Talk:English language in England

urbawere
Someone used this word (urbawere) in the article. That's seriously not a word. In fact, the only use of that word on the entire Internet is in this article, copies thereof, and, now, this discussion page. Can we please change it to "urban"? —Preceding unsigned comment added by ChefSalad (talk • contribs) 14:52, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

Isn't the whole of this article very amateurish and the kind of thing that gives Wikipedia a bad name eg the embarrassing lists of basically anyone from a certain town to represent an area. That certainly just devalues the article. The fact that there's no sectio on 'rhoticity', random incorrect statements that summat is only used in Northern England. I could go on.Maybe deletion would put it out of its misery. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.169.64.40 (talk) 18:21, 28 October 2013 (UTC)


 * I think this is right. There are several very odd claims about West Country accents. HighgateExpert (talk) 00:05, 29 June 2024 (UTC)

Bin in the West Midlands dialect
By any chance is bin related to the German bin, which also means "am"? There wasn't a note as there is for ay, so I figured I'd mention this here. --User:Evice User talk:Evice Special:Contributions/Evice June 29, 2005 23:37 (UTC)

North East England
I've added the section on Geordie/Mackem/Pitmatic dialects back after some smoggy (Teesider) with an axe to grind removed them. If they don't like Smoggyland not being featured, why they don't just add an explanation of the Tees accent rather than remove Newcastle and Sunderland I don't know. He/she has been removing Newcastle/Tyne stuff away from other articles (cities of England, rivers). Sad really. Anyway, there may be some spelling mistakes in the section. My fingers are buggord and I can't time well - or even type. If there are, my apologies, I think U'll come back and checkl it when my fingers have well again. User:hedpeguyuk:hedpeguyuk 9:55 29 June 2006, (UTC)

Anglo-English
The current title 'English language in England' is inaccurate and uncommon. This article is about the variant of English spoken by English people. If I was to leave England, I would still be speaking Anglo-English. Someone could also choose to write using Anglo-English, or learn Anglo-English in the same way you can learn British English. English English or Anglo-English are more appropriate titles. Regards, Rob (talk) 20:14, 23 August 2013 (UTC)
 * English of England would also be appropriate. Regards, Rob (talk) 20:17, 23 August 2013 (UTC)
 * English Language of England is my preference, discussion at Talk:English_language_in_England. Rob (talk) 13:08, 10 September 2013 (UTC)
 * I also prefer English language of England, albeit with a lowercase "l". I agree that English language in England implies a bijection between Anglo-English speakers and English speaking residents of England. It's not a major issue to me, as obviously anyone who interpreted it this way would be seriously lacking in common sense, but as a technicality, and in the name of encyclopedic rigour, I agree.--DrewMek (talk) 17:30, 21 December 2016 (UTC)

Not just a Bristol 'A' sound.
The 'a' sound as mentioned in the article as pertaining only to Bristol is the usual pronubication of a true West Country accent in the whole of that area not just Bristol - local working-class people in my father's village use it as far up as East Wiltshire. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.169.64.40 (talk) 18:16, 28 October 2013 (UTC)


 * I'm mystified by this. I'm in my 60s and grew up in Bristol and Exeter.  My father was born near Exeter and lived/worked in Bristol and Bath his whole life.  My grandfather was born between Bath and Bradford on Avon (West Wiltshire) but moved to Cullompton as a toddler and lived there for his entire life.  My grandfather (and his half-sister) worked in a paper mill and were not posh.  One of his sister-in-laws (my great aunt) became more posh after running away to Tavistock and marrying a golf pro.  I have never heard anyone use a short "A" sound like northerners pronounce "bath" anywhere in Bristol, in or around Exeter, Cornwall or anywhere else I've ever been in the West Country.  This article is the first time I have ever seen such a thing referred to.  There should at the very least be a caveat or health warning on the reference quoted as it is not true of anyone I've ever heard in Bristol, Exeter, Cornwall etc.  Even if this is true of some working class accents as mentioned in the quote above it is not widespread.
 * It is true that some upper class people, especially in the south east, would pronounce "bath" with a very long, deep "a" sound, but that's different again. HighgateExpert (talk) 00:03, 29 June 2024 (UTC)
 * The statement in footnote 24 Wells (1982), p. 348. seems incorrect, or of limited applicability to me. I've never heard anyone in the West Country use a short "a" in words like "bath" like they would in the north.  You should take this out or severely qualify it. HighgateExpert (talk) 00:13, 29 June 2024 (UTC)

'Summat' surely as native to the West Country as the North
'Summat' is not confined to the north but used by working-class people in the West Country too so that needs altering. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.169.64.40 (talk) 18:18, 28 October 2013 (UTC)


 * And not just working class people. It's not a very unusual way to pronounce "something" at all. HighgateExpert (talk) 00:04, 29 June 2024 (UTC)

"The related term 'British English' (which in American English is often used synonymously with English English and Anglo-English)"
This line is not fully accurate. In American English, typically "British English" is the only term used for English spoken in England. As there is evidence that the term "British English" is ambiguous, it is clear why the term is not used as the name of the page. Therefore, I only request that this one line be changed, possibly to this:
 * "The related term 'British English' (which in American English is often used to mean of English English and Anglo-English)".

Does anybody object or approve? Until I hear a response, I will leave the page alone. Thank you.LakeKayak (talk) 15:34, 26 March 2017 (UTC)


 * I've no objection to the change (without the "of").   D b f i r s   06:19, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

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no cause i can't get to English language..been trying almost 2 hrs...know is sumone going to help me or whT???? 95.147.25.28 (talk) 11:15, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

English language
don't understand all things you're asking...will someone sort me out please??? 95.147.25.28 (talk) 11:17, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

"West Country" accents further east?
Re. the section quoted below, you could certainly still hear people with accents very similar to West Country accents in Southampton (Hampshire) in the 1980s.

More generally, as someone from Bristol/Exeter and thereabouts, I would take issue with Oxfordshire and, particularly, Berkshire being "nearby counties". Berkshire is very definitely "near London" and in the South East.

"In the nearby counties of Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, it was possible to encounter comparable accents and, indeed, distinct local dialects until perhaps the 1960s. There is now limited use of such dialects amongst older people in local areas. Although natives of such locations, especially in western parts, can still have West Country influences in their speech, the increased mobility and urbanisation of the population have meant that local Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Isle of Wight dialects (as opposed to accents) are today essentially extinct." HighgateExpert (talk) 00:40, 29 June 2024 (UTC)