Indian English
Germanic
Indian English is the standard variety used in education, government, and the Indian media, mother tongue or near-native second language for over 250 million speakers. It features retroflex consonants under Indo-Aryan substrate, distinctive stress patterns inherited from spelling pronunciation, and a host of unique lexical items (prepone, eve-teasing, tiffin, foreign-returned). Phonologically rhotic and syllable-timed, it now exerts significant influence on global English usage and idiom.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Indian English
Sources
- Gargesh, Ravinder 2004, "Indian English: phonology", in Kortmann & Schneider (eds.), A Handbook of Varieties of English vol. 1, Mouton de Gruyter, 992–1002; en.wikipedia "Indian English"; en.wiktionary accent label India/Indic
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Germanic
| Meaning | Indian English | Ghanaian English | Kenyan English | English | West Country English | Appalachian English | Philippine English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | water /ˈʋɔːʈɚ/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtɚ/ | water /ˈwɔːɾɚ/ | water /ˈwɔtɚ/ |
| Fire | fire /fɑːjɚ/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪɚ/ | fire /faːɚ/ | fire /faɪɚ/ |
| Sun | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ |
| Moon | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Star | star /stɑːr/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /stɑr/ |
| Night | night /naɪʈ/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ |
| Rain | rain /reːn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ |
| Snow | snow /snoː/ | snow /snoː/ | snow /snoː/ | snow /snoʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snoʊ/ | snow /snoʊ/ |
| Wind | wind /ʋɪnɖ/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /waɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ |
| Earth | earth /ɝt̪ʰ/ | earth /ɜːt/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɝθ/ | earth /ɝθ/ | earth /ɝθ/ |
| Stone | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stoʊn/ | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stoʊn/ | stone /stoːn/ |
| Mountain | mountain /ˈmaʊnʈɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ | mountain /ˈmaːʊntn̩/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɛn/ |
| Sea | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /si/ |
| Mother | mother /ˈmʌd̪ɚ/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðɚ/ | mother /ˈmʌðɚ/ | mother /ˈmʌðɚ/ |
| Father | father /ˈfɑːd̪ɚ/ | father /ˈfaːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈvɑːðɚ/ | father /ˈfɑːðɚ/ | father /ˈfɑðɚ/ |
| Daughter | daughter /ˈɖɔːʈɚ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɚ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːɾɚ/ | daughter /ˈdɔtɚ/ |
| I | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aː/ | I /aɪ/ |
| You | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /ju/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /ju/ |
| We | we /ʋiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wi/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wi/ | we /wi/ |
| Name | name /neːm/ | name /neːm/ | name /neːm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neɪm/ |
| Person | person /ˈpɝsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɝsən/ | person /ˈpɝsn̩/ | person /ˈpɛrsɔn/ |
| Head | head /hɛɖ/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ |
| Eye | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aː/ | eye /aɪ/ |
| Ear | ear /iːr/ | ear /ia/ | ear /ia/ | ear /ɪɚ/ | ear /ɪɚ/ | ear /ɪɚ/ | ear /ir/ |
| Nose | nose /noːz/ | nose /noːs/ | nose /noːz/ | nose /noʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /noʊz/ | nose /noʊs/ |
| Mouth | mouth /maʊt̪ʰ/ | mouth /maʊt/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maːʊθ/ | mouth /maʊt/ |
| Tooth | tooth /t̪uːt̪ʰ/ | tooth /tuːt/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːt/ |
| Tongue | tongue /ʈʌŋ/ | tongue /tɔŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ |
| Hand | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ |
| Foot | foot /fʊʈ/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ |
| Heart | heart /hɑːrʈ/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /hɑːɹt/ | heart /hɑːɹt/ | heart /hɑrt/ |
| Bone | bone /boːn/ | bone /bon/ | bone /bon/ | bone /boʊn/ | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /boʊn/ | bone /bon/ |
| Blood | blood /blʌɖ/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ |
| Poop | poo /puː/ | poop /puːp/ | poop /puːp/ | poop /puːp/ | poo /puː/ | poop /puːp/ | poop /puːp/ |
| Love | love /lʌʋ/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ |
| Tree | tree /ʈɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ |
| Dog | dog /ɖɔɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɑːɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ |
| Cat | cat /kæʈ/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæt/ |
| Fish | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ |
