Editing Estuary English (section)

==Features==
Published accounts of EE describe it mainly in terms of differences from contemporary RP and from Cockney. Wells (1994) states that "Estuary English (EE) is like RP, but unlike Cockney, in being associated with standard grammar and usage". Differences are found at phonemic and allophonic levels. 

===Features distinguishing EE from RP===
Wells identifies a small number of key features that may distinguish EE from RP; these features may be summarized as follows:

* [[L-vocalization|/l/-vocalization]]
* [[T-glottalization|/t/-glottalization]]
* Diphthong shift
* [[Phonological history of English consonant clusters#Yod-coalescence|Yod-coalescence]]

Other distinguishing features have been suggested by other studies:

* [[Th-fronting|''Th''-fronting]]
* Other vowel differences

====/l/-vocalization====
It has been widely observed that EE exhibits vocalization of preconsonantal/final /l/, perhaps with various vowel mergers before it (an informal example being "miwk bottoo" for "milk bottle"). Wells cites the specific case of allophony in GOAT (> [ɒʊ] before dark /l/ or its reflex), leading perhaps to a phonemic split ("wholly" vs. "holy"). This topic is usually referred to as [[L-vocalization]]. There is said to be alternation between the vocalized {{IPA|[o ~ ʊ ~ ɯ]}}, dark non-vocalized {{IPA|[ɫ]}} and clear non-vocalized {{IPA|[l]}}, depending on the word.<ref name="przed45"/> These alternations happen in final positions or in a final consonant cluster, e.g. ''sold'' (pronounced {{IPA|[sɔʊd]}}). In London, that may even occur before a vowel: ''girl out'' {{IPA|[ɡɛo ˈæoʔ]}}.<ref name="ashby">{{Harvcoltxt|Ashby|2011}}</ref> In all phonetic environments, male London speakers were at least twice as likely to vocalize the dark l as female London speakers.<ref name="ashby"/> According to {{Harvcoltxt|Ladefoged|Maddieson|1996}}, the vocalized dark l is sometimes an unoccluded lateral approximant, which differs from the RP {{IPA|[ɫ]}} only by the lack of the alveolar contact.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Ladefoged|Maddieson|1996|p=193}}</ref>

/l/-vocalization can lead to loss of distinctions between some vowels and diphthongs. Examples of [[English-language vowel changes before historic /l/|vowel mergers before historic {{IPA|/l/|cat=no}}]] found in EE are:

* {{IPA|/iːl/}} (as in {{sc2|REEL}}) merges with {{IPA|/ɪəl/}} (as in {{sc2|REAL}}).<ref name="wells94"/> 
* {{IPA|/ɔɪl/}} (as in {{sc2|OIL}}) merges with {{IPA|/ɔɪəl/}} (as in {{sc2|ROYAL}}).<ref name="wells94"/>
* {{IPA|/aʊl/}} (as in {{sc2|OWL}}) merges with {{IPA|/aʊəl/}} (as in {{sc2|VOWEL}}).<ref name="wells94"/>
* Other possible mergers include the following:
** {{IPA|/iːl/}} (as in {{sc2|FEEL}}) can merge with {{IPA|/ɪl/}} (as in {{sc2|FILL}}).<ref name="wells94"/> Since {{IPA|/ɪəl/}} merges with {{IPA|/iːl/}},<ref name="wells94"/> it also participates in this merger.
** {{IPA|/uːl/}} (as in {{sc2|POOL}}) can merge with both {{IPA|/ʊl/}} (as in {{sc2|PULL}}) and {{IPA|/ɔːl/}} (as in {{sc2|PAUL}}).<ref name="wells94"/>
** {{IPA|/eɪl/}} (as in {{sc2|VEIL}}) can merge with both {{IPA|/æl/}} (as in {{sc2|VAL}}) and {{IPA|/aʊəl/}} (as in {{sc2|VOWEL}}).<ref name="wells94"/>
** {{IPA|/ɛl/}} (as in {{sc2|WELL}}) can merge with {{IPA|/ɜːl/}} (as in {{sc2|WHIRL}}).<ref name="wells94"/>
** {{IPA|/aɪl/}} (as in {{sc2|CHILD'S}}) can merge with {{IPA|/ɑːl/}} (as in {{sc2|CHARLES}}).<ref name="wells94"/>
** {{IPA|/ɒl/}} (as in {{sc2|DOLL}}) can merge with {{IPA|/ɒʊl/}} (as in {{sc2|DOLE}}).<ref name="wells94"/>

