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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
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British English - "L" becoming "W"

I've been noticing when listening to British English that "L" is morphing into "W". I don't know for how long, but in words like "world" sounding something like "wowd".
Anybody know the reasons why and ponder if it will jump across the pond to the U.S. one of these years? There must be one of our dialects in the U.S. that has it too (like some versions of Black English), but I can't think of many at the moment.
Larry
  

Top answer

[nq:1]I've been noticing when listening to British English that "L" is morphing into "W". [/nq] It is only "morphing" in the worst kind of Estuary/cockney English.

  • [nq:1]I've been noticing when listening to British English that "L" is morphing into "W".
  • [/nq] It is only "morphing" in the worst kind of Estuary/cockney English.
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22 Answers
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[nq:1]I've been noticing when listening to British English that "L" is morphing into "W". I don't know for how long, but in words like "world" sounding something like "wowd".[/nq]
It is only "morphing" in the worst kind of Estuary/cockney English.
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[nq:1]I've been noticing when listening to British English that "L" ismorphing into "W". I don't know for how long, but ... in theU.S. that has it too (like some versions of Black English), but I can'tthink of many at the moment.[/nq]
The Brit-Speak dialect dark l was one of the things I found difficult to cope with as a fraffly well-spoken Aus kid on my first touching this fatal shore. I real
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[nq:1]I've been noticing when listening to British English that "L" is morphing into "W". I don't know for how long, ... that has it too (like some versions of Black English), but I can't think of many at the moment. Larry[/nq]
Most Brits these days are trying to perfect the art of speaking without moving one's tongue or lips. Too many are succeeding.
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[nq:2]I've been noticing when listening to British English that "L" ... English), but I can'tthink of many at the moment. Larry[/nq]
[nq:1]Most Brits these days are trying to perfect the art of speakingwithout moving one's tongue or lips. Too many are succeeding.[/nq]
That's what happens when the royal family start sending their kids to Eton. We Australians perfected the art of speaking pr
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[nq:1]I've been noticing when listening to British English that "L" is morphing into "W". I don't know for how long, but in words like "world" sounding something like "wowd".[/nq]
More like "wurwd"? This is the hegemonic "Estuary English", the speech of people who live on the left bank of the Thames below Tower Bridge.

Adrian
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[nq:2]the U.S. one of these years? There must be one of our dialects inthe[/nq]
[nq:1]U.S.[/nq]
That Bristol "l" is famous- though it isn't widespread it has caught the attention of linguists, and jokers who talk about three sisters called "Idle, Evil and Normal". As you say, the city was originally Bristow (still a surname, the darts player Eric Bristow springs to mind). Don't think there
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[nq:2]I've been noticing when listening to British English that "L" ... long, but in words like "world" sounding something like "wowd".[/nq]
[nq:1]More like "wurwd"? This is the hegemonic "Estuary English", the speech of people who live on the left bank of the Thames below Tower Bridge.[/nq]
As we know, Tony Blair sometimes chooses to speak estuarinely; he does a lovely "wurwd" even when h
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[nq:2]I've been noticing when listening to British English that "L" ... English), but I can't think of many at the moment.[/nq]
[nq:1]The Brit-Speak dialect dark l was one of the things I found difficult to cope with as a fraffly well-spoken ... in Howard if the rest of his speech sounded Welsh; but for some reason this is the bit he's retained.[/nq]
His linguistic influences must have bee
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[nq:1](fouled-up attributions corrected)[/nq]
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[nq:2]Most Brits these days are trying to perfect the art of speaking without moving one's tongue or lips. Too many are succeeding.[/nq]
[nq:1]That's what happens when the royal family start sending their kids to Eton. We Australians perfected the art of speaking proper English without moving our lips over a hundred years ago; but you d
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[nq:1]I've been noticing when listening to British English that "L" is morphing into "W". I don't know for how long, ... U.S. that has it too (like some versions of Black English), but I can't think of many at the moment.[/nq]
Peter Jennings says 'dollar' as 'dowar'. If it were just that, I could live with it, but it ain't. He's got some kind of weirdo lisp going. How they hired that for news

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