| Bird | bird /bɝɖ/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːɹd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɝd/ | bird /bɝd/ |
| Butterfly | butterfly /ˈbʌʈɚflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtɚflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌɾɚflaː/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtɚflaɪ/ |
| Egg | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ |
| Bear | bear /bɛɹ/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛɹ/ | bear /bɛɹ/ | bear /bɛɹ/ |
| Horse | horse /hɔːrs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːɹs/ | horse /hɔːɹs/ | horse /hɔrs/ |
| House | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haːʊs/ | house /haʊs/ |
| Milk | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ |
| Honey | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ |
| Salt | salt /sɔːlʈ/ | salt /sɔlt/ | salt /sɔlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔlt/ |
| Wine | wine /ʋaɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ |
| Rice | rice /raɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ |
| Chocolate | chocolate /ˈtʃɔːkləʈ/ | — | — | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɑːklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃokoleɪt/ |
| Iron | iron /ˈaɪɚn/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪɚn/ | iron /aːɚn/ | iron /ˈaɪɚn/ |
| Wheel | wheel /ʋiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ |
| Silk | silk /sɪlk/ | silk /sɪlk/ | 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 /iːʈ/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ |
| Drink | drink /ɖɹɪŋk/ | 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 /ʋʌn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ |
| Two | two /ʈuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tu/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tu/ |
| Three | three /t̪ɾiː/ | three /tɹi/ | three /θɹi/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /tɹi/ |
| Four | four /foːr/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔːɹ/ | four /fɔːɹ/ | four /fɔːɹ/ | four /fɔr/ |
| Five | five /faɪʋ/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ |
| Hundred | hundred /ˈhʌnɖɹəɖ/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ |
| Hello | hello /hɛˈloː/ | hello /həˈloː/ | hello /həˈloː/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /hɛˈloʊ/ | howdy /ˈhaːdi/ | hello /həˈloː/ |
| Thank you | thanks /t̪æŋks/ | thanks /taŋks/ | thank you /θæŋk juː/ | thank you /θæŋk juː/ | thanks /θaŋks/ | thanks /θæŋks/ | thanks /θæŋks/ |
| Good | good /ɡʊɖ/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ |
| New | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /nuː/ | new /njuː/ |
| Red | red /rɛɖ/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ |
| White | white /ʋaɪʈ/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ |
| Black | black /blæk/ | black /blæk/ | black /blæk/ | black /blæk/ | black /blak/ | black /blæk/ | black /blæk/ |
| Green | green /ɡriːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹin/ |
| Blue | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /blu/ |
| 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 /ˌkɔkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɔkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɔkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɒkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɒkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɑːkəduːdlˈduː/ | cock-a-doodle-doo /ˌkɔkəduːdlˈduː/ |
| Computer | computer /kəmˈpjuːʈər/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kɔmˈpjuːta/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtɚ/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːɾɚ/ | computer /komˈpjuter/ |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi /ˈʋaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪfaː/ | Wi-Fi /ˈwaɪpaɪ/ |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsuʃiː/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ |
| Tea | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ |
| Coffee | coffee /ˈkɔːfi/ | coffee /ˈkɔfi/ | coffee /ˈkɔfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɔːfi/ | coffee /ˈkɔfi/ |
| Sugar | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɚ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɚ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɚ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɚ/ |
| Orange | orange /ˈɔːɾɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɔɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɔɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɔːɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɔɹɪndʒ/ |
| 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 /ˈɖoːpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoːpamiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoːpamiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ |
| At sign | at /æʈ/ | at /æt/ | at /æt/ | at /æt/ | at /at/ | at /æt/ | at /at/ |
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