Estuary English John Wells 2005

• What is Estuary English associated with?

  London and the Thames estuary
• Who invented the term 'Estuary English'?

  David Rosewarne
• How did David Rosewarne describe Estuary English?

  As a mixture of non-regional and local pronunciation
• Where does Estuary English lie on the continuum of English accents?

  Between RP and London speech
• What geographical area is the heartland of Estuary English?

  By the banks of the Thames
• How did the popular press react to Estuary English?

  There was considerable public discussion
• What are some pronunciation differences between Estuary English and RP?

  • [t] replaced by glottal stop
  • [tj] becomes [tʃ], [dj] becomes [dʒ]
  • [l] before consonants becomes [ʊ]
  • Diphthongs have different starting points
  • Weak ending -ing pronounced as alveolar nasal
  • [t] omitted in certain words
• What did Paul Coggle assert about the reach of Estuary English?

  It could be heard far from London
• What happens to the [t] sound in Estuary English?

  It is replaced by a glottal stop
• How is the diphthong [eɪ] pronounced in Estuary English?

  With a backer starting-point
• How is the weak ending -ing pronounced in Estuary English?

  As an alveolar nasal
• What is the perception of Estuary English according to some critics?

  It is seen as "bastardized sub-Cockney"
• What did Joanna Przedlacka's research reveal about accents in southeast England?

  Distinct local characteristics were retained
• What were the glottal stop percentages found by Joanna Przedlacka in her study?

  • RP speakers (Eton): 8%
  • Cockneys (Bethnal Green): 85%
  • Aylesbury: 43%
  • Farningham: 38%
  • Little Baddow: 8%
  • Walton on the Hill: 21%
• What is the general conclusion about Estuary English speakers?

  They are not uniform in their accent
• What is the relationship between Estuary English and Cockney?

  Estuary English includes some Cockney features
• What did Rosewarne refer to in addition to pronunciation in his definition of Estuary English?

  Vocabulary and usage
• How does the perception of Estuary English differ from that of RP?

  EE is seen as having "street cred"
• What is a common misconception about Estuary English?

  That it is a single uniform accent
• How does the perception of Estuary English reflect societal attitudes?

  It is often stigmatized by purists
• Who investigated speech of young people in four places 50km away from London?

  Joanna Przedlacka
• What did Joanna Przedlacka find?

  Young people retained distinct local characteristics rather than Estuary English