PRONUNCIATION VARIETIES OF ENGLISH (Michaela Budínská)


Typical Features

Typical Sounds/Phrases

Region/Speaker Group/Context

Other Names

Speakers/Recordings

Received Pronunciation (RP)

sophistication, reduction, “posh” sound, language of the educated/the media

The long [ɑː] as in bath, palm; yod-coalescence as in news; intervocalic t as in little;
non-rhoticity; linking and intrusive r; uses the /h/ sound

educated, elite, formal context, media, standard

BBC English,

Queen's English, Standard English
 1. The Queen's Speech
 2. Daniel Radcliffe


Estuary English (EE)

related to Cockney; non-standard

glottalization; “th” pronounced as “v” or “f”’; tag questions; vocalised “l”

London, South East of England

related to Cockney,

Nonstandard Southern English,

Mockney
 1. Russell Brand
 2. Eat Sleep Dream English - David Beckham


Multicultural London English (MLE)

ethnic influences; non-standard grammar structures; evolution from Cockney, new accent

“innit” used as tag question; “bruv”; “oh my days”; th-fronting: “th” pronounced as “f”/”v” or “d”;
glottalization; extra stresses; clear l

London, young people, immigrants

Jafaican (reflects Caribbean influences)
 1. Stormzy

(watch out for his use of “innit” followed by the question about  Cockney accent)
 2. Eat Sleep Dream English
 3. “Bruv,” “Innit,” “Ting!”

Irish English

Scandinavian influences; helped shape American;

“Aye”; strong rhoticity, “dark R”; dental plosive sounds /t/, /d/ in words like think, breathe;
th-stopping

Ireland


 1. TED talk in Irish E about Irish E
 2. Saoirse Ronan
 3. Northern Irish - From the film Hunger

General Northern English (GNE)


/æ/ instead of long  [ɑː] in words like bath, laugh, ask,...; /ʊ/ in words like love, buzz;
glottalization; deeper; “wee bit”


brogue, Scottish English
 1. North v. South - Eat Sleep Dream English
 2. The Yorkshire Accent
 3. Gerard Butler - Scottish English
 4. When Scottish People Speak English

Liverpudlian English (LE)

nasal, Irish influences,

nasal, fricative /k/ sound; /ʊ/ in words like love, buzz; /æ/ in words like fast; dropping t at the
end of the word “that”; dropping /h/; “me mom”, “ya”

Liverpool

Scouse
 1. The Beatles
 2. Paul McCartney - Eat Sleep Dream English
 3. The School of Accents


Article on accommodation theory:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/29/accent-on-common-ground-as-miliband-takes-on-russe
ll-brands-estuary-twang