æ
/æ/
Actually, the lad has a bad attitude and snatched a plaid bag.
æk·$@·lee· ‡@· læd· hæz· @· bæd· æt·@·¢ewd· ænd· snæ¢t· @· plæd·bæg
Guide to Australian English pronunciation
This guide uses a custom phonetic system to capture the specific nuances of the Australian English accent. To avoid the ambiguity of standard English spelling, the system follows a one-to-one logic where every sound is represented by a consistent symbol.
These pronunciations are based on my own accent as a Melburnian speaking Australian English, which is non-rhotic. For example, words like "park" are represented using ah to show the vowel sound without an 'r'.
Syllable boundaries are marked with dots (·) to show the natural flow of the word.
Vowels
Every vowel is represented by either a unique symbol—like @ for a schwa, æ for a flat 'a'—or a dedicated two-character combination. These are treated as a single unit representing a single vowel sound.
eh
/e/
Every red head friend says many leopards again bury legs in the end
ehv·ree· rehd· hehd· frehnd· sehz· mehn·ee· lehp·@dz· @·gehn· beh·ree· lehgz· ihn· ‡ee· ehnd
ih
/ɪ/
Busy women hid in the gym and built a sieve for pretty fitness kits.
bih·zee· wih·m@n· hihd· ihn· ‡@· jihm· æn· bihlt· @· sihv· faw· prih·tee· fiht·n@s· kihts
ø
/ɒ/
The orange dog wants to cough on the hot hollow bottle.
‡@· ø·r@nj· døg· wønts· tew· køf· øn· ‡@· høt· hø·loh· bøt·@l
uh
/ɐ/
The flood has undone my grumpy lovestruck uncle’s run of luck.
‡@· fluhd· hæz· uhn·duhn· miy· gruhm·pee· luhv·s¢ruhk· uhnk·@lz· ruhn· øv· luhk
uu
/ʊ/
The woman should put a good foot full of pudding in the wooden bookcase for the cook.
‡@· wuu·m@n· $uud· puut· @· guud· fuut· fuul· øv· puud·ih£· ihn· ‡@· wuud·@n· buuk·kays· faw· ‡@· kuuk
ay
/æɪ/
The ailing grey railway station agent raced they who weigh eight steaks today.
‡ee· ayl·ih£· gray· rayl·way· stay·$@n· ay·j@nt· raysd· ‡ay· hew· way· ayt· stayks· tew·day
ee
/iː/
The happy chief seems to believe reading the extreme machine on the quay is free.
‡@· hæ·pee· ¢eef· seemz· tew· b@·leev· reed·ih£· ‡ee· eks·treem· m@·$een· øn· ‡@· kee· ihz· free
iy
/ɑe/
I try an idea to spy with my eyesight a magpie flying to the icy height of the sky.
iy· triy· æn· iy·dee@· tew· spiy· wih‡· miy· iy·siyt· @· mæg·piy· fliy·ih£· tew· ‡@· iys·ee· hiyt· øv· ‡@· skiy
oh
/əʉ/
Although the rainbow showed over the road, no local aloe will grow below.
awl·‡oh· ‡@· rayn·boh· $ohd· oh·v@· ‡@· rohd· noh· loh·k@l· æl·oh· wihl· groh· b@·loh
ew
/ʉː/
Who knew you’d brew the juice of oodles of bruised prunes into soup with a few blue balloons.
hew· nyew· yewd· brew· ‡@· jews øv· ew·d@lz· øv· brewzd· prewnz· ihn·tew· sewp· wih‡· @· fyew· blew· b@·lewnz
ah
/ɐː/
After the spa, my aunt laughed as she calmly parked father’s car by the rather large waratah garden.
ahf·t@· ‡@· spah· miy· ahnt· lahft· æz· $ee· kahm·lee· pahkt· fah·‡@z· kahr· biy· ‡@· rah·‡@· lahj· wø·r@·tah· gah·d@n
œ
/ɜː/
The nurse served burns of the the furry bird who worked to learn her purpose in the dirty urban herd.
‡@· nœs· sœvd· bœnz· øv· ‡@· fœ·ree· bœd· hew· wœkt· tew· lœn· hœ· pœ·p@s· ihn· ‡@· dœ·tee· œb·@n· hœd
aw
/oː/
The author taught four boring wartime laws that ought to have brought a tort for all the poor sauce.
‡@· aw+·@· tawt· faw· baw·rih£· waw·tiym· lawz· ‡æt· awt· tew· hæv· brawt· @· tawt· faw· awl· ‡@· paw· saws
ow
/æɔ/
How’d they allow a thousand out-of-town cows to pound the drought-browned ground down south?
howd· ‡ay· @·low· @· +owz·@nd· owt· øv· town· cowz· tew· pownd· ‡@· jrowt· brownd· grownd· down· sow+
oi
/oɪ/
The appointed boy was annoyed by the choice of noise as the oily buoy was deployed.
‡@· @·poin·t@d· boi· wøz· @·noid· biy· ‡@· ¢ois· øv· noiz· æz· ‡ee· oil·ee· boi· wøz· d@·ploid
eh@
/eː/
From an aeroplane, a pair of bears stare at their lair in a careful dare.
frøm· æn· eh@·r@·playn· @· peh@· øv· beh@z· steh@· æt· ‡eh@· leh@· ihn·@·keh@·f@l·deh@
ee@
/ɪə/
Here’s a weird theatre idea, beer is dear near the pier.
hee@z· @· wee@d· +ee@·t@· iy·dee@· bee@· ihz· dee@· nee@· ‡@· pee@
iy@
/ɑeə/
The reliable buyer’s diary was lying by the higher fire iron.
‡@· r@·liy@·b@l· biy@·@z· diy@·ree· wøz· liy@·ih£· biy· ‡@· hiy@· fiy@· iy@n
ow@
/ʉːə/
We cowered as our hourly dowry was power showered in sour flour.
Wee· kow@·d· æz· ow@· ow@·lee· dow@·ree· wøz· pow@· $ow@·d· ihn· sow@· flow@
u@
/ʊə/
The tour of the pure urinal mural is an obscure lure that the mature jury must endure.
‡@· tu@· øv· ‡@· pyu@· u@·r@·n@l· mu@·r@l· ihz ·æn· øb·skyu@· lu@· ‡æt· ‡@· m@·¢u@· ju@·ree· muhst· ehn·ju@
@
/ə/
The doctor agreed that a button under the colourful sofa was better.
‡@· døk·t@· @·greed· ‡æt· @· buht·@n· uhn·d@· ‡@· c@·l@·fuul· soh·f@· wøz· beht·@
Consonants
Every consonant is represented by a single, consistent letter or symbol. For example, $ represents 'sh' and £ is used specifically for the 'ng' sound.
m
/m/In the morning, mum made me climb a mesmerising column of, I assume, mainly summer and autumn motifs.
ihn· ‡@· mawn·ih£· muhm· mayd· mee· kliym· @· mehz·m@·riyz·ih£· køl·@m· øv· iy· @·$ewm· mayn·lee· suhm·@· æn· dawt·@m· moh·teefs
n
/n/No-one knew a nifty mnemonic for the notice “Pneumatic novices design sunny gnomes on Wednesday.”
noh·wuhn· nyew· @· nihf·tee· n@·møn·@k· faw· ‡@· noh·t@s· nyew·mæt·@k· nøv·@s·@z· d@·ziyn· suh·nee· nohms· øn· wehnz·day
£
/ŋ/The anxious singer with the long tongue thinks his finger is stronger than the hungry young punk gang.
‡@· ay£k·$@s· sih£·@· wih‡· ‡@· lø£· tuh£· +ih£ks· hihz· fih£·g@· ihz· strø£·g@· ‡æn· ‡@· huh£·gree· yuh£· puh£k· gay£
p
/p/The proud shepherd supplied purple apples to help the sheep cope in the upper paddock.
‡@· prowd· $ehp·@d· suhp·liyd· pœ·p@l· æp·@lz· tew· hehlp· ‡@· $eep· kohp· ihn· ‡@· uhp·@· pæd·@k
b
/b/The adorable baby boy blew an abundance of bubbles and orbs by his badly labelled crib.
‡ee· @·daw·@·b@l· bay·bee· boi· blew· æn· @·buhn·d@ns· øv· buhb·@lz· æn· dawbz· biy· hihz· bæd·lee· lay·b@ld· crihb
t
/t/Today’s topic stopped and turned to two tiny tots who kept sitting and teasing distinctive patterned kittens.
tew·dayz· tøp·@k· støpt· æn· tœnd· tew· tew· tiy·nee· tøts· hew· kehp· siht·ih£· æn· teez·ih£· d@·stihnk·t@v· pæt·@nd· kiht·@nz
d
/d/The dyed lady decided to add a dozen odd birds to the dead-end road.
‡@· diyd· lay·dee· de·siyd·@d· tew· æd· @· duhz·@n· ød· bœdz· tew· ‡@· dehd· ehnd· rohd
k
/k/The chemist took a quick look at the unique khaki clock and queried the cause for six keys at the liquor market.
‡@· kehm·@st· tuuk· @· kwik· luuk· æt· ‡@· yew·neek· kah·kee· klok· æn· kwee@·reed· ‡@· kawz· faw· siks· keez· æt· ‡@· lik·@· mahk·@t
g
/g/The eager ghost guarded the flag and giggled again at the groggy green frog
‡@· ee·g@· gohst· gahd·@d· ‡@· flæg· æn· gihg·l@d· @·gehn· æt· ‡@· grø·gee· green· frøg
f
/f/If they offer half a funny photograph featuring fifty fun staff, I will roughly laugh.
ihf· ‡ay· øf·@· hahf· @· fuhn·ee· foh·t@·græh· fee¢·@·rih£· fif·tee· fuhn· stahf· iy· wihl· ruhf·lee· lahf
v
/v/Even wives love an inviting vivid vista of the avenue from available verandah rooves.
