Accents of the British Isles

These flashcards cover vocabulary and key concepts from the lecture on accents of the British Isles, focusing on Cockney and Northern Accents.

Cockney

An accent traditionally associated with the East End of London.

Glottal Stop

A consonant sound made by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract, often used in Cockney, represented phonetically as [ʔ].

T-glottaling

The phonetic process in which the /t/ sound is pronounced as a glottal stop in certain phonetic environments.

TH Fronting

A phonological feature in which the 'th' sounds (/θ/ and /ð/) are pronounced as /f/ and /v/ in Cockney.

RP (Received Pronunciation)

An accent of Standard British English associated with educated speakers, often used in teaching.

Diphthong Shift

The alteration in the pronunciation of diphthongs in Cockney, such as [eɪ] shifting to [aɪ] or [ɔɪ].

Dialect with a pedigree

A term used to describe dialects that have historical roots and legitimacy, as used in reference to Cockney.

Bilingualism

The ability to speak two languages or dialects; in this context, the use of one mode of speaking in school and another at home.

Allophone

A variant pronunciation of a phoneme in a language, as seen in the different pronunciations of /l/.

Sociolinguistic Pyramid

A model illustrating the hierarchy of different dialects and accents based on social perceptions and statuses.

Phoneme

The smallest unit of sound in speech that can distinguish words.

Northern English Accents

Accents spoken in the northern regions of England, showing significant phonological features distinct from RP.

Minimal Pairs

Two words that differ by only one phoneme, used to illustrate contrast in pronunciation.

Monophthongization

The process in which a diphthong is pronounced as a monophthong, typical in some Northern English accents.

Vowel Shortening

The pronunciation of certain vowel sounds as shorter in duration in Northern English compared to RP.