LANCASHIRE/WEST MIDLANDS DIALECT NOTES

This is a set of rules of pronunciation for the typical “Lancashire” dialect. This
accent can be heard in the North West of England, and has been featured in both
This dialect is very similar to both the Yorkshire dialect, with some shared features
of the West Country dialect. This worksheet will also include some sounds from
nearby regions, including the Shropshire region and some West Midlands sounds.
The only real complication is the way these dialects treat the /r/ sound.
Some Lancashire accents are non-rhotic (similar to Yorkshire), and some West
Midlands accents have strong /r/ sounds (similar to West Country). This difference
can actually be encouraging, since it's possible to make the right choice either way.
However, it is incredibly important that the actor be consistent in this choice.
This worksheet is designed to present “substitutions” for sounds. The
General American English sounds are presented on the left, and the
Lancashire/West Midlands (substitute) sound will be on the right. These changes
are designed to give a skeleton of the dialect. Practice these changes to get used to
the different muscle actions.
In addition to the substitutions, this packet contains descriptions of many of
the changes. You’ll notice that each sound has a defining word or phrase to
characterize that sound. For instance, the short /a/ sound in a word like “apple” is
referred to as the TRAP sound.
This packet also contains links to sound samples to help you familiarize
yourself with native speakers. I strongly recommend listening to these samples
again and again, until you feel that you’ve embodied the sound changes. In addition,
listen for intonation, rhythm, or stress differences in the dialect.
You might find that, as you transform into the new dialect, that the shape of
your mouth changes. Notice if you feel your lips or tongue moving in a different
fashion, or being held in a new position. This is called “oral posture”, and it’s a
wonderful way to “get into the groove” of an accent.
DEFINING SOUNDS

STRUT
[ʌ] -> [ʊ] One of the most defining sounds is what JC Wells
calls the “FOOT-STRUT” merger. Basically, it’s a
fancy way of saying that the vowel used in words
that sound like FOOT is the same vowel used in
words that sound like STRUT. For example, the
words "putt" and "put" would be pronounced
identically (with both sounding like "put")
Look up, Tucker! Lucky looks stuck!
START
[ɑɚ] -> [aː] This sound is the most debatable of all the
Lancashire and West Midlands sounds. Some
Lancashire speakers treat the /r/ sounds similar to
the Yorkshire dialect. As you may recall, the
Yorkshire accent drops the /r/ sound in words like
“start” or “park", and instead uses the long BATH
sound, or [a]. However, you may notice that some
West Midlands dialects treat the /r/ sounds like the
West Country Dialect, where the /r/ sounds are hit
quite hard in what is affectionately dubbed "the
pirate r". Whichever /r/ sound you settle on, your
post-vocalic /r/ should also apply to words like
SQUARE, NURSE, NORTH, EAR, or CURE.
The arts make you smart when you start.
or
I hear they’re starting near the north.
BATH
[æ] -> [a] Whereas the RP speakers would say [bɑθ], a
Lancashire and West Midlands speaker will keep
the vowel forward and pronounce it very similar to
an American, producing the sound [baθ]. This
should sound very similar to the West Country
accent, the Irish accent, and the Yorshire accent.
The change is very slight, and involves only a slight
lowering of the tongue. It’s very similar to the
sound you would make in the word ‘TRAP”, but
think about opening the mouth more, and lowering
the tongue in the front of the mouth.
My master passed the class at Bath

PRICE
[aɪ] -> [a] In a Lancashire dialect, this sound is identical to
Yorkshire. Rather than the standard American
"eye" sound, the Yorkshire/Lancaster accent treats
this sound as a monophthong. This means that a
Lancashire speaker lingers on the first part of the
"eye" sound, so instead of "aaahhh--eeee", the
sound is a nice, lengthened "aaaaaahh" in the front
of the mouth.. This sound should be similar, if not
identical, to the sound described in the BATH
section (see above).
 NOTE: A West Midlands Speaker from Birmingham
would NOT use this substitution, but instead use
the West Country [ɑɪ] sound.
I try to like science, but I find it blinds me.

