Skip navigation

Examples of Cornish English

Listen carefully and read comments.

Do you want it directly, boy.

Do you want it later, boy.

//dʒu wɒnt ɪʔ ˈdɻekli/bɔɪ//

Notice the retroflex "r" in directly.

Listen carefully and read comments.

Flaming emmets everywhere, place is full of ‘em.
Damn tourists everywhere, (the) place is full of them.

//ʹfleɪmɪŋ ʹeməts ʹevriweɻ/pleɪs ɪz fʊl əv ðem//

The word emmets means ants. Tourists are like ants as they are a bit of a pest for the locals. The pronunciation of them as ‘em is common in many kinds of colloquial English

Listen carefully and read comments.

All right! What’s on? Where you to?
Alright, what’s going on. Where are you?


//ɔl ɻɑɪt/wɒts ɒn/wɛɻ jə tuː//

Where you to? is found in many dialects in the South of England and also in Welsh English.

Listen carefully and read comments.

I seen him last night and I goes to him. Who’s that young ‘un with you. Hell of a bird.
I saw him last night and I said to him. Who is that young woman with you? Lovely girl.


//ɑɪ siːn ɪm læst nɑɪt ənd ɑɪ gɔʊz tu ɪm/huːz ðæt jʌŋən wɪv juː/ɛl əv ə bɛɻd //

I seen him is common in most non-standard varieties of English.

The pronunciation of one as /ən/ is also not restricted to this dialect.

Notice the retroflex "r" in bird.

Listen carefully and read comments.

Blessed. Dear of ‘er.

Poor thing. She’s a bit useless


//blɛːst/dɪɻ əv ɛɻ//

Notice that you can say seemingly nice things which are actually quite nasty.

Listen carefully and read comments.

I'm from Cornwall in the West Country.


//ɑɪm frəm ʹkɑɻnwɔːl ɪn ðə wɛst ˈkʌntɻi //

Notice the pronunciation of the first vowel in country. It is /ʌ/ as in RP. Compare this with Yorkshire English or Liverpool English.