[ LANGUAGE ] Accents in the English language (UK)

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 10:39

If you're not interested in language - skip this thread, please.

After more than 5 years in NC and having many contacts in the British community I still have some problems to understand people who speak a certain accent. At the moment I usually can tell whether people are from London, the North (Scots and "Geordies", although I don't know if the latter is offensive?) or elsewhere in the UK.

I wonder how many areas in the UK have their own specific accent? Do all big cities have their own accent or more than one?



P.S. I found this site http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ (pronouncation/pronunciation of UK and US English, a great help for me!) and its amazing how different many words sound - but the same goes for words spoken by people from the UK!

cyprusharv


Joined: 16/12/2008
Posts: 423

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 12:14

wy aye man

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 12:23

Res msg 2, cyprusharv: Huh..?! What does "man" mean..?

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 12:25

Received Pronunciation the only way to go!



Richard

moonstone


Joined: 27/08/2009
Posts: 158

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 12:30

I hear you. When í first came to North Cyprus, as soon as i opened my mouth people instantly recognized my accent and knew where i am from. Now i have been hear a while and learnt turkish, my accent has completly changed, i have started to talk like a London Cypriot lol.

ROBnJO


Joined: 30/06/2008
Posts: 1289

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 14:51

hans



You're not alone!



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8306582.stm

JohnW


Joined: 23/04/2009
Posts: 601

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 15:11

http://myaccent.info/

JohnW


Joined: 23/04/2009
Posts: 601

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 15:13

Received Pronunciation



http://www.yaelf.com/rp.shtml

come_on_aylin


Joined: 14/06/2008
Posts: 908

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 15:26

JohnW



Just did that test and here is the result:



Sorry, we couldn't fully identify your accent. We're going to take a guess of American Midland



I was born in Glasgow but have lost the accent, obviously...



Quite fancy the job in msg 6.

PeeCee


Joined: 16/03/2009
Posts: 133

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 15:28

DC - Local dialects are part of the rich diversity of UK. I'm from Birmingham in the West Midlands and have a very different dialect from people who were born and raised in the "Black Country" which is just a matter of a dozen or so miles away (around Dudley and West Bromwich). It's not just accents - words are used differently and have different meanings. Babies are obviously born with the ability to learn any language and accent - mimicking their parents and although many of us can "talk posh" when necessary - once back with our mates the accent thickens again.

Carndi


Joined: 12/06/2009
Posts: 613

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 15:37

I was impressed, when on holiday here, that a waiter ,whose English was not very good said to me '' You from Ireland.''

I said '' that's very good,you being able to tell I am from Ireland. How did you know ? '' He replied '' All the people from Ireland say, Thats grand ,thats grand .''

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 15:41

DC My husband can speak fluent turkish but he has problems when in Turkey and NC as there are different accents there too, he can talk to people from Izmir and Istanbul better than others.

dizzycows


Joined: 12/05/2009
Posts: 2736

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 15:45

The west country has very strong accents, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall all have different dialects. If in Devon, to ask a young girl were is she going, it would be, ...werrres ya gowin to maid, we be gowin to come away wid ya. Loads of different ways to say the English Language. Cornwall is thicker still, and rolls of the tongue, all accents are beautiful, and should not be lost...... lol

JohnW


Joined: 23/04/2009
Posts: 601

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 15:54

http://www.wigandialect.co.uk/

pinkchilli


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 689

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 19:02

My dear Mr. "George (Cole)" man.



I couldn't "Adam (& Eve)" it that you found accents a bit tricky.



You being an excellent member, always prepared to give plenty of "Anneka (Rice)".



You should sit down with all your "Gareths (Gates)" have a "Ronan (Keating)", get a "Tiddly (Wink)" or even a "Dame Edna (Everidge)", not get too "Elephant's (Trunk)" and sort out your little problem.



We could even bring our "Troubles (& Strifes)".



Best "Pots (& Dishes)"



PC



For the more uninitiated, please read the sentence with the words in brackets. For the "David (Hockneys)" you won't need to.



I'm off for a "Ruby"



For help, please visit: http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 19:39

PC



I expect you're going down the frog, are you, for your ruby?



J

pinkchilli


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 689

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 22:39

Jeannie. Message 16.



Yes, that was very Robin....



















































Hood!

gooligan


Joined: 30/01/2007
Posts: 1591

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 23:00

People say I speak broad yorkshire but even I can't understand the Dingles most of the time(even though they did beat us at football today)

Click on this link,read the words and try to make them out,if you can't understand then click on the word and turn your speakers up.If you are still having problems let me know and I will try to translate.



http://www.barnsleylife.com/tonythepitpony.htm

gooligan


Joined: 30/01/2007
Posts: 1591

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 23:02

Forgot to say at the top of the page click on 'local sayings'

Sorry.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 23:41

Esperanto, no problems!



Richard

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 23:50

love it. Dutch get yourself to any where in the british isles whilst we stilll have them. Go to Wales in nCardiff we cant undersztand the Vallys speach same cpuntry maybe 15 miles differece but you learn to know

boglefan



Joined: 07/06/2009
Posts: 511

Message Posted:
18/10/2009 01:43

Try some of the Aberdeen accents!!! I am scottish and still have problems when it is a broad Aberdeen accent. The clearest speakers of the English language in the UK are the true bred locals of Inverness.

eg from Aberdeen - fit like the day loon? Fy dayi keep the breed in the vardrop fur?



Translated it came from a little girl who visited my parents small caravan and wanted to know why the bread was kept in the wardrobe. (It was not a wardrobe by the way). Accents and the meaning of words in the UK can change in a ten mile radius. Not the easiest of languages for anyone to get to real grips too, especially some of the grammer.

CarrieRBag



Joined: 23/12/2008
Posts: 1374

Message Posted:
18/10/2009 08:58

Hi Moonstone, didnt you work for Mr Ersoy? Where are you working now?

come_on_aylin


Joined: 14/06/2008
Posts: 908

Message Posted:
18/10/2009 09:27

Are there dialects of Dutch?