GOAT
[oʊ] -> [o] In essence, this sound is very similar to the
American “oh”, but it stays as a “monophthong”, or
one vowel. Start the “oh” sound as you normally do,
and keep your tongue in its starting position. If it
sounds similar to the Irish accent, you may be on
the right track.

Occasionally, this sound can be reduced to a schwa

(an “uh” sound) if it’s in a final, unstressed position.
Joe’s show didn’t go over.

GOOSE
[u] -> [ɪu] In essence, the long “ooh” sound of “goose” is
pronounced by adding a “short I” [ɪ] sound to the
word “goose”, which may sound like “gih-ooose”.
Shorten the time between “ih” and “oooh” until it’s
almost non-existent and you’ll settle into it nicely.
Whose shoe flew through my goose?
FACE
[eɪ] -> [e] This sound begins in the same place as the
American “face”, but it is a monophthong, meaning
it’s just the one sounds. Instead of FEH-EES, the
sound may realize as something closer to FESS.
Stay away from April’s payday!
 LISTENING SAMPLES
West Midlands female with a slight Scottish influence
http://web.ku.edu/~idea/europe/england/england9.mp3

Lancashire female
http://web.ku.edu/~idea/europe/england/england54.mp3

Lancashire Male
http://web.ku.edu/~idea/europe/england/england15.mp3

West-Midlands female from Warwickshire (near Birmingham)

http://web.ku.edu/~idea/europe/england/england53.mp3

Interview with Christopher Eccleston

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3pl6u8MwCc

Christopher Eccleston after a Master Class (brief). The way he says

"fantastic" is a great key into to TRAP/BATH sound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN7l3gupJ7k

Jane Horrocks discusses "The Good Soul of Szechuan" at the Young Vic.
Great examples of the DRESS and FOOT/STRUT sounds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXFR5ShGZIU

An OLD recording of a Lancashire Dialect. Sound quality is scratchy, but

it's worth listening for the Hard-R sounds and vowel substitutions.
Much closer to West Country than Yorkshire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WbbZMnc48E
 COMMA GETS A CURE
Well, here's a story for you: Sarah Perry was a veterinary nurse who had been
working daily at an old zoo in a deserted district of the territory, so she was very
happy to start a new job at a superb private practice in North Square near the Duke
Street Tower. That area was much nearer for her and more to her liking. Even so, on
her first morning, she felt stressed. She ate a bowl of porridge, checked herself in the
mirror and washed her face in a hurry. Then she put on a plain yellow dress and a
fleece jacket, picked up her kit and headed for work.

When she got there, there was a woman with a goose waiting for her. The woman
gave Sarah an official letter from the vet. The letter implied that the animal could be
suffering from a rare form of foot and mouth disease, which was surprising, because
normally you would only expect to see it in a dog or a goat. Sarah was sentimental,
so this made her feel sorry for the beautiful bird.

Before long, that itchy goose began to strut around the office like a lunatic, which
made an unsanitary mess. The goose's owner, Mary Harrison, kept calling, "Comma,
Comma," which Sarah thought was an odd choice for a name. Comma was strong and
huge, so it would take some force to trap her, but Sarah had a different idea. First she
tried gently stroking the goose's lower back with her palm, then singing a tune to
her. Finally, she administered ether. Her efforts were not futile. In no time, the goose
began to tire, so Sarah was able to hold onto Comma and give her a relaxing bath.

Once Sarah had managed to bathe the goose, she wiped her off with a cloth and laid
her on her right side. Then Sarah confirmed the vet's diagnosis. Almost immediately,
she remembered an effective treatment that required her to measure out a lot of
medicine. Sarah warned that this course of treatment might be expensive-either five
or six times the cost of penicillin. I can't imagine paying so much, but Mrs. Harrison-
a millionaire lawyer-thought it was a fair price for a cure.