A Complete Guide to the Cockney Accent and Rhyming Slang

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Speak like a true East End native with this comprehensive guide
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What do Michael Caine, Adele, David Beckham, and Amy Winehouse have in common? They all speak Cockney! The Cockney accent is one of the most famous and most widely imitated British accents. But it's more than just an accent; it's also a dialect with its own grammatical rules. This guide will take you through pronunciation and grammar, along with the famous Cockney rhyming slang, so you'll be sounding like an East Ender in no time flat!

Things You Should Know

  • Sound more Cockney by using a glottal stop for "t," dropping the "h" at the beginning of words, and replacing "th" with an "f," "d," or "v" sound.
  • Substitute "me" for "my" and add "innit" to the end of sentences when you're asking someone to agree with you.
  • Incorporate rhyming slang, such as saying "boat" (for "boat race") instead of "face" or "bread" (for "bread and honey") instead of "money."
Section 1 of 4:

Cockney Pronunciation

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    A glottal stop is something like a pause, which you make by closing the airflow from your throat (glottis) so that no air is being released at all. In practice, this basically sounds like a short, sharp break in the middle or at the end of a word, wherever the "t" sound is found. [1]
    • For example, the word "Scottish" would be pronounced "Sco'ish" and the word "fought" would be pronounced "fough'." You can hear the glottal stop better in a full sentence: "Me 'n' me mates fough' down the pub." ("My friends and I fought [while we were] down at the pub."
    • Cockney speakers sometimes do this with "p" or "k" sounds as well, if they occur as the last letter of the word, although this pronunciation isn't common in 21st-century Cockney. [2]
    • Some Cockney speakers also replace the "t" with either a "d" or an "r," depending on the letter's location in the word and the other letters surrounding it.
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    If you've ever seen My Fair Lady , you're likely already familiar with this aspect of Cockney pronunciation. French does this too, although it's much more formalized in that language. [3]
    • For example, you'd pronounce "horse" as "'orse" or "hopefully" as "'opefully."
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    This might seem a bit odd, since dropping an initial "h" means that the word now effectively starts with a vowel, but this is a pronunciation feature for many Cockney speakers. This rule applies generally to any word that begins with a vowel in standard British English, or Received Pronunciation (RP). [4]
    • For example, you would say "hair" instead of "air" or "hatmosphere" instead of "atmosphere."
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    The "th" sound can be changed to "f" regardless of where it occurs, but usually becomes a "v" sound when it occurs in the middle of a word. A "th" sound at the beginning of a word might also be replaced by a "d," as when "this and that" becomes "dis 'n' dat." Some of these words can be shortened even further, such as "bruv" for "brother" or "guv" for "governor." [5]
    • "Th" as "f" examples: fought (thought), fink (think), firsty (thirsty)
    • "Th" as "v" examples: norvern (northern), bruver (brother), bover (bother)
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    This "l" sounds much different (and is formed in the mouth differently) than the "l" at the beginning of a word, such as in the word "light." Think of the difference between saying "la la la" and saying "ell." In the Cockney accent, it's realized more as a "w"—sounding almost like a small child who's still working on pronouncing words correctly. Here are some examples: [6]
    • Troubow (trouble)
    • Pow (pal)
    • Alright (owright)
    • Milk (miwk)
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    Cockney shares this feature with many other English dialects and accents and it's a really easy way to make your speech sound more Cockney. For example, you would pronounce "laughing" as "laughin'" or "starting" as "startin'." [7]
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    Linguists refer to this as a "weakening" of the vowel and it's a really easy adjustment to make if you want your accent to sound more Cockney. For example, instead of saying "window," you would say "winduh" and instead of "you," you'd say "yuh." [8]
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    In standard British English, you pronounce this "y" at the end of words with more of an "eh" sound. With the Cockney accent, however, it's a strong "ee" sound, so the word "city" sounds like "sitee" rather than "siteh." [9]
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Section 2 of 4:

