The Norfolk dialect is quite different from the other dialects of the south of England, such as the West Country and the Home Counties. And if some people think our accent sounds ‘rural’, well of course in the country areas it is.
But we like to point out that the urban area of Norwich has a quarter of a million inhabitants. And that, like Norwich, our accent is modern and innovating too.
One innovation that most other people in the English-speaking world haven’t got round to yet is that we are very happy to pronounce fear as fair, really as rarely, here as hair. If a friendly Norfolk person calls you dare, you’ll know what they mean. And you might like a nice pint of bair in a traditional Norwich pub, or sitting by a Broadland river – where it will help if you remember that boat may well sound like boot to you.
We are proud of our innovative grammar too. We no longer bother with that pointless verbal -s that encumbers other less streamlined dialects. We say, ‘He drive very fast’, ‘She write books’, ‘My friend like you’. And we say that rather than it: ‘That wus cold las’night’. On one of our hot summer days, we might ask, ‘Is that hot enough for you?’ And if we really, really like the fish and chips in Cromer, we are quite capable of saying, ‘That in’t too bad’. We are a polite people and our verbal style prefers under- to overstatement.
Another innovation is that we have re-introduced the distinction between singular and plural you, which was so carelessly lost elsewhere. You is singular, and you…together is plural. ‘How are you getting on, together?’ does not mean the same thing as ‘How are you getting on together?’
Welcome to Norfolk. Do you have a good time, together.
Spelt Pronounced
Acle Aycle
Ashmanhaugh ASHm’no
Aslacton AzLACt’n
Aylsham Ells’m/Ellsh’m
Belaugh Beeluh
Bergh Apton BerAPT’n
Cley Clay
Colney Coaney
Coltishall Colts’ll (with Colt- rhyming with bolt)
Corpusty CORpuhsty
Costessey Cossey
Crostwick Crossick
Deopham Deep’m
Elsing Elz’n
Foulsham Fowlss’m/Fowlsh’m (with Fowl- rhyming with soul)
Fulmodestone FULLmuhst’n
Garboldisham Garb’lss’m/Garb’lsh’m
Gimingham Gim’n’m (with a ‘hard g’)
Happisburgh Haysbru
Haveringland Havverl’nd
Hautbois HUBBuhss
Heigham Hay-um
Hellesdon Helzd’n
Hoveton Hofft’n
Hunstanton Hunst’n
Keswick Kezzick
Letheringsett Larnsuhtt
Martham Mart’m
Matlaske Matluhsk
Northrepps Nurrepps
Norwich Narch
Postwick Pozzick
Rushall Rue-sh’ll
Salhouse Sallus/Selluss
Salle Saul
Shotesham Shots’m
Southery Suddery
Southrepps Surrepps
Stiffkey Stewkey
Stody Studdy
Swardeston Swaw(d)st’n
Tacolneston Tackle-st’n
Tivetshall Tivvets’ll
Walsham (N. and S.) Walss’m
Walsingham Wolz’n’m
Weybourne Webb’n
Wickmere Wickmuh
Wortwell Wuttle
Wymondham Wind’m
So, there you go, not Why-mond-ham at all!
