What are the different types of British accents?

Think you know what British people sound like? You may be surprised by the reality. Many international students in the UK are amazed by the huge variety of accents you can hear across its four countries. Sometimes, you only have to travel a few miles to get a sense of this diversity.

Naturally, this can be confusing at first. In time, though, you will get to know and enjoy these many different ways of speaking. If you'd like a head start, we can help. Read on to discover all about some of the different types of British accent.

Cockney

One of the best-known British accents, Cockney is a name for the way many people speak in East London, as well as for the people themselves. The term dates back several hundred years, and is a source of pride for those that identify with it.

They even have their own inventive vocabulary that can confuse newcomers: Cockney rhyming slang. Although this isn't used heavily, you may occasionally have to reach for your dog and bone (phone) in order to search for a definition.

If you want to know how Cockney sounds, here are three examples of its notable features:

• The vowel in words like mouth and house is often pronounced in a way that might sound more like a long ‘a’ than the ‘ow’ you may expect.
• The vowel in words like price and find is often pronounced in a way that might sound more like ‘o-i’ than the ‘i’ you may expect.
• The consonant at the start of words like think and three is often pronounced with an ‘f’ sound, making them fink and free.

There are many famous examples of Cockney accents in British society and culture. The singer Adele is one of the most well-known speakers, while you can also hear the accent used in everything from the various film versions of Oliver Twist to the TV soap opera EastEnders.

Despite its fame, Cockney is becoming less prominent. At the same time, another way of speaking has been identified as growing in London.

Multicultural London English (MLE)

As its name suggests, MLE describes a way of speaking heard in London that has been brought about by the city’s huge cultural diversity. It encompasses accent features that are similar to those of Cockney, plus ones shared with English speakers from various different parts of the world. These are places from which many people have arrived in London.

The ongoing evolution of MLE shows that no accent is fixed, and that ways of speaking change everywhere all the time. As such, you will find similar developments in other highly multicultural areas, such as Manchester and Birmingham.

Here are three widely recognised features of MLE:

• The vowel in words like goose and food is often pronounced in a way that might sound more like ‘i-oo’ than the ‘oo’ you may expect.
• The vowel in words like price and nice is often pronounced in a way that might sound more like a long ‘a’ than the ‘i’ sound you may expect.
• The consonant at the start of words like hard and happy is often present. While many people in London and the rest of the country may say them like ard and appy, this is not always the case with MLE speakers.

It is increasingly common to hear younger people in London speak with an MLE accent. Notably, it is the style of speech you will hear from a lot of London rappers, such as Stormzy. Many of these performers appear in the popular TV series Top Boy.

Scouse (Liverpool English)

Located in North West England by the Irish Sea, the proud city of Liverpool has a unique culture that has been heavily influenced by its status as a major port. People here have been known as Scousers for almost two centuries, with the way they speak coming to be known as Scouse.

Historically, many people arrived in the city from Ireland and further afield. This played a huge part in making the city what it is today, and in developing its famous accent.

There are several Scouse accent features that you may notice in Liverpool. Here are some examples:

• The vowels in square and nurse often sound the same (but the sound they share can vary between speakers)
• The vowels in book and look are often pronounced in the same way as those in goose and loose, rather than those in buck and luck. You might call this an ‘oo’ sound.
• The consonant at the end of words such as buck and luck is often pronounced in a way that might sound slightly distorted, rather than being a clipped ‘k’ sound.

Famous Liverpudlians include the Beatles, actress Jodie Comer and many footballers. International stars Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all Scouse speakers.

Geordie (Newcastle English)

The Geordie accent is used by people from the North East city of Newcastle and the surrounding region of Tyneside. The word Geordie is also used by them to describe themselves, and has been for at least 200 years.

Outsiders sometimes think that the term can be used for anyone from North East England, but this is best to avoid. The nearby areas of Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Durham all have their own identities and ways of speaking for which they are proud. People there might not like being called Geordies, but may well have a sense of humour about the confusion.

Wondering how Geordies sound? Here are some notable features:

• The vowel in words like here and near is often pronounced in a way that might sound like ‘ee-a’.
• The vowel in words like sure and cure is often pronounced in a way that might sound like ‘oo-a’.
• The vowel in words like price and like is often pronounced in a way that might sound more like ‘ay’ than the ‘i’ sound you may expect.

Two of the most famous Geordie speakers in the UK are TV presenter duo Ant & Dec. They are among the most popular entertainers in the country, and a great example of how people in Newcastle sound.

Brummie (Birmingham English)

Spoken in the major West Midlands city of Birmingham and some of its neighbouring areas, Brummie is widely considered to be a particularly distinctive accent. Its name has a long history, being derived from Brummagem, a former term for Birmingham that dates to at least the 17th century. Today, the city is still popularly known as Brum.

Here are some of the most recognised features of the Brummie accent:

• The vowel in words like mouth and south is sometimes pronounced in a way that might sound more like ‘e-oo’ than the ‘ow’ you may expect.
• The vowel in words like goat and coat is sometimes pronounced in a way that might sound more like ‘ow’ than the ‘oh’ you may expect.
• The vowel in words like price and nice is sometimes pronounced in a way that might sound more like ‘oi’ than the ‘i’ you may expect.

Well-known Brummie speakers include musician Ozzy Osbourne, while people from nearby areas such as footballers Jude Bellingham and Jack Grealish also speak similarly. In the UK, TV presenter Alison Hammond is a familiar example of someone with a Brummie accent.

Northern accents vs Southern accents

In England, there are two accent features that are popularly used to distinguish whether someone is from the North or the South. Technically, these are known as the TRAP-BATH split and the FOOT-STRUT split. If that sounds confusing, the following should explain.

People from the North of England broadly pronounce the vowels in the words trap and bath the same way. Typically, they will use something you might call a short ‘a’ sound.

People from the South of England broadly pronounce the vowels in trap and bath differently. While they may use a short ‘a’ in trap, they are more likely to use a long ‘a’ in bath.

Similarly, Northern speakers broadly pronounce foot and strut the same way, while Southern speakers do not. They may say the latter word with a vowel that might sound more like a short ‘a’.

One thing to be aware of is that this split only applies to England. When people talk about North and South there, they often overlook the countries of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each of these have their own differences.

What’s more, you will also hear about an area called the Midlands. This forms a border region between the North and South where the TRAP-BATH and FOOT-STRUT splits are sometimes less clearly defined. This underlines the fact that no-one can really decide where North and South begin.

What other British accents are there?

Want to know about some other UK accents you might hear while studying in the country? The following table lists a few university cities and their distinctive dialect features.

Of course, the features in this table are not limited to the cities listed alongside them. The whole country has a mix of different ways of speaking, making it impossible to be totally precise about accents and dialects. Only one thing is sure: if you study in the UK, you will hear something new every day.

We hope that this has increased your understanding of the different types of British accents. If you're keen to study in the UK and are still unsure, don't worry. Just as people pronounce their words instinctively, you will soon understand them instinctively too. If you find reading about accents interesting, you might even want to take a course that explores them. Discover our top reasons to study linguistics.