Cockney Grammar and Syntax

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    Speakers use a tag question when they're looking for agreement from the person they're speaking to—like if you added "right" to the end of a sentence. "Innit" is short for "isn't it," but in Cockney slang, it's used regardless of the subject of the sentence, so it could mean any pronoun combined with verbs such as "to do" or "to be." [10]
    • For example, you might say, "West Ham really put it to Arsenal, innit?" ("West Ham really put it to Arsenal, didn't they?")
    • While this phrase has become pretty standard British slang in many dialects, it started with Cockney.
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    This is one of those grammatical tics that can make you almost instantly sound Cockney, assuming you have the basics of the accent down. [11]
    • For example, you might say, "I'm goin' up me mum's." ("I'm going up to my mother's [house].")
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    The word "ain't" is typically used as a contraction for "is not" or "are not," and appears in many different English dialects. Cockney speakers also use it in place of "have not." [12]
    • For example, you might say, "I ain't seen 'im." ("I haven't seen him.")
    • The word "ain't" has been a part of the English language since the 1700s and is entirely grammatical, although it's considered nonstandard and likely wouldn't fly in more formal writing. [13]
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    This particular bit of Cockney grammar is something that can be confusing to those who are unfamiliar with the dialect because at first glance it sounds like you're saying the opposite of what you intend. But this is a common feature that Cockney speakers will understand instantly. [14]
    • For example, you might say, "That's the biggest fish I never seen." ("That's the biggest fish I've ever seen.") You could also use something like, "I could stay down the pub for never." ("I could stay down at the pub forever.")
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    If you listen to a Cockney speaker, you'll quickly notice that the more adamant they are about something, the more negations they seem to cram into a sentence. If a Cockney speaker wants you to understand that on no uncertain terms have they ever been to a particular location, they might say "I ain't never been nowhere near that place!" [15]
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    In normal speech, Cockney speakers typically shorten adverbs to just the base word. For example, you might say, "trains are running normal" instead of "trains are running normally" or "she spoke sweet to me" instead of "she spoke sweetly to me." [16]
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    In a phrase with 2 prepositions, Cockney speakers tend to leave out the second one entirely. This sometimes results in casual phrases you might be familiar with in other dialects, such as "out the window" ("out [of] the window"). [17]
    • For example, you might say, "I'm goin' down the pub," instead of "I'm going down to the pub."
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Section 3 of 4:

Cockney Rhyming Slang

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    Cockney rhyming slang typically uses a phrase of a couple of words (although it can be just one word) in which the last word rhymes with the word you really mean to say. These rhymes are often used in place of things you might not want to say directly in public, although they can be used for more run-of-the-mill things as well. Here are some examples: [18]
    • Apples and pears = stairs ("Blimey, I have to climb 4 flights of apples and pears just to reach me flat!")
    • Adam and Eve = believe ("Can yuh Adam and Eve it?!")
    • Barney Rubble = trouble ("Mate, you're about to get in Barney Rubble for that one!")
    • nuclear sub = pub ("Fancy a few beers down the nuclear sub?")
    • dog and bone = phone ("Is dat de dog and bone ringin'?")
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    In practice, true Cockneys don't normally say the whole rhyming phrase (that would make it too obvious!)—they say only the first word, the one that doesn't rhyme. Here's how this works: [19]
    • Apples and pears = stairs ("Blimey, I have to climb 4 flights of apples just to reach me flat!")
    • Barney Rubble = trouble ("Mate, you're about to get in Barney for that one!")
    • nuclear sub = pub ("Fancy a few beers down the nuclear?")
    • dog and bone = phone ("Is dat de dog ringin'?")
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    As with any slang, there are some specific rhymes that Cockney speakers use more often than others. If you use these rather than trying to make up your own, your speech will definitely sound more natural. There are lots of lists online, but here are some to get you started: [20]
    • Ruby Murray (Ruby) = curry
    • Butcher's hook (butcher's) = look
    • Trouble and strife (trouble) = wife
    • Hempstead Heath (Hempsteads) = teeth
    • Loaf of bread (loaf) = head
    • Boat race (boat) = face
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Section 4 of 4:

What are Cockney's Origins?

