English language in Southern England

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English in Southern England is the collective set of different dialects and accents of Modern English spoken in Southern England. As of the 21st century, a wide class of dialects labelled "Estuary English" is on the rise in southeastern England, including the home counties (the counties bordering London), which was the traditional interface between the London urban region and more local rural accents. Commentators report widespread homogenisation in southern England in the 20th century (Kerswill & Williams 2000; Britain 2002). This involved a process of levelling between the extremes of working-class Cockney in inner-city London and the careful upper-class standard accent of southern England, Received Pronunciation (RP), popular in the 20th century with upper-middle- and upper-class residents. Now spread throughout the South East region, Estuary English is the resulting mainstream accent that combines features of both Cockney and a more middle-class RP. Less affluent areas have variants...

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