ee·v@n· wiyvz· luhv· æn· ihn·viyt·ih£· vih·v@d· vihs·t@· øv· ‡ee· æv·@n·ew· frøm· @·vayl·@·b@l· v@·ræn·d@· rewvz
+
/θ/We both thank a thin mouth for three healthy pathways through thick earth.
wee· bo+· +ay£k· @· +ihn· mow+· faw· +ree· hehl·+ee· pah+·wayz· +rew· +ihk· œ+
‡
/ð/Mother rather smoothly soothes the brothers, others loathe their leathery breathing.
muh‡·@· rah·‡@· smew‡·lee· sew‡z· ‡@· bruh‡·@z· uh·‡@z· loh‡· ‡eh@· leh·‡@·ree· bree‡·ih£
s
/s/Stuck in her small city box house, the psychologist’s sick sister listened to the sound of a sample score for a sassy dance scene.
stuhk· ihn· hœ· smawl· siht·ee· bøks· hows· ‡@· siy·køl·@·j@sts· sihk· sihs·t@· lihs·@nd· tew· ‡@· sownd· øv· @· sæm·p@l· skaw· faw· @· sæs·ee· dæns· seen
z
/z/The zany plaza was abuzz by those pleased as the lazy zealot plays a zesty muscical example on his xylophone puzzle.
‡@· zay·nee· plah·z@· wøz· uh·buhz· biy· ‡ohz· pleezd· æz· ‡@· lay·zee· zehl·@t· playz· @· zehst·ee· myewz·ihk·@l· ehg·zæmp·@l· øn· hihz· ziyl·@·fohn· puhz·@l
$
/ʃ/The shy chef shouted anxiously ensuring the students shielded the special shiny sugar station from the crashing ocean wash.
‡@· $iy· $ehf· $owt·@d· ay£k·$@s·lee· ehn·$u@·ih£· ‡@· $¢yew·d@ns· $eeld·@d· ‡@· speh·$@l· $iyn·ee· $uug·@· stay·$@n· frøm· ‡@· kræ$·ih£· oh·$@n· wø$
§
/ʒ/The casual division of the treasury into azure and beige genres was, on this occasion, a measured decision.
‡@· kæ·§yewl· d@·vih·§@n· øv· ‡@· ¢reh·§@·ree· ihn·tew· æ·§yu@· ænd· bay§· §øn·r@z· wøz· ohn· ‡ihs· @·kay·§@n· @·meh·§@d· d@·sih·§@n
¢
/tʃ/A cheerful teacher chose the church on Tuesday to question each child on catching chopped cherry trees in nature.
@· ¢ee@·fuul· tee¢·@· ¢ohs· ‡@· ¢œ¢· øn· ¢ewz·day· tew· kwehs·¢@n· ee¢· ¢iyld· øn· k梷ih£· ¢øpt· ¢eh@·ree· ¢rees· ihn· nay·¢@
j
/dʒ/The giant soldier joyfully adjusted the dual objects and judged suggestions the jewelled bridge was magic.
‡@· jiy·@nt· søl·j@· joi·f@l·ee· @· juhst·@d· ‡@· jewl· øb·jeks· æn· juhjd· suh·jehs·$@ns· ‡@· jewld· brihj· wøz· maj·ihk
h
/h/The hurried host handed a huge ham fajita to the happy homeowner who was behind the whole house.
‡@· huh·reed· hohst· hæn·d@d· @· hyewj· hæm· f@·heet·@· tew· ‡@· hæ·pee· hohm·oh·n@· hew· wøz· b@·hiynd· ‡@· hohl· hows
l
/l/The lovely little girl fell in the middle of the valley while looking at the school’s tall flagpole.
‡@· luhv·lee· liht·@l· gœl· fehl· ihn· ‡@· mihd·@l· øv· ‡@· væ·lee· wiyl· luuk·ih£· æt· ‡@· skewlz· tawl· flæg·pohl.
r
/r/The rude rug-rat had the idea of writing a recurring rhyme related to the blurry drawing when they saw it.
‡@· rewd· ruhg· ræt· hæd· ‡@· iy·dee@· røv· riyt·ih£· @· r@·kœ·rih£· riym· r@·layt·@d· tew· ‡@· blœ·ree· jraw·rih£· wehn· ‡ay· saw·riht.
w
/w/One quiet woman awoke to the widower watching a memoir of whales and penguins while persuasive waiters wore white on the walkway.
wuhn· kwiy@·@t· wuu·m@n· @·wohk· tew· ‡@· wihd·oh·w@· wø¢·ih£· @· mehm·wah· øv· waylz· æn· pehn·gwihnz· wiyl· p@·sways·ihv· way·t@z· waw· wiyt· øn· ‡@· wawk·way
y
/j/You accused the dutiful young deputy of yielding a few yellow onions to use for the new youth uniform.
yew· æk·yewsd· ‡@· jyew·t@·f@l· yuh£· dehp·y@·tee· øv· yeeld·ih£· @· fyew· yeh·loh· uhn·y@nz· tew· yews· faw· ‡e· nyew· yew+· yew·n@·fawm
I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands throughout Australia on which these federal divisions are drawn and pay my respects to their Elders, past and present.