Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Gloucestershire
The West Country accent
The West Country accent covers the rural southwest of England, from Gloucestershire down through Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. It is the most strongly rhotic of the English accents of England: the R at the end of “car” and “farmer” is pronounced, where most of southern England drops it. Vowels are long and open, and the rhythm is noticeably slower than London speech.
Take the quiz and see how close your accent is →
How to recognise a West Country accent
- A strong, curled R after vowels — “farmer” keeps both of its Rs.
- S sounds can be voiced at the start of words in older speech: “Somerset” as “Zomerset”.
- “I be” and “thee/thy” survive in traditional rural speech.
- Long, drawn-out vowels and an unhurried rhythm.
Also known as West Country accent, Somerset accent, Devon accent, Bristolian burr. Spoken in Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Gloucestershire, England.
The West Country pronunciation fingerprint
These are the answers the quiz expects from a West Country speaker on its 14 pronunciation questions. Where a feature varies within the region, more than one answer counts as a match.
“bath” takes the short vowel of “cat” — no trap–bath split, or “bath” takes the broad vowel of “father” — the trap–bath split
The Trap–Bath Split: Does “Bath” Rhyme With “Cat” or “Father”?
rhotic — the R at the end of “car” is pronounced
“put” and “putt” have different vowels — the foot–strut split
a clear T in the middle of “bottle”
“cot” and “caught” stay distinct
The Cot–Caught Merger: Do “Cot” and “Caught” Sound the Same?
“Mary”, “marry” and “merry” all sound different
the vowel in “day” glides
the vowel in “go” glides
a true TH at the start of “three”
the H in “house” is pronounced, or H-dropping — “house” sounds like “ouse”
“tune” keeps its Y — “tyoon”, or yod-coalescence — “tune” sounds like “choon”
“fur” and “fair” stay distinct
“beer” and “bear” stay distinct
“happy” ends on a long “-ee” — happy-tensing
Everyday words in Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Gloucestershire
| Question | Usual answer |
|---|---|
| What do you usually call a sweet carbonated drink? | Fizzy drink |
| What do you call shoes worn for sport or exercise? | Trainers |
| What do you usually call the main evening meal? | Tea |
| What do you call a small, round piece of bread for one person? | Roll |
| What do you call thin strips of potato served hot and fried? | Chips |
| What is your general word for small sugary treats? | Sweets |
| What do you call the wheeled basket used in a supermarket? | Trolley |
| What do you call restaurant food collected to eat elsewhere? | Takeaway |
| What do you call a public fixture you drink water from? | Drinking fountain |
| What do you call a small neighbourhood shop selling everyday items? | Corner shop |
| How do you usually address a group of people informally? | You lot |
| What do you call the household container for unwanted rubbish? | Rubbish bin |
Speakers with a West Country accent
Maisie Williams
Clutton, Somerset, England
A Somerset reference profile; Williams was born in Bristol and raised in Clutton.
Accent profiles are anchored to primary-source regional recordings from the International Dialects of English Archive, not to any individual performance.
Is my accent West Country?
The only way to answer that against real data is to compare your own speech to the profile. The quiz takes about four minutes: answer 26 questions, pin the town where you grew up, and see your closest accent matches ranked by how well they fit — plus where people who answer like you actually live.