Pronunciation

Most Aussie-expats are not interested in attempting to change their accent or way of speaking, and in the melting-pot that is America there is definitely no reason that they should. However in the day-to-day living of an Aussie-expat in America, they will find that they may have to make some minor changes - not only in the words that they use, but in the way they are pronounced - just so that they can be understood! Here are a few of the common pronunciations that can trip us up.

• The most common problem Aussies have in being understood, is their inability to use an "R" when it is in the middle or at the end of a word. Australians only seem to pronounce the "R" when it comes before a vowel. For example, they say the word "American" using the "R" quite clearly, but the word "curtain" does not have the "R" pronouned. And when the "R" comes at the end of a word, Australians do not pronounce it - for example the word "beer" sounds like "bee-ah", or even just "bee" to Americans. While the "R" problem is the most common, it's also the most difficult to rectify - when we attempt to use the "R" in words, it's difficult to do and sounds false to our own ears.
• Pronouncing "ai" words is another hazard to Aussies. For example the word "mail" spoken by an Aussie sounds like "moyle" to an American. This and similar one-syllable words (like "file") are better broken into two-syllables if you want to make yourself understood. For example, "may-all" and "fii-all".
• Some Aussies find it difficult to be understood when they say "Coke", being misunderstood for "cake". Those people say that to get around that, they say "Coca-Cola" instead.
• While Australians often don't pronounce the letter "R", Americans quite often don't pronounce the letter "T" in words. So when you get a word like "water" which has both an "R" and a "T" in it, the unsuspecting Aussie is doomed - because they pronounce the "T" and not the "R". To an American it sounds like "wortah" - instead of the American sound "waa-derr".
• Sometimes short one-syllable words can trip us up, such as words like "pen" can sound like "pin" to an American, although they are usually taken in context of the rest of the sentence and so not misunderstood all the time. Spelling words out to an American can be a nightmare too - basically the way Aussies say the letter "a" sounds like an "i" to Americans, and the way we say the letter "e" sounds like an "a". If you get into a situation like this, use terms like "a - as in apple", and grit your teeth. :)
• Here is a short-list of some of the more common words that can "trip up" an Aussie. :)
  • Tuna - Americans pronounce it "toona".
  • Tomato - Americans pronounce it the same as "potato".
  • Aluminium - Americans pronounce it "aloominum".
  • Produce - Americans pronounce it "pro-doose".
  • Buoy - Americans pronounce it "boo-ee".
  • Solder - Americans pronounce it "sodder".
  • Due - Americans pronounce it "doo".
  • Water - Americans pronounce it "waa-derr".
• For some reason, talking on the phone to an American makes the whole pronunciation thing much worse. It's probably because they are not able to "see" you talk at the same time as hearing you. Suffice to say that talking to Americans on the phone (especially when they don't know you), can be a nightmare.
• Whether you decide to take measures to make yourself more easily understood or not is completely up to you. It does seem that most Aussie-expats in America do not care to try to change their accents, but many make just enough modifications to their speech so that day-to-day living doesn't seem as much of a mine-field anymore.

Reader Feedback on this Topic

• I have definitely found, having lived in the US for 12 years, that I have had to modify some of my speech as is suggested. If you don't do this it can be very difficult to have a conversation or give and kind of professional presentation! One of the most difficult words for me was having a friend called Barb - everytime I said it people thought I was talking about someone called Bob...also, still have problems at drive throughs - would suggest new Aussies don't follow the (very common) US custom of ordering fast food at the drive through - trust me, it is not worth the aggravation (or laughs, depending on your mood) - get out of your car and go in. - Anonymous

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