Cockney
Indo-European (West Germanic, English)
Cockney traditionally refers to working-class speech associated with London’s East End, although both the label and its features now extend beyond that area and vary by speaker, age, ethnicity, and style. The older popular definition connects a Cockney with being born within earshot of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow, but it is cultural folklore rather than a precise linguistic boundary. Common accent features include H-dropping, TH-fronting, T-glottalling, L-vocalization, and distinctive vowel realizations, none of them exclusive to Cockney. Cockney rhyming slang replaces an intended word with a rhyming phrase—for example, plates of meat for feet—and may then omit the rhyming part, producing plates. Recent research describes traditional Cockney features as receding from inner London while persisting or changing in outer London and Essex alongside Multicultural London English.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Cockney
Sources
- Wells (1982) Accents of English
- Matthews (1938) Cockney Past and Present
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Indo-European (West Germanic, English)
| Meaning | Cockney | Estuary English | English | Australian English | South African English | Geordie | Brummie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | water /ˈwoːʔə/ | water /ˈwɔːʔə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwoːɾə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtɐ/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ |
| Fire | fire /fɑːə/ | fire /fɑɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /fɑːə/ | fire /fɑɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /fɔɪə/ |
| Sun | sun /sɐn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sɐn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʊn/ |
| Moon | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /mʉːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Star | star /stɑː/ | star /stɑː/ | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /stɐː/ | star /stɑː/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ |
| Night | night /naɪt/ | night /nɑɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /nɑet/ | night /nɑɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /nɑɪt/ |
| Rain | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹɛɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹæɪn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹʌɪn/ |
| Snow | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snoʊ/ | snow /snɐʉ/ | 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 /ɜːθ/ |
| Stone | stone /stæʊn/ | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stoʊn/ | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stɔːn/ | stone /stɐʊn/ |
| Mountain | mountain /ˈmæːnʔn̩/ | mountain /ˈmæʊnʔən/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmæɔntən/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmuːntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmæʊntɪn/ |
| Sea | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ |
| Mother | mother /ˈmɐvə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmɐðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʊðɐ/ | mother /ˈmʊðə/ |
| Father | father /ˈfɑːvə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfɐːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfaːðɐ/ | father /ˈfaːðə/ |
| Daughter | daughter /ˈdoːʔə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːʔə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdoːɾə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɐ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ |
| I | I /ɑɪ/ | I /ɑɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /ɑɪ/ | I /ɑɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /ɔɪ/ |
| You | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /jʉː/ | you /jʉː/ | you /juː/ | you /jʊ/ |
| We | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ |
| Name | name /næɪm/ | name /næɪm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /næɪm/ | name /neːm/ | name /neːm/ | name /nʌɪm/ |
| Person | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ |
| Head | head /hed/ | head /hed/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hed/ | head /hed/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ |
| Eye | eye /ɑː/ | eye /ɑɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /ɑːe/ | eye /ɑɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /ɔɪ/ |
| Ear | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪɚ/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪə/ |
| Nose | nose /noʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /noʊz/ | nose /nəʉz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /niəz/ | nose /nəʊz/ |
| Mouth | mouth /mæːθ/ | mouth /mæʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /mæːʉθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /muːθ/ | mouth /mæʊθ/ |
| Tooth | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tʉːθ/ | tooth /tʉːθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ |
| Tongue | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /taŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ |
| Hand | hand /ænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hæːnd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ |
| Foot | foot /fʊʔ/ | foot /fʊʔ/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ |
| Heart | heart /ɑːʔ/ | heart /hɑːʔ/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /hɐːt/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /haːt/ |
| Bone | bone /bæʊn/ | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /boʊn/ | bone /bəʉn/ | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /bɔːn/ | bone /bɐʊn/ |
| Blood | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blad/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʊd/ |
| Poop | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poop /puːp/ | poo /pʉː/ | poo /pʉː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ |
| Love | love /lɐv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lɐv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʊv/ |
| Tree | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ |
| Dog | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ |
| Cat | cat /kæʔ/ | cat /kæʔ/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæːt/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ |
| Fish | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ |
| Bird | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːɹd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ |
| Butterfly | butterfly /ˈbɐʔəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌʔəflɑɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbɐɾəflɑɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflɑɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflɑɪ/ |
| Egg | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /eɡ/ | egg /eɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ |
| Bear | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /beː/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ |
| Horse | horse /ɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hoːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ |
| House | house /æːʔs/ | house /hæʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /hæːʉs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /huːs/ | house /hæʊs/ |
| Milk | milk /mɪwk/ | milk /mɪwk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ |
| Honey | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhani/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ |
| Salt | salt /soːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /soːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ |
| Wine | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /wɑɪn/ | wine /wɑɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ |
| Rice | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹɑɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹɑɪs/ | rice /ɹɑɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹɑɪs/ |
| Chocolate | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklɪʔ/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒkləʔ/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɔklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ |
| Iron | iron /ˈɑːən/ | iron /ˈɑɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈɑːən/ | iron /ˈɑɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈɔɪən/ |
| Wheel | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ |
| Silk | silk /sɪwk/ | silk /sɪwk/ | silk /sɪlk/ | silk /sɪlk/ | silk /sɪlk/ | silk /sɪlk/ | silk /sɪlk/ |
| Book | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ |
| Eat | eat /iːʔ/ | eat /iːʔ/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ |
| Drink | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ |
| Sleep | sleep /sliːp/ | sleep /sliːp/ | sleep /sliːp/ | sleep /sliːp/ | sleep /sliːp/ | sleep /sliːp/ | sleep /sliːp/ |
| One | one /wɐn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wɐn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʊn/ |
| Two | two /tʰuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tʉː/ | two /tʉː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ |
| Three | three /fɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ |
| Four | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔːɹ/ | four /foː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ |
| Five | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /fɑɪv/ | five /fɑɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ |
| Hundred | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhandɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ |
| Hello | oi /oɪ/ | hello /həˈlʌʊ/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | g'day /ɡəˈdæɪ/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /həˈloː/ | hello /həˈlʌʊ/ |
| Thank you | fanks /fæŋks/ | thanks /θæŋks/ | thank you /θæŋk juː/ | thanks /θæːŋks/ | thanks /θæŋks/ | thanks /θaŋks/ | ta /taː/ |
| Good | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ |
| New | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njʉː/ | new /njʉː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ |
| Red | red /ɹed/ | red /ɹed/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹed/ | red /ɹed/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ |
| White | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /wɑɪt/ | white /wɑɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ |
| Black | black /blæk/ | black /blæk/ | black /blæk/ | black /blæːk/ | black /blæk/ | black /blak/ | 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 /blʉː/ | blue /blʉː/ | 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 /ˌkɔkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɒkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɒkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɒkəduːdlˈduː/ |
| Computer | computer /kəmˈpjuːʔə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjʉːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjʉːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwɑɪfɑɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwɑɪfɑɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsʉːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsʉːʃiː/ | sushi /ˈsʉʃi/ | 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 /ˈkɔfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ |
| Sugar | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɐ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ |
| Orange | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɔɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ |
| Ninety-nine | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnɑɪnti ˈnɑɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ |
| Dopamine | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʉpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ |
| At sign | at /æt/ | at /æt/ | at /æt/ | at /æt/ | at /æt/ | at /at/ | at /at/ |
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