Cockney – KTS

Every accent has a particular posture which reflects the usual configuration of the articulators. Finding this posture help to lead the accent to accurate articulatory gestures without interrupting the improvisational flow of natural language.

Jaw lowered and in some cases protruded
Lips protruded and lax
Tongue root retracted/raised
Velum lowered = general nasality

Here are a few samples

Ray Winstone

Kathy Burke

Hackney Residents

Michael Caine

GOAT ɡɐɤ̯̈ ʔ

The first element of this diphthong is realized further forward and lower than in RP. The second element can be quite unrounded. It can be useful to start by substituting the diphthong in MOUTH, and then relaxing back to a less extreme, centralized diphthong.

And I told her, I says, you know what? Nobody don’t help you in this life.

And, into the hospital she goes. So, I didn’t know ‘til they told me.

PRICE pɹɑɪ̯̆s

The extreme version of this sound would be [ɔɪ] . Start by thinking that sound but, as with the other diphthongs relax away from that extreme. The starting point of the diphthong is really closer to the /ɑ/ of “father”.

that picture behind you, is that your wife?

The first time I made my brothers laugh, I said the punch line, and it was the first time I’d made them laugh.

FACE fæ̽ɪ̯s

The first element of the diphthong is lowered and relaxed from [e] to [æ̽ ].

People wanting to be my mate, I really wanted to make them laugh –Anyone of our generation, but she used to get great fun out of it, and tell everyone I was her baby.

MOUTH mæ̞̃ɤ̯̯̈̆f

The first element of the diphthong is raised and often nasalized. The second element is unstressed or dropped.

From all accounts, the kid comes out a treat. You can’t turn something like that down. But what have I got out of it? What’s it all about?

From all accounts, the kid comes out a treat. You can’t turn something like that down. But what have I got out of it? What’s it all about?

How long are you going to keep him on the breastfeeding caper? That’s enough of that now. There’s just not enough to go round!

TRAP ≠ BATH tɹæp bɑːf

All London accents make a distinction between two sets of vowels that in US English are generally pronounced the same: TRAP and BATH. Words in the BATH category are pronounced with [ɑː].

The first time I made my brothers laugh. We had half-dead Hitler in the chair. And my brother John had glasses. And I used to love dancing to Petula Clark, and this used to make my dad laugh quite a lot, but I wasn’t intending to make him laugh. I was trying to be you know be a serious dancer.

FLEECE flɪ̯is

The vowel is first formed in a lax position, arriving at [i] after gliding through [ɪ] or[ə].

It seems to me of all the things they’ve done for me, what have I got out of it? Some decent clothes, but I ain’t got me peace of mind. Know what I mean?

GOOSE ɡə̯ʉs

In the same way, the vowel is first formed in a lax position, arriving at [ ʉ ] after gliding through [ə]. In addition, the final element is considerably fronted.

Abu Ben Adem saw within the moonlight in his room, making it rich and like a lily in bloom, and to the presence in the room he said…

MILK mɪʊ̯̆k

In postvocalic positions after a vowel, /l/ is so loosely articulated as to almost become a vowel. This results from relaxation of the tongue tip away from the alveolar ridge, and an added articulation at the lip corners. You’ll notice, too, that this only happens when the /l/ isn’t followed by a vowel in the next word or syllable. In the word “really” below, the /l/ is pronounced as it would be before a vowel…because it is before a vowel.

Anything to get a giggle, really. Because he was the eldest. He was in control.

HELLO ˈɛlɐɤ̯̈

/h/ is dropped, particularly in unstressed positions.

There’s two spivs in Victoria Park in Hackney, Charlie and Harry, boiling hot day.Charlie says to Harry, he says, “Harry” he says, “I’m gasping!” He says, “Harry, in that picture behind you. Charlie says, “Hold on.” He said, “I’ve heard it all before

THINK fɪŋk

/θ/ can be realized as /f/, particularly in unstressed positions.

Mr. Tickle pulled himself up and then reached in through the open window. “Today looks very much like a tickling day” he thought to himself. Just think. You didn’t know there was such a thing as a tickle, did you? He set off through the wood. He laughed and every time he thought about all the people he had tickled. Eventually, Mr Tickle thought he had had enough fun..

MOTHER mävɜ

This, too, can occur in initial, medial, or final positions. In initial positions the sound can be lightened to the point of resembling /n/.

Yeah we shared it well, with my brother. My mother and father had one room and my grandmother and us four boys had the other room.

BOTTLE ˈbɒʔʊ

Glottal stops can replace /p/, /t/, and /k/ in medial or final positions.

I wanted to be a nurse when I was little. I quite enjoyed that. St. Andrew’s Hospital was still a proper hospital then.

Yeah there was a bit of a gang, but she used to get great fun out of it— quite a lot, so……so I had to put up with a little bit of that. Anything to get a giggle. But I wasn’t intending to make him laugh, and Saturday’s we’d listen to Kenny Everett —Saturday afternoons so…so it’s all down to him.