Scouse
Indo-European (West Germanic, English)
Scouse is a label for the English accent and dialect of Liverpool and much of Merseyside, with substantial variation by locality, age, class, and style. It developed as Liverpool expanded in the nineteenth century and reflects the city's port history, including especially large-scale Irish immigration, alongside wider northern English inheritance. Salient but variable pronunciation features include lenition of stops such as /t/ and /k/ to affricate or fricative realizations, TH-stopping, and a NURSE–SQUARE merger that can make fur and fair rhyme. Like many northern English varieties, traditional Scouse lacks the FOOT–STRUT and TRAP–BATH splits, though individual speakers may use less local forms. Scouse also has distinctive vocabulary and grammatical patterns, and contemporary research shows that some highly recognizable features are maintained or even strengthened by younger speakers as expressions of Liverpool identity.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Scouse
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 | Scouse | Mancunian English | Geordie | Brummie | West Country English | Yorkshire English | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | water /ˈwɔːt̪sə/ | water /ˈwɔːtɐ/ | water /ˈwɔːtɐ/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtɚ/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ |
| Fire | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /fɔɪə/ | fire /faɪɚ/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ |
| Sun | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʌn/ |
| Moon | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Star | star /stɑː/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /staː/ | star /stɑːɹ/ |
| Night | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /nɑɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ |
| Rain | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɹʌɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ |
| Snow | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snoʊ/ |
| 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 /ɝθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ |
| Stone | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stɒʊn/ | stone /stɔːn/ | stone /stɐʊn/ | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stoʊn/ |
| Mountain | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmuːntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmæʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ |
| Sea | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ | sea /siː/ |
| Mother | mother /ˈmʊðə/ | mother /ˈmʊðɐ/ | mother /ˈmʊðɐ/ | mother /ˈmʊðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðɚ/ | mother /ˈmʊðə/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ |
| Father | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfaːðɐ/ | father /ˈfaːðɐ/ | father /ˈfaːðə/ | father /ˈvɑːðɚ/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ |
| Daughter | daughter /ˈdɔːt̪sə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɐ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɐ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɚ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ |
| I | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /ɔɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aː/ | I /aɪ/ |
| You | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /jʊ/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ | you /juː/ |
| We | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ | we /wiː/ |
| Name | name /neɪm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neːm/ | name /nʌɪm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neːm/ | name /neɪm/ |
| Person | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɝsən/ | 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 /ɔɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ |
| Ear | ear /ɪːə/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪɚ/ | ear /ɪɹ/ | ear /ɪɚ/ |
| Nose | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /niəz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /noʊz/ | nose /noʊz/ |
| Mouth | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /muːθ/ | mouth /mæʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ |
| Tooth | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ |
| Tongue | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ |
| Hand | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /and/ | hand /hænd/ |
| Foot | foot /fʊt̪s/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ |
| Heart | heart /hɑːt̪s/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /hɑːɹt/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /hɑːt/ |
| Bone | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /bɒʊn/ | bone /bɔːn/ | bone /bɐʊn/ | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /boːn/ | bone /boʊn/ |
| Blood | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʌd/ |
| Poop | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poop /puːp/ |
| Love | love /lʊv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʌv/ |
| Tree | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ |
| Dog | dog /dɒɣ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ |
| Cat | cat /kat̪s/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | 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 /bɜːɹd/ |
| Butterfly | butterfly /ˈbʊt̪səflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflɑɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtɚflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ |
| Egg | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ |
| Bear | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛɹ/ | bear /bɛə/ | bear /bɛə/ |
| Horse | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːɹs/ | horse /ɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ |
| House | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /huːs/ | house /hæʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /aʊs/ | house /haʊs/ |
| Milk | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ |
| Honey | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ |
| Salt | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ |
| Wine | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ |
| Rice | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹɑɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ | rice /ɹaɪs/ |
| Chocolate | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət̪s/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ |
| Iron | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈɔɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪɚn/ | 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/ |
| Eat | eat /iːt̪s/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ |
| Drink | drink /dɹɪŋx/ | 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 /wʊn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wɒn/ | one /wʌn/ |
| Two | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ |
| Three | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ |
| Four | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔːɹ/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔːɹ/ |
| Five | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ |
| Hundred | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ |
| Hello | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /həˈlɔʊ/ | hello /həˈloː/ | hello /həˈlʌʊ/ | hello /hɛˈloʊ/ | ey up /eɪ ʊp/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ |
| Thank you | ta /ta/ | ta /taː/ | thanks /θaŋks/ | ta /taː/ | thanks /θaŋks/ | ta /tɑː/ | thank you /θæŋk juː/ |
| Good | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ |
| New | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ | new /njuː/ |
| Red | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ | red /rɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ |
| White | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ | white /waɪt/ |
| Black | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blæk/ |
| Green | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ | green /ɡɹiːn/ |
| Blue | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | blue /bluː/ | 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 /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtɚ/ | 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 /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃɪ/ | 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 /ˈʃʊɡɐ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɐ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɚ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ |
| Orange | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒrɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ |
| 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 /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ |
| At sign | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /æt/ |
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