What is the Lancashire accent called?
Wellington Purdy
2025-05-14 03:03:54
Count answers: 2
The Lancashire accent is not given a specific name in the text, but it can be distinguished from other accents by certain features.
Lancashire used to pronounce the 'r' at the end of words and vowels like 'car park' whereas Yorkshire didn't.
This feature has disappeared outside of a small pocket somewhere between Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley.
The main difference is that Lancashire has 'more space in the mouth' or is 'more flexible and fluid in the mouth'.
A general Lancashire and general Yorkshire accent are a lot harder to distinguish.
Lancashire pronunciation is largely the same as Yorkshire now, except for the 'ng' sound.
Elizabeth Miller
2025-05-09 06:18:27
Count answers: 3
The Lancashire accent is dying out, according to new research - and could be gone completely in the next few generations. Traditionally, parts of Lancashire have very clearly articulated 'r's, similar to the stereotype of Cornwall and the West Country. The pronunciation of these ‘r’s towards the ends of words is called rhoticity. However, for the youngest speakers in Blackburn, these 'r’s are very weak, which raises the question of whether future generations will even hear these weak 'r’s at all, and whether this distinction will eventually fade away.
Although sociolinguistic studies of rhoticity in England exist, there are almost no descriptions of its phonetic properties, so this is the first time we’ve been able to monitor this change from a gradual weakening of the ‘r’. This is notable because it provides evidence for language change happening so gradually that people don’t notice it. The dataset comprises spontaneous and elicited speech of 28 speakers from Blackburn, where residual rhoticity remains. Accent change is often like a puddle: it dries up in most places and leave remnants around the edges, hence why Cornwall and East Lancs behave similarly here today.
Kyle Hermiston
2025-04-27 22:42:38
Count answers: 3
The Lancashire accent is disappearing among young people and may vanish altogether in a few generations, a study has warned. Researchers looked at a distinctive feature of the accent, a strong R sound at the end of some words, known as rhoticity. Prominent Lancastrians including comedians Eric Morecambe and Les Dawson, actress Jane Horrocks and Bullseye presenter Jim Bowen are known to use a strong R. Dr Turton said Lancastrian speakers usually differentiate between pairs of words such as 'stellar' and 'Stella', whereas most of England would consider them to be the same. Hundreds of years ago, using a strong R was common throughout England. The habit persists more in older speakers. Dr Turton said: For the youngest speakers in Blackburn, these Rs are very weak, which raises the question of whether future generations will even hear these weak Rs at all, and whether this distinction will eventually fade away. Dr Turton said the disappearance of the accent might be happening so gradually that people don't notice it. She added: In the next few generations, this traditional linguistic feature may be lost.