English (Mancunian)

Mancunian English (project code en_manc) comprises the accents and dialects of Manchester and much of the surrounding Greater Manchester conurbation in North West England. It belongs to the northern English dialect area and usually lacks the FOOT–STRUT split, while BATH words generally retain the short TRAP vowel. Distinctive but variable features include a relatively lax or lowered final vowel in happY words, especially in working-class speech, and “velar nasal plus,” in which /ɡ/ may be retained after /ŋ/ in words such as singer or in final -ng. FACE and GOAT vowels, intonation, vocabulary, and grammar vary across districts, social classes, ethnic groups, and generations. The variety is therefore not a single fixed accent: regional levelling is changing some features, while others remain strong markers of local identity; formal writing follows standard British English conventions.