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    This old dialect of English is associated with working-class Londoners who were born "within the sound of Bow bells," which refers to the bells of the church of Saint Mary le Bow in Cheapside, London. In the 21st century, Cockney is associated with the entire East End of London. [21]
    • The word "cockney" might refer to a "cock's egg," although it has several other definitions in English (none of them favorable).
    • Cockney speech became popular in the 19th century, particularly through the works of Charles Dickens.

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    How would one pronounce "like", "might" or "right"?
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    When I say these words in a cockney accent, I sort of imagine that I have a large piece of apple in my mouth. You have to expand your mouth in a more "o" ish shape when you get to the "igh" part. Don't enunciate the "t" as much if at all. Drag out the "igh" a little bit. Don't say the "r" in right. I hope this helps. Or should I say," Ay 'ope dis 'elps."
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  • Question
    Does "mother" follow the same dialogue rules regarding pronunciation?
    Community Answer
    "Mother" should sound something like "movah," along with "brother" which sounds like "bruvah." For example, "Movah, I'm goin' out wiv me bruvah."
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  • Question
    Why do young Cockneys say "bruv" instead of "bro"?
    Community Answer
    Because they pronounce "brother" as "bruvah," so "bruv" is a shortened version of that.
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      • Some of this is more perceived than true. The "w" at the end of words, for instance. To make a "wuh" sound uses pursed lips, and an exhale. The sound that's being defined as a "w" does neither of those. It may be closer to say that you double the penultimate consonant, but then clip it. "Trouble" becomes "Troubll", but with a clipped second "l".
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      References

      1. ↑ https://research.library.kutztown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=english334
      2. ↑ http://www.dariar.com/pronunciation-varieties-accents-of-english/item/90-guide-to-cockney-as-an-example-of-a-broad-accent-of-english.html
      3. ↑ https://research.library.kutztown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=english334
      4. ↑ http://www.dariar.com/pronunciation-varieties-accents-of-english/item/90-guide-to-cockney-as-an-example-of-a-broad-accent-of-english.html
      5. ↑ http://www.dariar.com/pronunciation-varieties-accents-of-english/item/90-guide-to-cockney-as-an-example-of-a-broad-accent-of-english.html
      6. ↑ https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/30827457.pdf
      7. ↑ https://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/x202-3as2-lecture.pdf
      8. ↑ http://www.dariar.com/pronunciation-varieties-accents-of-english/item/90-guide-to-cockney-as-an-example-of-a-broad-accent-of-english.html
      9. ↑ https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/30827457.pdf
      1. ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1453_uptodate3/page8.shtml
      2. ↑ http://www.dariar.com/pronunciation-varieties-accents-of-english/item/90-guide-to-cockney-as-an-example-of-a-broad-accent-of-english.html
      3. ↑ http://www.dariar.com/pronunciation-varieties-accents-of-english/item/90-guide-to-cockney-as-an-example-of-a-broad-accent-of-english.html
      4. ↑ https://blog.oup.com/2006/08/the_much_vilifi/
      5. ↑ https://research.library.kutztown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=english334
      6. ↑ http://www.dariar.com/pronunciation-varieties-accents-of-english/item/90-guide-to-cockney-as-an-example-of-a-broad-accent-of-english.html
      7. ↑ https://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/x202-3as2-lecture.pdf
      8. ↑ https://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/x202-3as2-lecture.pdf
      9. ↑ https://www.oed.com/discover/cockney/?tl=true
      10. ↑ https://www.londonxlondon.com/cockney-rhyming-slang/
      11. ↑ https://research.library.kutztown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=english334
      12. ↑ https://www.oed.com/discover/cockney/?tl=true
      13. ↑ https://www.york.ac.uk/language/research/projects/mle/what-is-mle/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To speak with a Cockney accent, drop the “g” from words with -ing endings, don't pronounce the “r” at the end of words, and drop the “h” from the beginning of words. Pronounce the short “a” as "ah" and replace “th” sounds with “f” or “v.” Use Cockney substitutions, like saying "ain't" instead of "isn't" and "me" instead of "my," and incorporate double negatives and rhyming slang to emulate Cockney speech patterns! For more tips on pronunciation and word substitutions, read on!

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