{{Harvcoltxt|Przedlacka|2001}} found coda {{IPA|/l/}} pronounced as clear {{IPAblink|l}}, as in most accents of [[Irish English]], in some speakers: she notes that in her study, "all four Essex speakers have a clear {{IPA|[l]}} in ''pull''."<ref name="przed45">{{Harvcoltxt|Przedlacka|2001|p=45}}</ref>

/l/-vocalization appears to be spreading into RP (or GB, the similar accent referred to by some writers). Collins et al say "Traditional RP speakers tend to stigmatize this feature, which is nevertheless one of the most striking changes going on in present-day GB English".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Collins |first1=Beverley |last2=Mees |first2=Inger |last3=Carley |first3=Paul |title=Practical English Phonetics and Phonology |date=2019 |publisher=Routledge |page=73 |edition=4th }}</ref>

====/t/-glottalization====
The term [[glottalization]] has several different meanings: the most important are [[Glottalization#Glottal_reinforcement | glottal reinforcement]] (or ''pre-glottalization''), where a glottal closure accompanies an oral closure, and [[Glottalization#Glottal_replacement |glottal replacement]], where a glottal closure is substituted for an oral consonant.

Although glottalization of /t/ has been singled out for attention in discussion of EE features, pre-glottalization of /p/, /k/ and /tʃ/ is also widespread in RP, particularly when another consonant follows. Examples are "popcorn" [ˈpɒʔpkɔːn], "electric" [ɪˈleʔktrɪk], "butcher" [ˈbʊʔtʃə].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Roach |first1=Peter |title=Glottalisation of English /p,t,k,tʃ/: a re-examination |journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association |date=1973 |volume=3 |pages=10–21|doi=10.1017/S0025100300000633 |s2cid=145061712 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ward |first1=Ida |title=The Phonetics of English |date=1945 |publisher=Heffer |pages=135–6 |edition=3rd }}</ref>
Wells proposes that in transcribing EE, the glottal stop symbol [ʔ] could be used in contexts where the consonant in question is preceded by a vowel and followed by a consonant or the end of a word: examples are "bit" [bɪʔ], "football" [ˈfʊʔbɔo], "belt" [beoʔ], "Cheltenham" [ˈtʃeoʔnəm], "bent" [benʔ], "Bentley" [ˈbenʔli].
Pre-glottalization of /t/ therefore appears to be present both in RP and in EE.

Glottal ''replacement'' of /t/ may be found when /t/ occurs before another consonant. Examples from RP where /t/ is replaced by a glottal stop are: "that table" [ˌðæʔ ˈteɪbəl], "Scotland" [ˈskɒʔlənd], "witness" [ˈwɪʔnəs].{{sfnp|Cruttenden|2014|p=184}} The most extreme case of glottal replacement is when a glottal stop takes the place of /t/ between vowels (normally when the preceding vowel is stressed). Examples are "not on" [ˌnɒʔ ˈɒn], "bottle" [ˈbɒʔo]. Wells says "glottalling word-internally before a vowel is well-known as a "rough" pronunciation variant: thus EE water ˈwɔːtə, but Cockney ˈwɔʊʔə".<ref name="wells94"/> However, in work published twenty years later, Cruttenden (p 184) remarks that such glottal replacement "was until recently stigmatized as non-GB but all except [ʔl̩] are now acceptable in London RGB" (i.e. EE). He continues "Use of [ʔ] for /t/ word-medially intervocalically, as in ''water'', still remains stigmatized in GB".

