What the nicknames mean
Aussie, kiwi, loonie and swissie are trader slang for the Australian dollar (AUD), New Zealand dollar (NZD), Canadian dollar (CAD) and Swiss franc (CHF).
| Nickname | Currency | ISO code | Pair it usually refers to | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aussie | Australian dollar | AUD | AUD/USD | Short for "Australian" |
| Kiwi | New Zealand dollar | NZD | NZD/USD | The kiwi bird on New Zealand coins and a national symbol |
| Loonie | Canadian dollar | CAD | USD/CAD | The loon bird on the Canadian dollar coin |
| Swissie | Swiss franc | CHF | USD/CHF | Short for "Swiss" |
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What is loonie and kiwi in forex: the precise sense
A nickname can mean the currency itself or the pair it trades in against the US dollar. Reuters-style market reports use both senses, often in the same article.
- Kiwi usually means NZD or the NZD/USD pair. Outside markets, "Kiwi" also means a New Zealander.
- Loonie means CAD. When a desk says "trading the loonie", it usually means USD/CAD.
- Aussie means AUD or AUD/USD. Cross pairs keep the names, so AUD/NZD is often called "Aussie-kiwi".
- Swissie means CHF and often the USD/CHF pair. It is less common than the others in written reports.
AUD, NZD and CAD are often grouped as "commodity currencies" because their economies export raw materials. CHF is often described as a safe-haven currency, linked to flight to quality.
Worked example: why "loonie weakens" can mean a rising chart
Take a hypothetical headline: "Loonie weakens as oil slips."
- CAD is the quote currency in USD/CAD. A weaker loonie means each US dollar buys more Canadian dollars, so the USD/CAD quote rises on the chart.
- In AUD/USD and NZD/USD, the nickname currency is the base. "Aussie weakens" means the AUD/USD quote falls.
A trader who reads the headline but forgets which side of the pair CAD sits on can misread the chart. To see what a given move is worth in money for your lot size, use the pip value tools on the calculators page instead of guessing.
Leveraged forex and CFD trading can lose money fast, and a misread headline is no exception. See risk management.
Where the terms appear
- News and research: headlines, central bank previews and daily FX wraps.
- Chat and social media: trader forums and broker commentary.
- Platforms: MT4, MT5 and other terminals show ISO symbols such as AUDUSD, NZDUSD, USDCAD and USDCHF, not nicknames. Some brokers add a suffix to the symbol name. Search by the code, not the slang.
Related terms
- Cable (GBP/USD) and Fiber (EUR/USD): other pair nicknames
- Currency pairs: base and quote currencies explained
- Currency appreciation and depreciation
- Commodity and correlation coefficient
- Big figure and the full trading glossary
Frequent questions
Are these nicknames official?
No. They are market slang. Official documents and platforms use ISO codes such as AUD, NZD, CAD and CHF.
What is kiwi in forex?
It is the New Zealand dollar, or the NZD/USD pair, depending on context.
What is loonie in forex?
It is the Canadian dollar. In trading talk it often means the USD/CAD pair.
Can I search "loonie" in MetaTrader?
No. Search for the symbol code, such as USDCAD, in the symbol list.
Does a nickname tell me which way the chart moves?
No. Check whether the currency is the base or the quote in the pair. A stronger quote currency pushes the pair's price down.