Jamaican English
Germanic
Standard Jamaican English (locale en-JM; project code en_jam) is Jamaica’s local standard form of English, the country’s official language and the main variety used in government, formal education, law, and national news media. It coexists with Jamaican Creole, or Patwa, a distinct English-lexifier Creole language; Jamaican speech has often been described as a continuum between the two, but they should not be treated as identical. Pronunciation reflects this contact and varies with setting and speaker: common tendencies include variable rhoticity, relatively little reduction of unstressed vowels, a raised or rounded STRUT vowel, and distinctive rhythm and intonation. Formal grammar and spelling remain close to other standard Englishes and largely follow British conventions, while vocabulary and everyday usage include established Jamaican forms. Most Jamaicans command more than one part of the repertoire and shift styles according to context.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Jamaican English
Sources
- Devonish, Hubert & Otelemate G. Harry 2004, "Jamaican Creole and Jamaican English: phonology", in Kortmann & Schneider (eds.), A Handbook of Varieties of English vol. 1, Mouton de Gruyter, 964–984 (via en.wikipedia "Jamaican English"); Wells 1982, Accents of English vol. 3, §10.2
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Germanic
| Meaning | Jamaican English | Ghanaian English | Nigerian English | Kenyan English | Geordie | Welsh English | Malaysian English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtɐ/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ |
| Fire | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ |
| Sun | sun /sɵn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sɔn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /san/ |
| Moon | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Star | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ |
| Night | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ |
| Rain | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɾeɪn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ |
| Snow | snow /snoː/ | snow /snoː/ | snow /snoː/ | snow /snoː/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snoʊ/ | snow /snoː/ |
| Wind | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ |
| Earth | earth /ɜːt/ | earth /ɜːt/ | earth /ɜːt/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːt/ |
| Stone | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stɔːn/ | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stoːn/ |
| Mountain | mountain /ˈmɵʊntn̩/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɛn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmuːntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ |
| Sea | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ |
| Mother | mother /ˈmɵðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmɔðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʊðɐ/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmadə/ |
| Father | father /ˈfaːðə/ | father /ˈfaːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfaːðɐ/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfadə/ |
| Daughter | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɐ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ |
| I | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ |
| You | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /ju/ | you /ju/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ |
| We | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wi/ | we /wi/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ |
| Name | name /neːm/ | name /neːm/ | name /nem/ | name /neːm/ | name /neːm/ | name /neːm/ | name /neɪm/ |
| Person | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsɔn/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ |
| Head | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ | head /hɛd/ |
| Eye | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ |
| Ear | ear /iːa/ | ear /ia/ | ear /ia/ | ear /ia/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /iːə/ | ear /iə/ |
| Nose | nose /noːz/ | nose /noːs/ | nose /noːs/ | nose /noːz/ | nose /niəz/ | nose /noʊz/ | nose /noːs/ |
| Tooth | tooth /tuːt/ | tooth /tuːt/ | tooth /tuːt/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːt/ |
| Tongue | tongue /tɵŋ/ | tongue /tɔŋ/ | tongue /tɔŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /taŋ/ |
| Hand | hand /hand/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hæn/ |
| Foot | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ |
| Heart | heart /haːt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /haːt/ |
| Bone | bone /boːn/ | bone /bon/ | bone /bon/ | bone /bon/ | bone /bɔːn/ | bone /boːn/ | bone /bon/ |
| Blood | blood /blɵd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blɔd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blad/ |
| Poop | poo /puː/ | poop /puːp/ | poop /puːp/ | poop /puːp/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poop /puːp/ |
| Love | love /lɵv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lɔv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /laf/ |
| Tree | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ |
| Dog | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɔk/ |
| Cat | cat /kʰat ~ kjaːt/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kʰat/ | cat /kæt/ |
| 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 /ˈbɵtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbɔtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbatəflaɪ/ |
| Egg | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ |
| Bear | bear /beːɹ/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛː/ | bear /bɛə/ |
| Horse | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ |
| House | house /hɵʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /huːs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ |
| Milk | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ |
| Honey | honey /ˈhɵni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhɔni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhani/ |
| Salt | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔlt/ | salt /sɔlt/ | salt /sɔlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔlt/ |
| Wine | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ |
| Rice | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ |
| Iron | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ |
| 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 /sɪlk/ | silk /sɪlk/ |
| Book | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ | book /bʊk/ |
| Eat | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | 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 /wɵn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wɔn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wan/ |
| Two | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tu/ | two /tu/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ |
| Three | three /tɹiː/ | three /tɹi/ | three /tɹi/ | three /θɹi/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /tɹiː/ |
| Four | four /foː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ |
| Five | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ |
| Hundred | hundred /ˈhɵndɹɛd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhɔndɹɛd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɾəd/ | hundred /ˈhandɹɛd/ |
| Hello | hello /həˈloː/ | hello /həˈloː/ | hello /həˈloː/ | hello /həˈloː/ | hello /həˈloː/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /həˈlo/ |
| Thank you | thank you /taŋk juː/ | thanks /taŋks/ | thanks /taŋks/ | thank you /θæŋk juː/ | thanks /θaŋks/ | thanks /θaŋks/ | thanks /tɛŋks/ |
| Good | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊt/ |
| New | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /nɪʊ/ | new /njuː/ |
| Red | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɾɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ |
| White | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ |
| Black | black /blak/ | black /blæk/ | black /blæk/ | black /blæk/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blæk/ |
| Green | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɾiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ |
| Blue | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /blɪʊ/ | 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 /ˌkɔkəduːdlˈduː/ | 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 /ˌkɔkəduːdlˈduː/ |
| Computer | computer /komˈpjuːta/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kɔmˈpjuːta/ | computer /kɔmˈpjuːta/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpɪʊtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ |
| 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 /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ |
| Tea | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ | tea /tiː/ |
| Coffee | coffee /ˈkɔfi/ | coffee /ˈkɔfi/ | coffee /ˈkɔfi/ | coffee /ˈkɔfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɔfi/ |
| Sugar | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɐ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ |
| Orange | orange /ˈɔɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɔɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɔɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɔɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɾɪndʒ/ | 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 /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoːpamiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoːpamiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoːpamiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoːpamiːn/ |
| At sign | at /at/ | at /æt/ | at /æt/ | at /æt/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /æt/ |
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