COCKNEY – LONDON ENGLISH
I. Cockney is both class and regional dialect:
1. It has its own considerable vocabulary, as well as RHYMING SLANG
2. Its vowel inventory is identical with that of RP
3. History: Cockney has had the major influence on the phonetic development of RP
4. However, there are huge differences in phonetic realisation of both
A. SHORT FRONT VOWELS: Cockney short front vocalics are uniformly closer than in RP, as in SAT, SET,
SIT, i.e.:
SAT = SET
SET = SIT
B. Other differences entail:
B1. PURE VOWELS:
No. RP VOWEL COCKNEY CONTEXT
1. /ʌ/ /a/ -
2.
3.
4.
/i:/
/u:/
/ɔ:/
/əi/
/əʊ/
/ɔʊ/
/ɔwə/
-
- morpheme-medially morpheme-finally
B2. DIPHTHONGS:
EXAMPLE
- bead boot sword saw
TRANSCRIPTION
-
/bi:d/ > /bəid/
/bu:t/ > /bəʊt/
/sɔ:d/ > /sɔʊd/
/sɔ:/ > /sɔwə/
No. RP DIPHTHONG COCKNEY VARIANT EXAMPLE TRANSCRIPTION
1.
2.
3.
/eɪ/
/aɪ/
/əʊ/
4. /aɪ/
[aɪ]
[ɑɪ]
[æʊ]
[a:] late light load loud
/leɪt/ > /laɪt/
/laɪt/ > /lɑɪt/
/ləʊd/ > /læʊd/
/laʊd/ > /la:d/
B3. Special cases: a) allophones + [ɫ]
No.
1.
2.
RP MONO-/DIPHTHONG
/əʊ/
/u:/
COCKNEY VARIANT EXAMPLE
[ɒʊ] bowl
[u:ʊ] fool
TRANSCRIPTION
/bəʊl/ > /bɒʊʊ /
/fu:l/ > /fu:ʊ / b) Neutralisation: /i:/, /ɒ/, and /ʊ/ + /ɫ/
No. RP DIPHTHONG COCKNEY VARIANT EXAMPLE TRANSCRIPTION
1. /i:/
2. /ɒ/
3. /ʊ/
[ɪʊ]
[ɒʊ]
[ʊʊ] field : filled /fi:ld/ > /fɪʊd/ col : coal pull : pool
/kɒl/ > /kɒʊ/
/pʊl/ > /pʊʊ/
C. CONSONANTS:
C1. h-dropping in lexical words: hammer /’hæmə/ > [’æmə]
C2. /θ,  / > /f, v/: think /θɪŋk/ > [fɪŋk], father/’fɑ:  ə/ > [’favə]
C3. [ɫ]-vocalisation not immediately before vowels > [ʊ]: milk [mɪɫk] > [mɪʊk] , middle [‘mɪdɫ] > [‘mɪdʊ]
C4. /t/-glottaling after vowels, laterals, and nasals > [ʔ]: better /’betə/ > [‘beʔə], eat it /’i:t ɪt/ > [‘i:ʔ ɪʔ], not that
/nɒt  æt/ > [nɒʔ  æʔ], benefit /’benɪfɪt/ > [‘benɪfɪʔ], belt up /,belt ‘ʌp/ > [,belʔ ‘ʌp]
C5. /p, k/-glottaling before consonants: soapbox /’səʊpbɒks/ > [’səʊʔbɒks], technical /’teknɪkᵊl/ > [‘teʔnɪʔʊ]
C6. /t, d/ + [j]-coalescence > /ʧ, ʤ/: student /’stju:dənt/ > [sʧu:dnʔ], during /’djʊərɪŋ/ > [‘ʤʊərɪŋ]
C7. /j/-dropping after /n/: news /nju:z/ > [nu:z]
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D. INTONATIONAL PATTERNS OF COCKNEY:
D1. The use of the ‘unknown’ (= the listener has no relevant knowledge) tag interrogative: FALL
The postman came knocking on the door, didn’t↓ he?
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D2. Preposition and auxiliary verb accenting:
I didn’t do anything because there was nothing TO do.
You couldn’t have seen me in London because I haven’t BEEN in London.
ESTUARY ENGLISH – RP PLUS COCKNEY
I. ESTUARY ENGLISH (= London Regional RP): It is a hybrid between General RP and Cockney, widely used in the South-East of England, and spreading into other urban areas
II. Cockney in Estuary English:
A. [t]-glotallisation > [ʔ] before consonants and word-finally, as well as before pause and a following vowel:
Eat ice /’i:t aɪs/ > [‘i:ʔ aɪs]
B. Cockney-type allophones before [ɫ]:
No. RP VOWEL ESTUARY EXAMPLE TRANSCRIPTION
1.
2.
/əʊ/
/u:/
VARIANT
[ɒʊ]
[u:ʊ] cold cool
/kəʊld/ > /kɒʊd/
/ku:l/ > /ku:ʊl/
The following features can be found in Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow:
C. /aʊ/: monophthongisation
D. /əʊ/: widening
E. /ʌ/: fronting
F. h-dropping in lexical words
G. /θ, 
/ > /f, v/
H. /j/-dropping
I. /j/-coalescence
III. Non-Cockney features in Estuary English:
A. /r/: realisation without a tongue contact
B. /s/ > /ʃ/: initial consonant clusters: stop, stare, industry, strain, obstruct
No. EXAMPLE
1. stop
2. stare
3.
4. industry strain
5. obstruct

RP
/stɒp/
/steə/
/’ɪndəstri/
/streɪn/
/ə’bstrʌkt/
ESTUARY
[ʃtɒp]
[ʃteə]
[‘ɪndəʃtri]
[ʃtreɪn]
[ə’bʃtrʌkt]
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Compare the pronunciations of the four characters you watched in both films – What have you noticed?
Driving Lessons
CONSONANTS
I look after a lady in her housestead.
The Thin Blue Line
How was your room, Mr. Finch?
What do you think?
They said you need some help in the house.
You’re very angry, Ben, aren’t you?
Whatever you do, don’t call my mother. I’m going one better. Better nepotism.
I wouldn’t kiss it if I were you-still a bit chilly.
Your lips might stick to its bum.
Evie swallowed the key, and I can’t come back until she pulls it out.
Got held up. (Ben)
Got held up? (Ben’s mother)
I’m afraid I can’t go camping with you.
Where do you think you’re going?
My mother’s going to kill me.
You’ve got lovely hair.
You should have talked to me.
Art, culture, staring at posh birds’ knickers?
Art, culture, staring at posh birds’ knickers?
Listen to him.
VOWELS
They said you need some help in the house.
I look after a lady in her housestead.
Evie swallowed the key, and I can’t come back until she pulls it out.
Fowler, can you keep your funnying about down?
I wasn’t abused.
I’m a poet. I understand the power of words.
Evie, I need to talk to you.
I’m really not sure what she thought about me.
You’re very angry, Ben, aren’t you?
Where do you think you’re going?
Did you pick up any other examples?
Developed by dr Leszek Montowski
He gets right on my raving titties. I’m not a racist, I don’t mind people coming over here, but when they do, they should be like us.
I see, you’re joining the masons. You put on your dress once a week.
Me and my Tina buy lottery tickets, with all the goodness of our hearts.
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