Skip to main content

Standard English and dialects

A language is a dialect that has an army and a navy.
— Max Weinreich

Dialect: A language variety that has everything going for it, except the government, the schools, the middle class, the law and the armed forces.
— Tom McArthur

What is ‘standard English’?​

In the 9th century, southern England was under attack from Viking invaders from Scandinavia, who had already come to dominate much of the north of Britain. In a decisive battle in 878, southern forces under King Alfred defeated a northern army and secured the independence of the south. A long-term result of this victory was that the government of Southern England came to be established in London, which later became the capital of the whole of Britain. The English spoken in London and the East Midlands was therefore gradually adopted as the official variety of English, rather than the very different varieties spoken in the West and North. This dialect (and its later developments, profoundly influenced by Norman French) thus became the ‘standard’ language – the form of English generally used for government, the law, business, education and literature. Standard British English, like all standard languages, is therefore largely the result of historical accident. If the Vikings had defeated Alfred’s army, the capital of modern Britain might well be York, and Practical English Usage would be written in (and about) a very different variety of English.

In fact, it is slightly misleading to talk as if British English had only one standard variety. While standard written English varies very little throughout the British Isles, standard speech differs somewhat, with Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic in particular having not only their own pronunciation, but also some regional features of grammar and vocabulary.

What is a dialect?​

Many people think that dialects are corrupted forms of a language, spoken by ignorant people who make mistakes because they have not learnt correct grammar. This is not at all true (for more about correctness, (see here). A standard language is not linguistically ‘better’ than other dialects; it is simply the dialect that has been adopted for official purposes such as government and education. All English dialects have a long history, going back to the distinct forms of speech of the Germanic and Scandinavian invaders who came from various parts of northern Europe to occupy Britain during the early Middle Ages. And each of these dialects has a grammar that is as rich and systematic as standard English, even though it may be very different. Some examples of British English dialect forms:

  • I bain’t ready. (= I’m not ready.)
  • He don’t like it.
  • I wants a rest.
  • Where’s them papers what I give you?
  • Can ye no help me?
  • They’re not believing it.
  • She’s after telling me. (= She’s told me.)
  • Are youse coming or not? (= Are you – plural – coming or not?)
  • I ain’t done nothing. (= I haven’t done anything.)

American English, like British English, has many dialects, some of them very different indeed from the standard language. An extreme case is so-called ‘black English’ or ‘AAVE’ (Afro-American vernacular English, a dialect widely used informally by black Americans, largely in working-class urban environments). The grammar of AAVE is different in many ways from General American. A few examples:

  • He been married. (He has been, and still is, married.)
  • She done eat. (She has eaten.)
  • She be talking all the time. (She talks all the time.)
  • You gon be sorry. (You’ll be sorry.)
  • I ain’t believe you that day, man. (I didn’t believe you …)

AAVE is similar in some ways to Southern US dialects. Its origins go back to the early days of slavery, but the main influences on its development are not well understood.

As in many countries, however, dialects are disappearing or changing under the influence of the standard language. The language of most British speakers is far closer to standard English than it would have been a century ago.

Pronunciation: dialect and accent; ‘received pronunciation’​

A dialect is not the same as a regional accent (though they often go together). Many British people speak standard English, but with the typical accent of their part of the country. Other British people, however, combine standard English with a non-regional standard pronunciation. This (the so-called ‘received pronunciation’ or ‘RP’) is the pronunciation that has traditionally been used by a majority of British upper- and upper-middle-class people, though it has changed a good deal over the years. For a long time RP was considered more ‘correct’ than other accents, and its social dominance was reinforced by education and the media. This attitude is now changing, and there is less social prejudice in Britain than before against regional accents. Very few people, in fact, now have an RP accent. RP is increasingly being replaced as a standard by so-called ‘Estuary English’, an accent somewhere between RP and working-class London speech, originating in South East England along the River Thames and its estuary.

Showing accent in writing: ’e’s gone ’ome​

Writers may spell words in special ways to show a non-standard or conversational pronunciation – for example, apostrophes may be used in place of letters that are not pronounced. These spellings are common in cartoon strips. Some examples (mostly British English):

  • ’e’s gone ’ome. (= He’s gone home.)
  • ’elp yerself. (= Help yourself.)
  • Yer gettin’ old. (= You’re getting old.)
  • If I get me ’ands on yer… (= If I get my hands on you …)
  • Where d’she put ’em? (= Where did she put them?)
  • C’mon, we’re late. (= Come on …)
  • C’n I ’ave a glass o’ water? (= Can I have a glass of water?)
  • fish ’n’ chips. (= fish and chips)
  • Come wi’ me. (= Come with me.)
  • I dunno. (= I don’t know.)
  • I gotta go. (= I’ve got to go.)
  • It’s gonna rain. (= It’s going to rain.)
  • I don’t wanna play. (= I don’t want to play.)

The languages of Britain​

Two hundred years ago six native languages besides English were spoken in Britain. Of these, four still survive. Three are Celtic languages, very different from English. Gaelic is spoken in parts of Scotland; Irish, similar to Gaelic, is spoken in parts of Ireland; Welsh is spoken in parts of Wales and is more closely related to the Breton of north-western France. Two other Celtic languages, Manx and Cornish (the original languages of the Isle of Man and Cornwall) no longer have native speakers, though enthusiasts are attempting to revive them. The other surviving British language is Scots (also called ‘Lallans’), spoken by some people in Scotland. This is a distinct language which is different from the Scottish variety of English, although closely related.

  • Scots wis aince the state language o Scotland an is aye a grace til oor national leiterature. It lies at the hert o Scotland’s heirskep as ane o wir three indigenous leids alang wi Gaelic an Scottish Inglis.

    (from a publication of the Scots Leid Associe – the Scots Language Society)

    A translation: Scots was once the state language of Scotland and is still an ornament to our national literature. It lies at the heart of Scotland’s heritage as one of our three indigenous languages along with Gaelic and Scottish English.