With its distinctive colloquialisms and charming slang, the Yorkshire accent can be heard across many popular TV shows and media outlets due to its appealing sound.
In this article
With its distinctive colloquialisms and charming slang, the Yorkshire accent can be heard across many popular TV shows and media outlets due to its appealing sound.
For your own audiovisual production, choosing a British voiceover with an accent of Yorkshire can be a great decision! Not only will you connect with your wider audience thanks to the naturally friendly sound of the Yorkshire accent, but you’ll also be able better to personify people from specific geographical areas in the UK.
Plus, using a Yorkshire accent for your voiceover project with GoLocalise will allow you to play around with stereotypes, accents, and slang.
Listen to Joe, a voice artist from Golocalise, speaking with a Yorkshire accent:
Let’s dive further into the article, and learn how to do a Yorkshire accent. We’ve included all of the rules that you’ll need to follow below to help you to grasp all you need to know about this accent duck. You’ll have to look elsewhere for a Yorkshire pudding recipe though…
History of the Yorkshire Accent
As one of the most recognized accents in the UK, the accent of Yorkshire is also one of the most loved in the country. The county of Yorkshire encompasses Leeds, York, and Huddersfield, to name a few and dates back thousands of years.
Today, the Yorkshire accent is one of the most widely spoken in the North of England but is different to a Brummie accent. However, just as with Brummie, it does have humble beginnings.
The Yorkshire dialect and accent, as with most British accents, traces back to the Saxon period, with some influence from the Vikings too who settled in this area of the country. Under Danelaw, modern Yorkshire as we know it, was established.
To describe a Yorkshire accent, we should look at its origins where many of the dialects’ derived. Containing some excellent examples of Old English such as the sound ‘owt’ which is used in the words ‘nowt’ meaning ‘nothing’ and ‘owt’ to infer ‘anything’.
Yes, the Yorkshire accent and associated slang can be quite confusing to an outsider, but luckily, GoLocalise will have you speaking the accent like a pro in no time!
Speaking With a Yorkshire Accent
In this section, we’ll learn how to speak with a Yorkshire accent and master its pronunciation, just as the real folk do.
There are certain rules to keep in mind and extra tips that can be helpful to you along the way. We’ve included all of the information needed below, in no time you’ll be speaking with a Yorkshire accent.
How to sound like you’re from Yorkshire starting with ‘a’
Let’s start with some of the basic rules; a Yorkshire accent depends on certain sounds, with lots of focus on the ‘a’ vowel.
Learning how to listen out for this ‘a’ sound is a good starting point as it’s one of the most prominent features of a Yorkshire accent.
The ‘a’ sound often seems like it has an ‘r’ on the end of it. For example, unlike the shortCockney ‘a’, ‘bath’ would be said like ‘barth’.
Omit the article ‘the’
If you watch any Yorkshire accent YouTube video, you’ll notice that ‘the’ changes to ‘t’.
In the Yorkshire accent, many words are shortened but ‘the’ is one of the most typical. For example, if you were to say ‘I’m going to the shop’ in a Yorkshire accent it would be ‘I’m going t’ shop’.
Learn Yorkshire slang (there’s plenty of it!)
One thing that sets British accents apart from American accents is the use of British slang. Slang is so varied depending on where you visit and Yorkshire slang is no exception.
We’ve listed some of the most common Yorkshire slang you’ll need to start using if you’re to become a Yorkshire accent voiceover artist:
- How do – meaning ‘how are you?’
- Faffing – meaning ‘messing’
- Anno – meaning ‘I know’
- Nowt and owt – meaning ‘nothing’ and ‘anything’
- Ow much – meaning ‘how much’
- Gip – meaning ‘sick’
- Eeh by gum – meaning ‘oh my gosh’
- Bagsy – meaning ‘I claim that’
- Gander – meaning ‘to look’
- Now then – meaning ‘hello’
- Ta’ra – meaning ‘goodbye’
Famous Yorkshire Accent Examples
There are many great examples of the Yorkshire accent amongst celebrities and on TV. For instance, Downton Abbey, which is set in Yorkshire, sees the likes of Mr Carson, Mrs Hughes, and John Bates speak with the accent.
If you want to brush up on your Yorkshire accent skills, GoLocalise recommends sitting on the sofa with a ‘cuppa’ to watch it.
Other examples of celebrities with a Yorkshire accent include Guy Martin, a famous TV personality and motorbike racer, Mel B from The Spice Girls and Jeremy Clarkson known for presenting Top Gear.
Another great way to immerse yourself in the true Yorkshire accent is to watch the Four Yorkshiremen Sketch, a comedy sketch written and performed by members of the future comedy group Monty Python.
You’ll be guaranteed a few laughs and will gain a deeper understanding of the accents’ peculiar colloquialisms!
Voice Over in All British English Accents
GoLocalise is a leading voice over agencies dedicated to providing you with the best voice overs in all British English accent.
We work with the very best voice over artists in the UK, including artists with authentic accents. From Yorkshire and Scouse, to the regionally neutral received pronunciation accent, we have you covered.
Choose GoLocalise for top quality audiovisual projects that meet all of your requirements and expectations. Our directory of native UK voice actors enables you to find the perfect voice over artist for your unique project.
Contact us today to find out more information and kickstart your project!
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