A Tour of The Accents of England

The English accents include Cockney, Received Pronunciation, and Western accents. The split in the short /u/ vowel occurred in southern dialects around the mid-1600s.

The North-South divide in English pronunciation is characterized by the difference between /ʌ/ and /ʊ/. In the North, words like 'hut' rhyme with 'put' and 'rush' rhymes with 'bush', while in the South, there's a TRAP BATH split that occurred later. The accent known as RP (Received Pronunciation) originated in southeast England but is also used by middle-class speakers across England and Wales.

RP, or Received Pronunciation, is the accent most commonly heard in Southern English families with men educated at public boarding schools. The accent has evolved over time and is now only used by older members of the royal family, aging aristocrats, and retired colonels. Significant changes include a shift from ɪ to i in the HAPPY vowel and TH-fronting replacing /θ/ with an /f/ sound.

Cockney Pronunciation The Cockney accent features unique pronunciation, such as the /ð/ sound being pronounced as /v/, glottal stops for certain consonants, and distinct diphthongs. Additionally, l-vocalization causes some vowels to merge.

Changes in Cockney Accent Over the last twenty years, Multicultural London English has replaced traditional Cockney in East London. MLE shares similarities with Cockney but retains pronunciations that differ from it.

Multicultural London English (MLE) exhibits extreme GOOSE fronting, with the u: vowel in words like goose, food, huge pronounced far forward. The NEAR and SQUARE diphthongs become monophthongs as seen in beer, here, there. The PRICE vowel is distinctive where birds can fly high in the sky. Consonants /k/ and /g/ are pronounced far back.

West country accents are characterized by the fronting of the MOUTH vowel and rounding of the PRICE vowel. The TRAP BATH split varies among speakers, with some merging these vowels while others maintain a difference in length but not quality. East Anglian accents share rounded PRICE diphthong but differ from West country due to non-rhotic pronunciation and absence of /h/ dropping.

Different English accents treat the 'yod' in various ways, affecting words like tune, duke, new. East Anglian accent drops 'yods' after every consonant, resulting in unique pronunciations for words like feud (sounds like food), beauty (sounds like booty), cute (sounds like coot). The merger between GOAT and GOOSE vowels is observed as we head northwest up the M40 from London towards Birmingham.

Transformation of Industrial Cities Between 1760 and 1820, Britain underwent an unprecedented transformation with the growth of industrial cities attracting workers from neighboring regions. The merging of various accents in these cities led to the development of new city accents as a badge of identity and belonging.

Birmingham Accent The Birmingham accent, or Brummie, is distinct in terms of vowel sounds such as STRUT/BATH and PRICE/CHOICE. It also retains NG coalescence unlike London English. Additionally, it shares historical connections with Shakespeare's hometown Stratford.

Liverpool: From Fishing Village to Port City Liverpool transformed into a major port city during the industrial revolution due to migration from England, Wales, Ireland, Africa, India,and China. The influence on its accent by people from Southern Ireland resulted in a unique Scouse accent that became totally distinct by the mid-19th century.

The Liverpool accent features the GOOSE vowel, creating minimal pairs like look and luck. Stop consonants often have friction after them, altering their pronunciation. The SQUARE NURSE merger may be influenced by Irish dialects.

The Lancashire dialect features distinctive vowel sounds and pronunciation, with unique characteristics such as the NURSE vowel and MOUTH pronunciation. The surviving rhotic accent in northern England is found in parts of Lancashire, which has shrunk considerably since the 1950s.

The accents in Manchester and Yorkshire exhibit distinct features such as fronted GOOSE, global stops, TH fronting, and varying vowel sounds. Yorkshire's accent varies across the county with no clear dividing line from Lancashire. The absence of GOOSE fronting is a strong indicator of a Yorkshire accent.

The Yorkshire dialect features unique pronunciation of words like 'boat' and 'prize', with diphthongs and distinct vowel sounds. The word 'the' is often reduced to t', pronounced differently based on surrounding sounds, creating a distinctive accent.

The Geordie accent has a distinct PALM vowel, sometimes rounded. It lacks the TRAP BATH split but uses back /ɑ:/ in some words like plaster and master. Unlike most English accents, it doesn't have dark Ls after vowels.

The Northern RP of England offers a wide variety that goes beyond what can be covered in this video. The presenter acknowledges the limitations of time and personal experience.