews relaxed even in semi-formal contexts. Once your ear adjusts to the vowels, the connected speech is no faster than other varieties of English.