====Diphthong shift====
EE is said to exhibit diphthong shift, particularly of the FACE, PRICE, MOUTH and GOAT vowels (informal example: "nime" for "name").
* {{IPA|/əʊ/}} (as in {{sc2|GOAT}}) may be realised in a couple of different ways. According to {{Harvcoltxt|Przedlacka|2001}}, it is any of the following: {{IPA|[əʊ]}}, {{IPA|[ɐʊ]}}, {{IPA|[əʏ]}} or {{IPA|[ɐʏ]}}. The last two are more often used by females.<ref name="przed44">{{Harvcoltxt|Przedlacka|2001|p=44}}</ref> She also notes a fully rounded diphthong {{IPA|[oʊ]}} (found in some speakers from Essex),<ref name="przed44"/> as well as two rare monophthongal realizations, namely {{IPAblink|ɐː}} and {{IPAblink|o̞ː}}.<ref name="przed44"/> 
* {{IPA|/eɪ/}} (as in {{sc2|FACE}}), can be realised as {{IPA|[ɛ̝ɪ]}}, {{IPA|[ɛɪ]}}, {{IPA|[ɛ̞ɪ]}} or {{IPA|[æɪ]}},<ref name="przed44"/> with {{IPA|[ɛɪ]}} and {{IPA|[ɛ̞ɪ]}} being predominant. it can also be realised as {{IPA|[eɪ]}}, {{IPA|[ɐɪ]}} or {{IPA|[ʌɪ]}}.<ref name="wells94"/>
* {{IPA|/aɪ/}} (as in {{sc2|PRICE}}) can be realised as {{IPA|[aɪ]}}, {{IPA|[a̠ɪ]}}, {{IPA|[ɑ̟ɪ]}}, {{IPA|[ɒ̟ɪ]}}, {{IPA|[ɑɪ]}} or {{IPA|[ɒɪ]}}.<ref name="przed44"/>
* {{IPA|/aʊ/}} (as in {{sc2|MOUTH}}) can be realised as {{IPA|[aʊ]}}, {{IPA|[aʏ]}}, {{IPA|[æə]}}, {{IPA|[æʊ]}} or {{IPA|[æʏ]}}.<ref name="przed44"/> {{IPA|[a]}} denotes a front onset {{IPAblink|a}}, not a central one {{IPAblink|ä|a̠}}.<ref name="przed44"/>
* ''Board'' {{IPA|/bɔːd/}} may be pronounced differently from ''bored'' {{IPA|/bɔəd/}}.<ref name="parsons39">{{Harvcoltxt|Parsons|1998|p=39}}</ref> {{IPA|/ɔː/}} (phonetically {{IPA|[ɔʊ]}} or {{IPAblink|oː}})<ref name="parsons39"/> appears before consonants, and {{IPA|/ɔə/}} (phonetically {{IPA|[ɔə]}} or {{IPAblink|ɔː}})<ref name="parsons39"/> appears at a morpheme boundary.<ref name="parsons39"/> However, {{Harvcoltxt|Przedlacka|2001}} states that both {{IPA|/ɔː/}} and {{IPA|/ɔə/}} may have the same monophthongal quality {{IPAblink|ɔː}}.<ref name="przed43">{{Harvcoltxt|Przedlacka|2001|p=43}}</ref>

====Yod-coalescence====

[[Phonological history of English consonant clusters#Yod-coalescence|Yod-coalescence]] is found in EE: the use of the affricates {{IPAblink|d͡ʒ}} and {{IPAblink|t͡ʃ}} instead of the clusters {{IPA|[dj]}} and {{IPA|[tj]}} in words like ''dune'' and ''Tuesday'' results in the words sounding like ''June'' and ''choose day'', respectively. Although at the time when most studies of EE were carried out, yod-coalescence was not common in RP, it has now become so widely accepted that RP-based pronunciation dictionaries include it. Thus the latest edition of the Cambridge [[English Pronouncing Dictionary]] gives /dʒuːn/ and /tʃuːz.deɪ/ as the preferred pronunciations;<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Daniel |last2=Roach |first2=Peter |last3=Setter |first3=Jane |last4=Esling |first4=John |title=Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary |date=2011 |publisher=Cambridge |edition=18th }}</ref> the Longman Pronunciation Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary of Pronunciation give /djuːn/ and /tjuːzdeɪ/ as their first preference, but give /dʒuːn/ and /tʃuːz.deɪ/ as second preference.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wells |first1=John |title=Longman Pronunciation Dictionary |date=2008 |publisher=Longman |edition=3rd}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Upton |first1=Clive |last2=Kretzschmar |first2=William |last3=Konopka |first3=Rafal |title=Oxford Dictionary of Pronunciation for Current English |date=2001 }}</ref> It cannot be said that the presence of yod-coalescence distinguishes EE from RP.

