Although Australia has no official languages, English has always been entrenched as the ''[[de facto]]'' national language since European invasion.<ref name=language>{{cite web|url=https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/settlement-and-multicultural-affairs/programs-policy/a-multicultural-australia/programs-and-publications/1995-global-cultural-diversity-conference-proceedings-sydney/culture-education-and-language/pluralist-nations-pluralist-language |title=Pluralist Nations: Pluralist Language Policies? |work=1995 Global Cultural Diversity Conference Proceedings, Sydney |publisher=[[Department of Social Services]] |accessdate=10 July 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220020910/http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/multicultural/confer/04/speech18b.htm |archivedate=20 December 2008 |deadurl=yes |df=dmy }} "English has no de jure status but it is so entrenched as the common language that it is de facto the official language as well as the national language."</ref> [[Australian English]] is a major variety of the language with a distinctive accent and lexicon,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nma.gov.au/libraries/attachments/exhibitions/vocabulary_of_australian_english/files/5471/Vocabulary%20of%20Australian%20English.pdf |title=The Vocabulary Of Australian English |last=Moore |first=Bruce |publisher=National Museum of Australia |accessdate=5 April 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320004658/http://www.nma.gov.au/libraries/attachments/exhibitions/vocabulary_of_australian_english/files/5471/Vocabulary%20of%20Australian%20English.pdf |archivedate=20 March 2011 |df= }}</ref> and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar and spelling.<ref name="Fourth Edition 2005">"The Macquarie Dictionary", Fourth Edition. The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd, 2005.</ref> [[General Australian]] serves as the standard dialect.
According to the 2016 census, English is the only language spoken in the home for close to 70% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20Features~Cultural%20Diversity%20Article~20 |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2017-07-11 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709233002/http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20Features~Cultural%20Diversity%20Article~20 |archivedate=9 July 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] (2.5%), [[Arabic language|Arabic]] (1.4%), [[Cantonese]] (1.2%), [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] (1.2%) and [[Italian language|Italian]] (1.2%).
