West Country English
Indo-European (West Germanic, English)
West Country English (project code en_wc) is an umbrella term for diverse accents and dialects of South West England, broadly from Bristol and Gloucestershire through Somerset, Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall; its boundaries and features are not uniform. Traditional speech is especially associated with rhoticity, pronouncing historical /r/ after vowels in words such as farm, although this feature is declining sharply in cities and among younger speakers. Older rural dialects may also voice initial fricatives, producing forms stereotyped as z for s or v for f, but this is now rare. Vowels, intonation, grammar, and vocabulary vary substantially across the region, and Bristol, Devon, and Cornwall each have distinctive patterns shaped by local history and, in Cornwall, contact with Cornish. Contemporary speakers range from broad local dialect to near-standard southern British English, while formal writing follows standard conventions.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in West Country 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 | West Country English | English | Mancunian English | Scouse | Geordie | Welsh English | Irish English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | water /ˈwɔːtɚ/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɔːtɐ/ | water /ˈwɔːt̪sə/ | water /ˈwɔːtɐ/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɑːtəɹ/ |
| Fire | fire /faɪɚ/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /faɪə/ | fire /fɑɪəɹ/ |
| Sun | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʌn/ | sun /sʊn/ |
| Moon | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Star | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /stɑːɹ/ | star /staː/ | star /stɑː/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /stɑːɹ/ |
| Night | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ | night /naɪt/ |
| Rain | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeɪn/ | rain /ɹeːn/ | rain /ɾeɪn/ | rain /ɾeːn/ |
| Snow | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snoʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ | snow /snoʊ/ | snow /snəʊ/ |
| Wind | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ | wind /wɪnd/ |
| Earth | earth /ɝθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːθ/ | earth /ɜːɹθ/ |
| Stone | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stoʊn/ | stone /stɒʊn/ | stone /stəʊn/ | stone /stɔːn/ | stone /stoːn/ | stone /stoʊn/ |
| Mountain | mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ | 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 /ˈmʌðɚ/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʊðɐ/ | mother /ˈmʊðə/ | mother /ˈmʊðɐ/ | mother /ˈmʌðə/ | mother /ˈmʊðəɹ/ |
| Father | father /ˈvɑːðɚ/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfaːðɐ/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfaːðɐ/ | father /ˈfɑːðə/ | father /ˈfɑːðəɹ/ |
| Daughter | daughter /ˈdɔːtɚ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɐ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːt̪sə/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtɐ/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtə/ | daughter /ˈdɒːtəɹ/ |
| I | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /aɪ/ | I /ɑɪ/ |
| 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 /neɪm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neɪm/ | name /neːm/ | name /neːm/ | name /neːm/ |
| Person | person /ˈpɝsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːsən/ | person /ˈpɜːɹsən/ |
| 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 /ɑɪ/ |
| Ear | ear /ɪɚ/ | ear /ɪɚ/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /ɪːə/ | ear /ɪə/ | ear /iːə/ | ear /iːɹ/ |
| Nose | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /noʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /nəʊz/ | nose /niəz/ | nose /noʊz/ | nose /noːz/ |
| Mouth | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /muːθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ | mouth /maʊθ/ |
| Tooth | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tʊθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ | tooth /tuːθ/ |
| Tongue | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ | tongue /tʌŋ/ |
| Hand | hand /hand/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ |
| Foot | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt̪s/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ | foot /fʊt/ |
| Heart | heart /hɑːɹt/ | heart /hɑːt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /hɑːt̪s/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /haːt/ | heart /hɑːɹt/ |
| Bone | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /boʊn/ | bone /bɒʊn/ | bone /bəʊn/ | bone /bɔːn/ | bone /boːn/ | bone /boʊn/ |
| Blood | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʊd/ | blood /blʌd/ | blood /blʌd/ |
| Poop | poo /puː/ | poop /puːp/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ | poo /puː/ |
| Love | love /lʌv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʊv/ | 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 /dɒɣ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ |
| Cat | cat /kat/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat̪s/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kʰat/ | cat /kat/ |
| Fish | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ |
| Bird | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːɹd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ | bird /bɜːd/ |
| Butterfly | butterfly /ˈbʌtɚflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊt̪səflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtəɹflaɪ/ |
| 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 /bɛə/ | bear /bɛː/ | bear /bɛɹ/ |
| Horse | horse /hɔːɹs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔːs/ | horse /hɔɹs/ |
| House | house /haʊs/ | 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 /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ | honey /ˈhʌni/ |
| Salt | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɔːlt/ | salt /sɒlt/ |
| 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/ |
| Chocolate | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət̪s/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ | chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/ |
| Iron | iron /ˈaɪɚn/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈaɪən/ | iron /ˈɑɪəɹn/ |
| Wheel | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /wiːl/ | wheel /ʍiːl/ |
| 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/ |
| Eat | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt̪s/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ |
| Drink | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋx/ | 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 /wʌn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wʌn/ | one /wʊn/ |
| Two | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tuː/ | two /tˠuː/ |
| Three | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ | three /θɹiː/ |
| Four | four /fɔːɹ/ | four /fɔːɹ/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /fɔː/ | four /foːɹ/ |
| Five | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ | five /faɪv/ |
| Hundred | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʊndɹəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɾəd/ | hundred /ˈhʌndɹəd/ |
| Hello | hello /hɛˈloʊ/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /həˈlɔʊ/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /həˈloː/ | hello /həˈləʊ/ | hello /hɛˈloː/ |
| Thank you | thanks /θaŋks/ | thank you /θæŋk juː/ | ta /taː/ | ta /ta/ | thanks /θaŋks/ | thanks /θaŋks/ | 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 /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 /ʍaɪt/ |
| Black | black /blak/ | black /blæk/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ | black /blak/ |
| 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 /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 /kəmˈpjuːtɚ/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ | computer /kəmˈpɪʊtə/ | computer /kəmˈpjuːtəɾ/ |
| 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 /ˈsuːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuːʃiː/ |
| 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 /ˈʃʊɡɚ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɐ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡɐ/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡə/ | sugar /ˈʃʊɡəɹ/ |
| Orange | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɹɪndʒ/ | orange /ˈɒɾɪndʒ/ | 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 /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ | dopamine /ˈdoʊpəmiːn/ |
| At sign | at /at/ | at /æt/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | at /at/ |
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