ACCENT AND DIALECT TERMINOLOGY

code switching

when speakers who speak 2 or more languages switch between each on during conversation but also can be referred to switching dialects of the same accent

convergence

adapting your speech to be more similar to the person you’re talking to

convert prestige

switching to non-standard English for a different social group e.g using slang

dialect

variation in words or grammatical structures associated with a particular group

dialect levelling

a process where different language forms converge and become similar overtime within a social group

diphthong

vowel sounding where there is a noticeable sound change (long vowel e.g /ai/ in eye

divergence

deliberately making your speech more different from the other person

Estuary English

accents spreading outwards, along the thames from London containing RP and London speech

heterophones

words with same spelling but different meaning and sound

• lead

• /liːd/ = to guide (“I will lead the team”)

• /lɛd/ = the metal (“lead pipes”)

• read

  • /riːd/ = present tense (“I read every day”)

  • /rɛd/ = past tense (“I read that book yesterday”

homophones

words with the same sound but different meaning and spelling

• to / too / two

  • to = direction (“go to school”)

  • too = also/excessively (“me too”, “too much”)

  • two = number 2

• there / their / they’re

  • there = place (“over there”)

  • their = belonging to them (“their car”)

  • they’re = they are (“they’re happy”)

idiomatic phrases

a phrase which has an accepted meaning

‘you’ve hit the nail on the head’

non-standard english

not conforming to the recognised way of speaking and writing

overt-prestige

repeat people get from speaking in a standard , socially approved way

phonology

study of the sound systems of languages patterns and sounds

plural marking

method of making a singular noun into its plural form

queen’s english

RP, hope the queen and other members of the ruling class speak

register

the context in which a discourse event takes places which motivates the speaker or writer to adopt a particular register

social mobility

a phrase used to describe a persons move from one social class to another

th-fronting

pronunciation of ‘th’ as /f/