Spoken English in London

Cockney English and Cockney Rhyming Slang

Cockney English is a form of British English traditionally spoken by working-class Londoners, particularly those in the East End of London. It is characterized by its distinctive accent and dialect, with a history that dates back to the 17th century. The Cockney accent is notable for features such as the dropping of the "H" at the beginning of words ("house" becomes "ouse"), the use of a glottal stop (a brief silence to replace "T" sounds in the middle or end of words, so "butter" might sound more like "bu'er"), and vowel shifts that give it a unique sound.

Cockney Rhyming Slang

Cockney rhyming slang is a playful and inventive aspect of the Cockney dialect, where words are replaced with phrases that rhyme with them, but often the second word (the actual rhyming part) is dropped. For example, "stairs" becomes "apples and pears," but in practice, people just say "apples." It originated in the mid-19th century and was supposedly used by traders, market vendors, and criminals to communicate in a way that was difficult for outsiders to understand.