‘Intrusive R’ In Aussie English
Why Aussies Add an R Where It Doesn’t Exist (Yep, It’s a Thing)
Have you ever heard an Aussie say something like:
media and event → mee-di-yuh-ruh-vent
law and order → law-ruh-naw-duh
idea and inspiration → uy-dee-ruhn in-spuh-ray-shuhn
And thought… “Wait — where’s that R coming from?”
You’ve just run into the intrusive R — one of the most fascinating (and misunderstood) features of the Australian accent.
We do it to keep our speech flowing naturally. When one word ends in a vowel sound and the next begins with one, Aussies often slip in a little R sound to connect them — even if there’s no “r” in the spelling.
It’s not laziness. It’s actually a smart little trick of connected speech — something that makes you sound smoother and more native-like.
In the full video, I walk you through:
How and when intrusive R appears
Why some words like “draw a picture” might become “drawr a picture”
The difference between linking R and intrusive R (and how to know which is which)
Watch the full lesson HERE
And if we’re not already connected on Instagram, come join the community at @aussie.english.with.amanda — I share pronunciation tips, accent drills, and everyday phrases to help you fit in and feel confident.
P.S. Ever heard someone say “see-ying” instead of “seeing”? That’s actually part of a broader pattern Aussies use called intrusive sounds — and /r/ is just one of three. In THIS video, you’ll learn how these sounds appear, why they help your speech flow more naturally, and how to start using them with confidence.
Want to speak more naturally in fast Aussie conversations?
If you’ve been learning English word-by-word, sentence-by-sentence — but still feel stuck when native speakers talk quickly — I made something for you.
✨ The Australian Connected Speech Method is my full course designed to help you:
Understand fast, real Aussie speech
Sound more natural without “memorising” accents
Master pronunciation, rhythm, and speech flow
Learn every major feature of connected speech — including linking R, intrusive R, t-flap, elision, and more
It’s helped over 40 migrants and international students stop feeling left out of conversations and start feeling confident in real-life English.
📚 Check out the full course here → https://www.aussieenglishwithamanda.com/the-australian-connected-speech-method
