Estuary English
Indo-European (West Germanic, English)
Estuary English (project code en_est) is a debated label, coined in 1984, for a cluster of southeastern English pronunciation features and positions on the continuum between contemporary Received Pronunciation or Standard Southern British English and popular London speech, including Cockney. It is associated with London, the Thames Estuary, and the Home Counties, although many of its features have spread more widely. Commonly cited traits include non-rhoticity, /t/-glottalling in particular positions, vocalization of dark /l/, yod coalescence, and shifted diphthongs; their frequency varies by speaker, style, age, class, and place. Standard grammar and usage usually distinguish the label from broad Cockney, while h-dropping and TH-fronting are not consistently defining features. Many linguists therefore treat “Estuary English” not as one coherent, classless accent but as a convenient, sometimes misleading name for overlapping patterns of regional and social variation.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Estuary English
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 | Estuary English | Cockney | English | South African English | Brummie | West Country English | Mancunian English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | water /ˈwɔːʔə/ | water /ˈwoːʔə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtɚ/ | water /ˈwɔːtɐ/ |
| Fire | fire /fɑɪə/ | fire /fɑːə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /fɑɪə/ | fire /fɔɪə/ | fire /faɪɚ/ | fire /faɪə/ |
| Sun | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sɐn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʊn/ |
| Moon | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /mʉːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Star | star /stɑː/ | star /stɑː/ | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /stɑː/ | star /staː/ | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /staː/ |
| Night | night /nɑɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /nɑɪt/ | night /nɑɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ |
| Rain | rain /ɹɛɪn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹʌɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ |
| Snow | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snoʊ/ | 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 /ɝθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ |
| Stone | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stæʊn/ | stone /stoʊn/ | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stɐʊn/ | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stɒʊn/ |
| Mountain | mountain /ˈmæʊnʔən/ | mountain /ˈmæːnʔn̩/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmæʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ |
| Sea | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ |
| Mother | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmɐvə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʊðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðɚ/ | mother /ˈmʊðɐ/ |
| Father | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːvə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfaːðə/ | father /ˈvɑːðɚ/ | father /ˈfaːðɐ/ |
| Daughter | daughter /ˈdɔːʔə/ | daughter /ˈdoːʔə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɚ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɐ/ |
| I | I /ɑɪ/ | I /ɑɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /ɑɪ/ | I /ɔɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ |
| You | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /jʉː/ | you /jʊ/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ |
| We | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ |
| Name | name /næɪm/ | name /næɪm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neːm/ | name /nʌɪm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neɪm/ |
| Person | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɝsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ |
| Head | head /hed/ | head /hed/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hed/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ |
| Eye | eye /ɑɪ/ | eye /ɑː/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /ɑɪ/ | eye /ɔɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ |
| Ear | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪɚ/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪɚ/ | ear /ɪə/ |
| Nose | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /noʊz/ | nose /noʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ |
| Mouth | mouth /mæʊθ/ | mouth /mæːθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /mæʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ |
| Tooth | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tʉːθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ |
| Tongue | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ |
| Hand | hand /hænd/ | hand /ænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ |
| Foot | foot /fʊʔ/ | foot /fʊʔ/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ |
| Heart | heart /hɑːʔ/ | heart /ɑːʔ/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /hɑːɹt/ | heart /haːt/ |
| Bone | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /bæʊn/ | bone /boʊn/ | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /bɐʊn/ | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /bɒʊn/ |
| Blood | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʊd/ |
| Poop | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poop /puːp/ | poo /pʉː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ |
| Love | love /lʌv/ | love /lɐv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʌv/ | 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 /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ |
| Cat | cat /kæʔ/ | cat /kæʔ/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kat/ | 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 /ˈbʌʔəflɑɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbɐʔəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflɑɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflɑɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtɚflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflaɪ/ |
| Egg | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /eɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ |
| Bear | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /beː/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛɹ/ | bear /bɛə/ |
| Horse | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /ɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːɹs/ | horse /hɔːs/ |
| House | house /hæʊs/ | house /æːʔs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /hæʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ |
| Milk | milk /mɪwk/ | milk /mɪwk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ |
| Honey | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ |
| Salt | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /soːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ |
| Wine | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /wɑɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ |
| Rice | rice /ɹɑɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹɑɪs/ | rice /ɹɑɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ |
| Chocolate | chocolate /ˈtʃɒkləʔ/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklɪʔ/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ |
| Iron | iron /ˈɑɪən/ | iron /ˈɑːən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈɑɪən/ | iron /ˈɔɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪɚn/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ |
| 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 /wʌn/ | one /wɐn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʊn/ |
| Two | two /tuː/ | two /tʰuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tʉː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ |
| Three | three /θɹiː/ | three /fɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ |
| Four | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔːɹ/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔːɹ/ | four /fɔː/ |
| Five | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /fɑɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ |
| Hundred | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ |
| Hello | hello /həˈlʌʊ/ | oi /oɪ/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /həˈlʌʊ/ | hello /hɛˈloʊ/ | hello /həˈlɔʊ/ |
| Thank you | thanks /θæŋks/ | fanks /fæŋks/ | thank you /θæŋk juː/ | thanks /θæŋks/ | ta /taː/ | 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 /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ |
| Red | red /ɹed/ | red /ɹed/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹed/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ |
| White | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /wɑɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ |
| Black | black /blæk/ | black /blæk/ | black /blæk/ | black /blæk/ | black /blak/ | 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 /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 /kəmˈpjuːʔə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjʉːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtɚ/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwɑɪfɑɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsʉːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsʉʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | 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 /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɚ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɐ/ |
| Orange | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ |
| Ninety-nine | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnɑɪnti ˈnɑɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ | ninety-nine /ˈnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/ |
| Dopamine | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ |
| At sign | at /æt/ | at /æt/ | at /æt/ | at /æt/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ |
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