Varieties of English in the UK

Across the United Kingdom (UK), there are considerable differences in the varieties of English spoken across the constituent nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The variation that is present in these dialects can be attributed to both regional and social factors. Today, many varieties of UK English have been influenced by large scale social changes, such as increasing geographical and economic mobility. Although many traditional dialectal features may be in decline, there still exists a great deal of regional variability in the English spoken across the country today. This chapter presents an overview of some of these differences by introducing and describing somekey varieties spoken in the UK.