Category Archives: British English

The accents and dialects of the United Kingdom.

Anne Hathaway’s Accent in ‘One Day’

Posted on August 14, 2011 by Ben

In news of the dialect work of movie stars, the romantic comedy One Day opens soon. As I did with Mel Gibson’s accent in The Beaver, I’d like to briefly examine Anne Hathaway‘s “Yorkshire accent” in this adaptation of the popular … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , , | 37 Comments

Is the Glasgow Accent Being “Cockneyfied?”

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Ben

I’ve often discussed Estuary English, the London-influenced accent spreading throughout England. One piece of evidence?  Young people in Glasgow seem to be adopting ‘Cockney’ pronunciations. If the Glasgow accent is indeed becoming more ‘Southeastern,’ this would be a powerful indicator of London’s … Continue reading →

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But, buts, bus: The Scouse ‘T’

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Ben

Scouse, the native accent of Liverpool, has comparatively unique features when compared to the surrounding area. Where Manchester and Leeds can arguably sound like variations of the same accent, Scouse seems to be in a world all its own. One … Continue reading →

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Why is Fantasy Always in a British Accent?

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Ben

[Ed. Note:  I’m on vacation till Saturday, July 30th, so I’m publishing some old posts I drafted but never published.  Some of these might be rough around the edges.  Also note that it may be difficult for me to respond … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , | 39 Comments

The British Drama League Recordings

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Ben

I’ve been held back from posting due to the 4th of July holiday (compounded by some internet connectivity issues). But I’d like to briefly share a fun thing I found on YouTube recently. A user who identifies himself as EMGColonel … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | 7 Comments

Michelle Collins’ Accent on Coronation Street

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Ben

There has been a recent to-do over British actress Michelle Collins, who joined the Manchester-based soap opera Coronation Street. Collins was best known for her role in EastEnders (a soap set in East London), so her Manchester accent must come … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged | 21 Comments

Did Yiddish Shape the New York Accent?

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Ben

One of the first dialect anecdotes I heard was from the director of my high school production of Guy’s and Dolls. “The Brooklyn accent is dying out,” she said. “There isn’t as much of a Jewish presence there anymore.” This … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Multicultural London English is not “Jafaican”

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Ben

The Telegraph’s Ed West recently published an editorial titled Jafaican may be cool but it sounds ridiculous, that I find appalling.  I respect West for having politics different from my own, but that’s no excuse for slandering a legitimate dialect … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , | 16 Comments

Estuary English in the 21st Century

Posted on June 4, 2011 by Ben

I’ve used the term  Estuary English quite a bit on this site.  For the dialect novices out there, I’d like to explain what this phrase means, and my personal take on it. Estuary English is a hard concept to define.  Sometimes … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , , | 28 Comments

Is the Welsh Accent “Foreign?”

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Ben

The Welsh accent is a mystery on American shores.  Numerous Welsh celebrities have made the US their home: your Hopkinses, Burtonses, Zeta-Joneses, and just plain Joneses.  Yet Americans have few of the preconceptions about Welsh English that we do for … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , , | 25 Comments