Where does a northern accent become a southern accent?

They still sound similar in that those up north are more likely to stress the vowels whilst those down south don't.

I understand your argument, but a northern accents in themselves are immanent. Its just a way of grouping accents. The users above have grasped this idea.

Seems legit. Birmingham is midlands, not south. Should had known this by now.

Well its literally in the midlands, hence it should be South or North.

To say any of those accents I listed are similar is clearly untrue. Regardless of how vowels are stressed, they are not the same.

All those accents are northern accents, clearly. However this is only because they are how the people in these cities talk, and all of these cities are in the north. This does not mean there is a 'northern accent.'

In response to the original question, where do northern accents become southern? When the place they are spoken becomes southern. It really is that simple.


Posted from TSR Mobile

Nope. It has it's own category.

There are different dialects in UK. You cannot just classify something as a northern or southern.

Think what you want to think I cba answering back. I'm still right

I think we all grasp the idea though?

P.S. I'm from Scotland... I realise I don't count as 'Northern' in this description as that stops at Carlisle.
The real 'north' of Scotland talk very differently to southern parts.

This topic is interesting as I'm quite often 'down south' and I find the accents interesting.
I find the 'Yorkshire' accent very strong (not a fan - sorry). I'd say once you hit Nottingham and across it's a mix.
Depends where you go really...

Associating 'Northern' with "chavvy, farmer or common" was a bit harsh I thought. I can certainly put on a posh version of my accent quite easily, never been misunderstood by English people

Evidently you are not, hence your inability to formulate a response to the points I raised.

Have fun discussing a question which is inherently flawed.


Posted from TSR Mobile

Can you speak with RP?

Evidently you are not, hence your inability to formulate a response to the statements I raised.

Have fun discussing a question which is inherently flawed.


Posted from TSR Mobile

'RP' ?
Real people by any chance...? If so, can you elaborate...you better be joking pal

Hmm- although Birmingham is in the midlands I would consider it to be a northern accent.
I'd say its probably southern way before it reaches somewhere like London. Dunno, though.

'RP' ?
Real people by any chance...? If so, can you elaborate...you better be joking pal

Definitely not a northern accent, although one of my exes was from London and she thought I sounded like a northerner.

I like that you said Birmingham is in the Midlands btw

So, a birmingham Shanghai accent would be a southern accent to a manchurian,

You don't think Birmingham is a northern accent? Its certainly not Southern,surely :L

You think being in the Midlands is cool then?

As a Coventrarian, I'd say we generally have a singularly neutral Midlands accent which strikes something of a neutralising balance between North and South (which may or may not descend into Chavspeek).

Coventry and its surrounding wards strike such a hotspot that you only need to travel a tiny distance away in any given direction to have a drastic shift in accent, with Birmingham, Bedworth and Nuneaton being some of the most marked examples.