====''th''-fronting====
It has been suggested that [[th-fronting|''th''-fronting]] is "currently making its way" into Estuary English, for example those from the [[Isle of Thanet]] often refer to Thanet as "Plannit Fannit" (Planet Thanet).<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Altendorf|1999}}</ref> However, this feature was also present in the traditional dialect of Essex before the spread of Estuary English.<ref name="John Benjamins Publishing">{{cite book |editor1-first=David|editor1-last=Britain |editor2-first=Jenny |editor2-last=Cheshire|title=Social Dialectology: In Honour of Peter Trudgill |url=https://archive.org/details/socialdialectolo00trud |url-access=limited |year=2003 |publisher=John Benjamins Publishing |location=Amsterdam |page=[https://archive.org/details/socialdialectolo00trud/page/n234 233] |chapter=Dialect levelling and geographical diffusion in British English |isbn=9781588114037 }}</ref>

====Other vowel differences====

* {{IPA|/iː/}} (as in {{sc2|FLEECE}}) can be realised as {{IPAblink|iː}}, {{IPA|[ɪi]}} or {{IPA|[əi]}},<ref name="przed43"/> with the first two variants predominating.<ref name="przed42">{{Harvcoltxt|Przedlacka|2001|p=42}}</ref> Before the dark l, it is sometimes a center diphthong {{IPA|[iə]}}.<ref name="przed43"/>
* {{IPA|/uː/}} (as in {{sc2|GOOSE}}) can be realised in many different ways, such as monophthongs {{IPAblink|ʏː}}, {{IPAblink|ɪ|ɪ̝ː}}, {{IPAblink|ʉː}}, {{IPAblink|ɨː}}, {{IPA|[ʉ̠ː]}}, {{IPAblink|u|u̟ː}}<ref name="przed43"/> and diphthongs {{IPA|[ɘɵ]}}, {{IPA|[ɘʏ]}}, {{IPA|[ʏɨ]}} and {{IPA|[ʊu]}}.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Przedlacka|2001|pp=43–44}}</ref> Front pronunciations ({{IPAblink|ʏː}}, {{IPAblink|ɪ|ɪ̝ː}}, {{IPA|[ɘʏ]}} and {{IPA|[ʏɨ]}}) are more often encountered in female speakers.<ref name="przed43"/> Before dark /l/, it is always back.<ref name="wells94"/>
* /ʊ/ (as in {{sc2|FOOT}}) can be realised as [<nowiki/>[[Close central rounded vowel|ʉ]]], [<nowiki/>[[Close central unrounded vowel|ɨ]]],    [<nowiki/>[[Near-close near-front rounded vowel|ʏ]]] or [<nowiki/>[[Near-close near-back rounded vowel|ʊ]]], as in RP. Only the last variant appears before a dark l. <ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Lodge|2009|p=174}}</ref><ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Altendorf|Watt|2004|pp=188 and 191–192}}</ref>
* {{IPA|/ɔː/}} (as in {{sc2|THOUGHT}}), according to {{Harvcoltxt|Przedlacka|2001}}, can be pronounced in two different ways: diphthongal {{IPA|[oʊ]}} in closed syllables and {{IPA|[ɔə]}} or {{IPA|[ɔ̝ə]}} in open syllables<ref name="przed43"/> and monophthongal {{IPAblink|ɔː}}.<ref name="przed43"/> According to {{Harvcoltxt|Parsons|1998}}, it is either {{IPA|[ɔʊ]}} or {{IPAblink|oː}} before consonants, and either {{IPA|[ɔə]}} or {{IPA|[ɔː]}} at a morpheme boundary.<ref name="parsons39"/>
* {{IPA|/ʌ/}} (as in {{sc2|STRUT}}) can be realised as {{IPAblink|ɒ}}, {{IPAblink|ʌ}}, {{IPAblink|ɐ}}, {{IPA|[ɐ̟]}} or {{IPAblink|æ}},<ref name="przed43"/> with {{IPAblink|ɐ}} being predominant.<ref name="przed43"/> The first two variants occur mostly before {{IPA|/ŋ/}}.<ref name="przed43"/> The last two variants are more often used by females.<ref name="przed43"/>
* {{IPA|/æ/}} (as in {{sc2|TRAP}}) can be realised as {{IPAblink|a}}, {{IPA|[a̝]}}, {{IPAblink|æ}}, {{IPA|[ɛ̞]}} or {{IPAblink|ɛ}}.<ref name="przed43"/><ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Altendorf|Watt|2004|p=188}}. They list {{IPAblink|a}}, {{IPA|[a̝]}} and {{IPAblink|æ}}.</ref>

===Features distinguishing EE from Cockney===
Wells suggests that EE differs from Cockney in a few key features.
 
* EE differs from Cockney in usually not being characterized by [[h-dropping]] before stressed vowels (informal example: " 'and on 'eart" for "hand on heart")
* [[Th-fronting]] (e.g. "I fink" for "I think", but see [[#th-fronting|above]])
* Cockney may have monophthongal realization of the MOUTH vowel ("Sahfend" for "Southend").