English language in England

The English language spoken and written in England has many different accents and dialects. It is part of a larger group called British English, which includes varieties from all over the United Kingdom. People often call the English used in England "English English" or "Anglo-English."

The term British English can mean different things, but it usually describes features shared by Anglo-English, Welsh English, and Scottish English. England, Wales, and Scotland are the three traditional countries on the island of Great Britain. In the fourth country of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, the main dialect is Ulster English, which is often seen as a type of Hiberno-English.

General features

England has many different accents and dialects, and people often feel proud of their local way of speaking. However, these differences can sometimes show social class or other ideas that people might not agree with. Experts can usually tell where someone is from in England just by listening to how they speak.

There are three big groups of dialects in England: Southern English, Midlands English, and Northern England English. One big difference between these groups is how certain words are pronounced. For example, in the south, words like "bath" sound like "calm," while in the north, they sound like "cat." Most people in England do not say the "r" sound at the end of words, but some places still do. Other differences include how "h" is used and how certain vowel sounds are made.

Change over time

People have been studying the different ways English is spoken since the late 1800s. Important books include On Early English Pronunciation by A.J. Ellis, English Dialect Grammar by Joseph Wright, and the English Dialect Dictionary also by Joseph Wright. Joseph Wright even created a special test so he could hear small differences in how people said words.

In the 1950s and 1960s, a big project called the Survey of English Dialects recorded how people spoke in rural areas. Back then, people thought accents changed only a little bit every few miles, without clear borders between very different ways of speaking. Towns and villages in the same area would sound quite similar.

Today, things have changed. Because people move around more and learn "Standard English" in secondary schools, old ways of speaking have disappeared in many places. Some areas still keep their traditional accents, while others have lost them. For example, the old way of speaking in Bradford is almost gone now.

When new groups of people move to an area, they can change how others speak there too. Liverpool and Corby are two good examples. Liverpool’s way of speaking is different because of influences from Irish and Welsh people. Corby’s accent is different because of Scots influence. Today, people from different backgrounds living together can also create new ways of speaking.

Overview of regional accents

Southern English accents are different from Northern ones mainly by not using a short "a" sound in words like "bath". In the south-east, words like "cast" and "bath" sound like "kahst" and "baath", not "kast" and "bath".

In the south-west, words that sound like "a" in other places get a longer sound, like in "bath" or "cast".

Accents from around London, Oxford, and Cambridge are important because they helped shape what is called Received Pronunciation.

Southern accents were shaped by three main things:

1. The London accent, especially Cockney
2. Received Pronunciation
3. Rural accents from places like the West Country, Kent, and East Anglia

Recently, the first two have spread more because of social changes and people moving around.

After World War II, many Londoners moved to new towns in the south-east, bringing their accent with them.

In the 19th century, special dialects were recorded in Sussex, Surrey, and Kent, but they mostly disappeared because of better communication and people moving around.

The West Country accents come from areas like Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset. These accents show old Anglo-Saxon sounds better than most others.

In places like Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight, similar accents were used until around the 1960s, but now they are mostly gone.

The Norfolk dialect is spoken in Norfolk and parts of Suffolk. A group called FOND works to keep the dialect alive.

In the Midlands, accents don’t use a broad "a" sound like in the south. Words like "cast" sound like "kast".

In the West Midlands, famous accents include Birmingham ("Brummie") and the Black Country accent ("Yam Yam"). There are special ways of speaking, like using "am" for "are" and "ay" for "is not".

In the East Midlands, accents draw out vowels more. Words like "new" can sound like "noo".

Northern England accents share some features:

• They don’t always use a short "u" sound. Words like "put" and "putt" sound the same.
• They don’t use a broad "a" sound. Words like "cast" sound like "kast".
• The vowel in words like "dress" sounds a bit more open.

Liverpool’s accent, called Scouse, is different because of Irish influence. It has unique sounds like making "th" sound like "t" or "d".

Yorkshire has its own dialect, like in the book Wuthering Heights. Older speakers still use some of these special words and sounds.

Teesside accents, called Smoggy, share traits with both Yorkshire and the North-East. They often drop the "h" sound and have special vowel sounds.

Lancashire and Cumbria each have their own dialects. In Cumbria, accents can sound more like Lancashire or mix with influences from Scotland and Tyneside because of history and jobs like shipbuilding.

In North East England, dialects like Geordie (from Newcastle) and Mackem (from Sunderland) have their own ways of speaking. They share some sounds with Scots and Irish English, like saying "fillum" instead of "film" and using "Aye" to mean "yes".

Examples of accents used by public figures

Many famous people in England have different accents. For example, Queen Elizabeth II spoke a form of Received Pronunciation, also known as RP. Other RP speakers include actors like Judi Dench and Ian McKellen, and politicians such as David Cameron and Boris Johnson.

Different parts of England have their own accents. In Berkshire, poet Pam Ayres has a rural southern accent. In Lancashire, comedian Peter Kay and singer Danny Jones have broad accents. In Liverpool, footballers Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, as well as The Beatles, have strong Scouse accents. Other notable accents come from places like London, Manchester, and Yorkshire, each with their own unique sounds and speech patterns.

Regional English accents in the media

Some TV shows and programmes have characters who speak with different accents from various parts of England. For example, in The Archers, some characters speak with West Country accents.

Shows created by Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement often include characters with regional accents. In Auf Wiedersehen Pet, the main characters are Geordie men in Germany. Porridge featured characters with London and Cumberland accents, while The Likely Lads showed accents from north east England.

Programmes by Carla Lane, such as The Liver Birds and Bread, featured Scouse accents.

In the 2005 version of the science fiction programme Doctor Who, the Doctor, played by Christopher Eccleston, used his own Salford accent. Other characters in the same series spoke with Cockney and Estuary accents.

A reality TV programme called Rock School was set in Suffolk and showcased the Suffolk dialect.