this post was submitted on 04 May 2026
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To me, it kind of sounds like a bastardized version of โ€œEnglish (UK)โ€ with a Boston accent attached to it plus bizarre slang and strange spelling of some words (I.e. gaol is pronounced as โ€œjailโ€ I know, WTF? As Iโ€™ve thought theyโ€™re trying to spell goal).

The weirdest part are the different meanings of words that are spelled the same (I.e. โ€œThongโ€ is defined as a swimsuit underwear in American English but from English AU, itโ€™s flip flops) along with โ€œC*NTโ€ being part of their vernacular.

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[โ€“] umbrella@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago

usian discovers another language ๐Ÿ˜‚

it sounds like an Australian accent. there are tons of accents that have their own history and context. it's shitty to call them weird, bizarre, or bastardized and makes you seem narrowminded.

[โ€“] turdas@suppo.fi 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Gaol is pronounced as jail in all dialects of English. If you've been pronouncing it gay-ol then I have some bad news for you.

[โ€“] akwd169@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Ive just been saying GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

ye

[โ€“] comfy@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago

In between the posts.

[โ€“] comfy@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago

On top of what's already been said:

plus bizarre slang

I can't think of a single dialect which doesn't have that.

[โ€“] EmilyIsTrans@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Gaol is just the old way of spelling jail, the US also used to use the same spelling. It's pretty rare I see the spelling in modern use today, even if we kept it longer than most (until the 60s officially). Americans shouldn't throw stones in glass houses though, considering their large number of strange and unique spellings of common words compared to the rest of the English speaking world. A little part of me dies inside every time my spellcheck incorrectly changes "colour" to be spelt as "color". Likewise, I'd like to point out that the term thong referred to footwear well before G-strings were invented.

I'm not actually convinced most Americans even know what true Aussie accents sound like. Most imitations are poor attempts at the Broad accent caricatured in American movies, even though most people speak with the General accent. My friends who speak with Cultivated are even assumed to be British.

"Thong" originally just meant a thin strap. So sandals with a thin strap between your toes are thong sandals. Swimsuits/underwear with a thin strap between your cheeks are thong swimsuits/underwear.

[โ€“] CatalpaRed@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Itโ€™s hilarious when they say โ€œ1999โ€. It sounds like NOINEENOINEENOIN!

[โ€“] ada@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 2 days ago

I'm in this picture, and I'm ok with that :P

[โ€“] daggermoon@piefed.world 3 points 1 day ago

I always liked the way it sounds. I prefer it over British English. Also, I love the word cunt.

[โ€“] verdigris@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 days ago

All the things you mention are a thing in all three dialects lol. Gaol is just the archaic spelling, thongs does also mean flip-flops, and cunt is more and more socially acceptable in both the US & UK, though nowhere near the casual usage in AUS.

[โ€“] dmention7@midwest.social 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No weirder than any other accent, TBH.

From a US-centric POV, I always thought the stereotypical Aussie accent kind of sounded like a Texas-ification of the "standard" UK accent. Including the use of wacky phrases and slang.

[โ€“] ClassIsOver@hexbear.net 1 points 1 day ago

I've heard Australia described as "Texas if it only had sea borders"

[โ€“] disregardable@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I usually assume Australians are British. When the accent is not super think, it can be hard to hear the difference.

[โ€“] CanadaPlus@futurology.today 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Wow, I've never had this problem. The tricky one is Australia vs. NZ.

[โ€“] whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Naur for no is usually the giveaway for AUS vs NZ

[โ€“] timmytbt@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

Nah mate. No one says โ€œnaurโ€.

[โ€“] Brad@beehaw.org 2 points 2 days ago

"Thong" is also a word for flip-flops in English (US), but I don't think the younger generations use it.

[โ€“] Couldbealeotard@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I feel like I'm witnessing a cliche here; an American discovering that other countries exist. Wait until they realise America isn't the centre of the universe.

[โ€“] extremeboredom@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I get that it's fun to dunk on Americans, but considering OP is asking whether AU english sounds weird to American ears, I would assume they do not themselves have American ears, or the question would be unnecessary.

Reads to me like they are the "American ears" they are referring to, as if their world view is the default rather than the bias of an individual.

[โ€“] CanadaPlus@futurology.today 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I mean, every dialect is just a bastardised version of an older dialect, including your own.

[โ€“] aceshigh@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I find the tone irritating. I feel the same way with the Irish folks.

[โ€“] timmytbt@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

โ€œHello pot, this is kettleโ€

[โ€“] aceshigh@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Iโ€™m sure others feel the same way about how I speak. I was just answering the question.

[โ€“] MycelialMass@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago
[โ€“] captainlezbian@lemmy.world -1 points 2 days ago

I think they sound silly sure, but I generally like them so it's not in a mean way, just a "yeah these friends sound silly talking about their bin chickens, multiple marsupials, and such"