Are there Different Accents in England?

Often stereotyped to only speaking the Kings’s English (Posh Received Pronunciation), England’s accents are some of the most diverse in the word. Spanning the breadth of the country, each county or region is likely to have its own accent and dialect. But before you begin attempting one of the accents for yourself, let's explore the 6 most common English accents that you might come across in your travels.

Coming up in this article:

• Why So Many Accents in England?

• Top 6 Accents in England

  • Cockney

  • Brummie

  • Geordie

  • Scouse

  • West Country

  • Yorkshire

Why So Many Accents in England? 

England’s range of accents are not a new discovery. In fact, over the last 1,500 years, British accents have been developing. And it’s no surprise. With more ease and freedom to travel, it’s only natural that people venture to new locations, and with them not only share their own dialect, but also gain new terminology or slang from the people around them.

Accents can be a fascinating concept. Think about it, in the UK we’re all a little island, but within that its residents have over ten different ways to say ‘bread roll’...it's a cob for anyone wondering the right terminology. The point is, England can be a great place to travel to as heritage and traditions run deep.

Top 6 Accents in England 

We know there are more than 6 accents within the UK, but we didn’t think we’d be able to fit them all into one article and give them justice. So, we narrowed them down to what we believe to be the 6 you’d likely experience on a visit to England.  

1. Cockney

Original region: South London 

Common phrases: ‘Apples and pears’, ‘Bees and honey’

The cockney accent comes from South London and is one of the most well-known. You may recognise it from famous films such as the 1968 adaptation of Oliver Twist, Oliver!.

The accent is also in the musical, My Fair Lady. It’s about turning cockney flower-seller, Eliza Doolittle, into a ‘proper lady’. A huge part of this is ‘correcting’ her accent. Cockney has become the voice of what London sounds like.

And while in both films, the accents may have been dramatized, there’s no denying that a cockney accent isn’t a strong one. What made this English dialect so iconic is its use of rhyming words. Let's give you some examples of what we mean:

• Apples and pears = stairs

• Bees and honey = money 

• Butcher’s hook = look  

• Barney rubble = trouble 

• Baked bean = queen

Yes, there are quicker words to use to get your point across, but when using the English accent of cockney, you can a least express yourself in rhyme. 

2. Brummie

Original region: Birmingham, West Midlands 

Common phrases: ‘Around the Wrekin’, ‘Bostin’, ‘Bab’

The Birmingham accent and dialect is known as Brummie. It’s one of the many accents of the West-Midlands. And it’s characterised as being a little monotonous. Ozzy Osborne, lead singer of the band Black Sabbath, speaks with a broad Brummie twang. Below is a link to an interview of someone who speaks in the accent.

While the Brummie accent is often generalised for the whole of the West Midlands, let's make it very clear there are other accents within this English region. And one to make sure you don’t confuse is the Black Country accent. With similar twangs, the people from this English location wouldn’t be too happy to be called a Brummie!

3. Geordie

Original region: Newcastle 

Common phrases: ‘Howay man’, ‘Alreet pet’

The Geordie accent is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Tyneside. Some examples of famous people who speak with it are the singer Cheryl Cole and proud-geordie footballer Alan Shearer. The Geordie dialect is said to be quite sing-song and uses words that come from Germanic and Scandinavian parts of Europe. Below is an interview with Alan Shearer.

4. Scouse

Original region: Liverpool 

Common phrases: ‘Bevvy, ‘G’wed’

The Scouse accent is from Liverpool and county of Merseyside. It was confined to Liverpool up until the 1950s. The iconic Beatles are easily the most recognisable speakers of the accent. People from Liverpool are regularly referred to as ‘Scousers’. As with other English accents, a Scouse has an almost melody to their speech. Here’s a video of a collection of Beatles interviews.

5. West Country

Original region: Southwest England (Sommerset, Devon, Cornwall Regions) 

Common phrases: ‘Proper job’, ‘Ark at ee’, ‘Alrite me luvver’

The West Country accent falls into two distinct types. The one from Devon and Cornwall sounds like a pirate. And the accent from South West England sounds like the Hobbits from the Lord of the Rings. 

Being rural in nature, talking to someone with a thick west country accent can often be difficult to unpick. Here are some common phrases to help you along the way:

• Ark at ee = to bring attention to something silly / ridiculous  

• Cakey = Soft in the head / forgetful  

• Wasson = What have you got planned 

• Zummit = somthing 

6. Yorkshire

Original region: Northern England 

Common phrases: 'Ey up', 'Nowt'

The Yorkshire accent is from the Yorkshire county in Northern England. The land of scrumptious Yorkshire puddings. Famous people with the accent include the actor Sean Bean who plays Ned Stark in Game of Thrones, and Melanie B from the spice girls.

The best way to spot this accent is if people drop their ‘H’s’ and ‘T’s’. For example instead of saying ‘hotel’ it would be ‘otel’. Here are other Yorkshire phrases to help: 

• Bog = toilet 

• Brew = cup of tea 

• Butty = sandwich 

• Ey up = watch out 

• Mardy = moody 

How Many Accents Can You Find on Tour? 

While touring the UK and Ireland, it’s not hard to tell when you're in the next county. But that’s coming from citizens who have grown up being taught the different dialects. A fun game to play could be English accent bingo. Create a list and tick off as many as you can find. And this can be easy when travelling by small-group tour. Visiting less well-known regions, but departing from major cities, we’re sure you’ll tick a fair few off the list. Stay inspired to travel by signing up to our newsletter. Delivered directly to your inbox, we share short stories, newest departure locations and tours, as well as sneak peek of our newest offers, including Black Friday travel deals.