Scottish English
Indo-European (Germanic, West)
Scottish English (the variety of English used in Scotland) is spoken by ~5M people. It is heavily influenced by Scots (a separate Germanic variety) and Scottish Gaelic. Distinctive features include rhoticity (pronouncing /r/ in all positions), the cot-caught merger absent or reversed, and vocabulary like "wee" (small), "aye" (yes), "loch", "outwith" (outside of). Scottish Standard English is taught in schools alongside Scots; the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century shaped a prestige Edinburgh standard.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Scottish English
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Indo-European (Germanic, West)
| Meaning | Scottish English | Irish English | West Country English | Welsh English | Geordie | English | Ghanaian English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | water /ˈwɔːtəɹ/ | water /ˈwɑːtəɹ/ | water /ˈwɔːtɚ/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtɐ/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ |
| Fire | fire /faɪɹ/ | fire /fɑɪəɹ/ | fire /faɪɚ/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ |
| Sun | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ |
| Moon | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Star | star /staɾ/ | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /staː/ |
| Night | night /nəɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ |
| Rain | rain /ren/ | rain /ɾeːn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɾeɪn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ |
| Snow | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snoʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snoʊ/ | snow /snoː/ |
| Wind | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ |
| Earth | earth /ɛɹθ/ | earth /ɜːɹθ/ | earth /ɝθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːt/ |
| Stone | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stoʊn/ | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stɔːn/ | stone /stoʊn/ | stone /stoːn/ |
| Mountain | mountain /ˈmʌuntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmuːntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ |
| Sea | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ |
| Mother | mother /ˈmʌðəɹ/ | mother /ˈmʊðəɹ/ | mother /ˈmʌðɚ/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʊðɐ/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ |
| Father | father /ˈfaðəɹ/ | father /ˈfɑːðəɹ/ | father /ˈvɑːðɚ/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfaːðɐ/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfaːðə/ |
| Daughter | daughter /ˈdɔːtəɹ/ | daughter /ˈdɒːtəɹ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɚ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɐ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ |
| I | I /ʌi/ | I /ɑɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ |
| You | you /juː/ | 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 /nem/ | name /neːm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neːm/ | name /neːm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neːm/ |
| Person | person /ˈpɛɹsən/ | person /ˈpɜːɹsən/ | person /ˈpɝsən/ | 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 /ɑɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ |
| Ear | ear /ir/ | ear /iːɹ/ | ear /ɪɚ/ | ear /iːə/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪɚ/ | ear /ia/ |
| Nose | nose /noz/ | nose /noːz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /noʊz/ | nose /niəz/ | nose /noʊz/ | nose /noːs/ |
| Mouth | mouth /mʌuθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /muːθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊt/ |
| Tooth | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːt/ |
| Tongue | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tɔŋ/ |
| Hand | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hænd/ |
| Foot | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ |
| Heart | heart /haɾt/ | heart /hɑːɹt/ | heart /hɑːɹt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /haːt/ |
| Bone | bone /boːn/ | bone /boʊn/ | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /boːn/ | bone /bɔːn/ | bone /boʊn/ | bone /bon/ |
| Blood | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ |
| Poop | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poop /puːp/ | poop /puːp/ |
| Love | love /lʌv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ |
| Tree | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ |
| Dog | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ |
| Cat | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kʰat/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kæt/ |
| Fish | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ |
| Bird | bird /bɝd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːɹd/ | bird /bɜːd/ |
| Butterfly | butterfly /ˈbʌtəɹflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəɹflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtɚflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ |
| Egg | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ |
| Bear | bear /bɛɹ/ | bear /bɛɹ/ | bear /bɛɹ/ | bear /bɛː/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ |
| Horse | horse /hɔɾs/ | horse /hɔɹs/ | horse /hɔːɹs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ |
| House | house /hʌus/ | 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 /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ |
| Salt | salt /sɔlt/ | salt /sɒlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔlt/ |
| Wine | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ |
| Rice | rice /ɹəɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ |
| Chocolate | chocolate /ˈtʃɔklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | — |
| Iron | iron /aɪɹn/ | iron /ˈɑɪəɹn/ | iron /ˈaɪɚn/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ |
| Wheel | wheel /ʍiːl/ | wheel /ʍiːl/ | 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 /wʌn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʌn/ |
| Two | two /tuː/ | two /tˠuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ |
| Three | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /tɹi/ |
| Four | four /foɾ/ | four /foːɹ/ | four /fɔːɹ/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔːɹ/ | four /fɔː/ |
| Five | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ |
| Hundred | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɾəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ |
| Hello | hello /hɛˈlo/ | hello /hɛˈloː/ | hello /hɛˈloʊ/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /həˈloː/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /həˈloː/ |
| Thank you | thanks /θaŋks/ | thanks /taŋks/ | thanks /θaŋks/ | thanks /θaŋks/ | thanks /θaŋks/ | thank you /θæŋk juː/ | thanks /taŋks/ |
| Good | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ |
| New | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /nɪʊ/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ |
| Red | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɾɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ |
| White | white /waɪt/ | white /ʍaɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ |
| Black | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blæk/ | black /blæk/ |
| Green | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɾiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ |
| Blue | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /blɪʊ/ | 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 /ˌkɔkəduːdlˈduː/ | 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 /ˌkɔkəduːdlˈduː/ |
| Computer | computer /kəmˈpjutər/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtəɾ/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtɚ/ | computer /kəmˈpɪʊtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | 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 /ˈsʉʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃiː/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | 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 /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɒfi/ | coffee /ˈkɔfi/ |
| Sugar | sugar /ˈʃʊɡəɹ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡəɹ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɚ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɐ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ |
| Orange | orange /ˈɔrɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɾɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | 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 /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoːpamiːn/ |
| At sign | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /æt/ | at /æt/ |
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