Brummie
Indo-European (West Germanic, English)
Brummie is the local name for English associated with Birmingham, while the neighboring Black Country has related but distinct speech and should not simply be treated as the same dialect. Birmingham English varies across the city and by ethnicity, age, class, and style, reflecting both older West Midlands patterns and later migration. Frequently described vowel features include a locally shifted FACE diphthong and close or overlapping PRICE and CHOICE vowels; FOOT and STRUT may be merged for some speakers but distinguished by others, making a categorical “northern” description misleading. Traditional speech may also retain /ɡ/ after /ŋ/ in words such as singer and use local vocabulary including babby “baby” and mom. Brummie is non-rhotic and written in ordinary English orthography; its often-negative public image reflects social stereotyping rather than any linguistic deficiency.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Brummie
Sources
- Wells (1982) Accents of English
- International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA)
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Indo-European (West Germanic, English)
| Meaning | Brummie | Mancunian English | Geordie | Scouse | Yorkshire English | Estuary English | West Country English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtɐ/ | water /ˈwɔːtɐ/ | water /ˈwɔːt̪sə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːʔə/ | water /ˈwɔːtɚ/ |
| Fire | fire /fɔɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /fɑɪə/ | fire /faɪɚ/ |
| Sun | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ |
| Moon | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Star | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /stɑː/ | star /staː/ | star /stɑː/ | star /stɑːɹ/ |
| Night | night /nɑɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /nɑɪt/ | night /naɪt/ |
| Rain | rain /ɹʌɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹɛɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ |
| Snow | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ |
| Wind | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ |
| Earth | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɝθ/ |
| Stone | stone /stɐʊn/ | stone /stɒʊn/ | stone /stɔːn/ | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stəʊn/ |
| Mountain | mountain /ˈmæʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmuːntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmæʊnʔən/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ |
| Sea | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ |
| Mother | mother /ˈmʊðə/ | mother /ˈmʊðɐ/ | mother /ˈmʊðɐ/ | mother /ˈmʊðə/ | mother /ˈmʊðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðɚ/ |
| Father | father /ˈfaːðə/ | father /ˈfaːðɐ/ | father /ˈfaːðɐ/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈvɑːðɚ/ |
| Daughter | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɐ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɐ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːt̪sə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːʔə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɚ/ |
| I | I /ɔɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aː/ | I /ɑɪ/ | I /aɪ/ |
| You | you /jʊ/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ |
| We | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ |
| Name | name /nʌɪm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neːm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neːm/ | name /næɪm/ | name /neɪm/ |
| Person | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɝsən/ |
| Head | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hed/ | head /hɛd/ |
| Eye | eye /ɔɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /ɑɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ |
| Ear | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪːə/ | ear /ɪɹ/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪɚ/ |
| Nose | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /niəz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /noʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ |
| Mouth | mouth /mæʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /muːθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /mæʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ |
| Tooth | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ |
| Tongue | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ |
| Hand | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /and/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hand/ |
| Foot | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt̪s/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊʔ/ | foot /fʊt/ |
| Heart | heart /haːt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /hɑːt̪s/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /hɑːʔ/ | heart /hɑːɹt/ |
| Bone | bone /bɐʊn/ | bone /bɒʊn/ | bone /bɔːn/ | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /boːn/ | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /bəʊn/ |
| Blood | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ |
| Poop | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ |
| Love | love /lʊv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ |
| Tree | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ |
| Dog | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɣ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ |
| Cat | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat̪s/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kæʔ/ | cat /kat/ |
| Fish | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ |
| Bird | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ |
| Butterfly | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflɑɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊt̪səflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌʔəflɑɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtɚflaɪ/ |
| Egg | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ |
| Bear | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛɹ/ |
| Horse | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /ɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːɹs/ |
| House | house /hæʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /huːs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /aʊs/ | house /hæʊs/ | house /haʊs/ |
| Milk | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪwk/ | milk /mɪlk/ |
| Honey | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ |
| Salt | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ |
| Wine | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ |
| Rice | rice /ɹɑɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹɑɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ |
| Chocolate | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət̪s/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒkləʔ/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ |
| Iron | iron /ˈɔɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈɑɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪɚn/ |
| Wheel | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ |
| Silk | silk /sɪlk/ | silk /sɪlk/ | silk /sɪlk/ | silk /sɪlk/ | silk /sɪlk/ | silk /sɪwk/ | silk /sɪlk/ |
| Book | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | — | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ |
| Eat | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt̪s/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːʔ/ | eat /iːt/ |
| Drink | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋx/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ |
| Sleep | sleep /sliːp/ | sleep /sliːp/ | sleep /sliːp/ | sleep /sliːp/ | sleep /sliːp/ | sleep /sliːp/ | sleep /sliːp/ |
| One | one /wʊn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wɒn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ |
| Two | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ |
| Three | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ |
| Four | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔːɹ/ |
| Five | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ |
| Hundred | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ |
| Hello | hello /həˈlʌʊ/ | hello /həˈlɔʊ/ | hello /həˈloː/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | ey up /eɪ ʊp/ | hello /həˈlʌʊ/ | hello /hɛˈloʊ/ |
| Thank you | ta /taː/ | ta /taː/ | thanks /θaŋks/ | ta /ta/ | ta /tɑː/ | thanks /θæŋks/ | thanks /θaŋks/ |
| Good | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ |
| New | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ |
| Red | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /rɛd/ | red /ɹed/ | red /ɹɛd/ |
| White | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ |
| Black | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blæk/ | black /blak/ |
| Green | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ |
| Blue | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ |
| Cuckoo | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ |
| Woof | woof /wʊf/ | woof /wʊf/ | woof /wʊf/ | woof /wʊf/ | woof /wʊf/ | woof /wʊf/ | woof /wʊf/ |
| Cock-a-doodle-doo | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɒkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɒkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɒkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɒkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɒkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɒkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɒkəduːdlˈduː/ |
| Computer | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtɚ/ |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃɪ/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ |
| Tea | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ |
| Coffee | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ |
| Sugar | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɐ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɐ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɚ/ |
| Orange | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒrɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ |
| Ninety-nine | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ |
| Dopamine | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ |
| At sign | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /æt/ | at /at/ |
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