What is Varieties of English?

What is Varieties of English?

The varying use of accents and dialects and the features this includes, makes up the study of Varieties of English. Some accents are very much obvious and well known and others are harder for listeners to place geographically. Linguists interested in varieties often consider

 why some varieties are widely recognised whilst others are not.

According to Chris Montgomery (see Who does Varieties of English?) in a perceptions study in 2006, there were five top dialects which were most recognised and that the listeners could place on a map. These were:

1. Scouse (Liverpool)
2. Geordie (Newcastle)
3. Brummie (Birmingham)
4. Cockney (London)
5. Manc (Manchester) 

Interestingly, all these accents are urban varieties. This could suggest that recognition of accent has something to do with geographical scale. For example, all the accents listed above, derive from large UK cities, which are typically well known. 

Despite those questioned being most aware of these accents it doesn't mean that they are the most popular. In fact, according to a survey carried out by The Telegraph newspaper in 2008/9 the coolest accents were:

This is clearly evidence that accents are judged on many features and therefore rated differently depending on features they include. Below is a definition of varieties of English, perceived by a non-linguist who has based her definition on her personal experiences: