The sound of English

What is a regional accent? It’s the way people in a particular part of the country pronounce words. In England there’s a big difference between northern and southern accents. One of the main differences is how you pronounce the letter “u” in words like fun. In Northern England it’s pronounced like the “o” in foot – fun. In Standard English it’s pronounced like the “o” in some – fun.

Many English cities and regions have their own characteristic accent. How good are you at hearing the difference between different English accents?

Read the information about English accents. Then listen to four people from different parts of England. Don’t look at the transcript. You don’t have to understand everything they say. Just listen to their accents.

Standard English: the pronunciation you find in a dictionary
Yorkshire: “the” is often said as “t”
Birmingham: has a strong “g” sound at the end of words like “living”
Liverpool: some words sound breathy, as if they had an extra “h” sound in them

The sound of English 1

The sound of English 2

The sound of English 3

The sound of English 4

Crossroads

The sound of English

The sound of English

Read the information about English accents. Then listen to four people from different parts of England. Don’t look at the transcript. You don’t have to understand everything they say. Just listen to their accents.

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