Pronunciation varieties of British English

British pronunciation standard is the norm of pronunciation of the English language in Britain. Within the orthoepic norms there may be different regional variants of pronunciation considered to be equally correct.

Large regional types can be distinguitive from local dialects. In English at present these are the following types of cultivated English: southern English pronunciation, northern English pronunciation, standard pronunciation.

The first is known as standard English pronunciation. It’s recognized as such all over the world. Second is spoken in regions between Birmingham and the border of Scotland.

It’s not shapely separated from the first, for it has some common features with it, but it has some differences too. And they are considered to be regional variants of the British pronunciation standard speech in 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries. These earlier type was carried to America that’s why there are many features in common between American and Northern English:

1) instead of [a:] they pronounce [x] (chance, glass, France)

2) instead of [/\] they pronounce [u] (cup, love)

3) instead of [ei] they pronounce [e], [e: перевернутое] (take, may)

4) instead of [x] становится [a] (man, cat)

Standard English of Scotland differs from received pronunciation both in qualities of phonemes and their use. For example: 1) instead sound [r] they pronounced it with the vibrating tip of the tongue(brother, born), 2) dark sound [l] is used in all positions (look), 3) the non-existent in British received pronunciation back lingual fricative sound similar to the Russian [x] (caught), 4) in some words they pronounce the sound close to the German [h’] (light), 5) instead of [x] they pronounce [/\] (man), 6) instead of [a] they pronounce [x] (after, glance).

In speech of young people the word “soft” is pronounced with the short [o]. In the speech of elderly people with the long [o:].

Alongside the standard pronunciation there continue to exist local dialects of the English language. Their number is very great (over 40). They are classified into several groups:

1) Dialects of Scotland

2) Dialects of Ireland

3) Dialects of England and Wales: northern, southern, eastern, western, midland.

We shall deal only with the main dialects of England. They are: northern, southern, cockney and Scottish.

Cockney is used by understand part of population of London and surrounding districts.

1) instead of [i:] pronounced [ei] (please, tea)

2) [x]->[e перевернутое] (bag)

3) [ei]->[ai] or [xi] (lady)

4) [au]->[ u] (about)

5) [ou]->[au] or [e перевернутое u] (know)

6) [u:]->[iu] (boots)

7) [h] isn’t pronounced in the words especially in the beginning of the words hat, horse, has

8) at the same time [h] is pronounced in the beginning of words in which it’s only spelled but not pronounced normally.

9) [t], [k], are strongly aspirated

10) [t] as [d] between vowels (better)

11) sound [t] as [t?] before sound [ju] (tube)

12) [?] is pronounced as [n] (singing)

Northern dialects. Northern dialects are spoken in Yorkshire and lake Shire.

1) Instead of [a] ->[x], [/\] [dance] – [dxnc ]

Instead of [/\] -> [u] (for love, cup, once)

Instead of [au] -> [u] (house, mouse)

2) in unstressed position vowels are pronounced in their full form.

3) instead [?] -> [n]

4) combinations of [dl], [bl] they are pronounced as [l] (bundle - [b/\nl])

Southern dialect. This dialect has become the standard pronunciation.

1)instead [h] is dropped (it’s not pronounced)

2) [s], [f], [Q] are devoiced and pronounced as [z], [v], [?].

Scotish dialects.

1) instead of [?] -> [a] man

2) [au] -> [u:] house

3) [ou] -> [o:] don’t know

4) [ei] -> [ ] day

5) [з] -> [a] bird

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