The Brummie accent and Birmingham words

The Brummie accent is one of the most recognisable in Britain. It is warm, friendly and full of character, and it is often unfairly mocked. The words and phrases that go with it are part of what makes Birmingham special. Here is a guide to how Brummies speak.

A misunderstood accent

Surveys have often ranked the Brummie accent low in public opinion, but many linguists argue that there is nothing wrong with it. It is one of the oldest urban accents in Britain, and it has deep roots in the speech of the English Midlands.

Brummie is closely related to, but different from, the Black Country accent spoken just to the west of the city. People from outside the area often mix them up, but locals can tell the difference immediately.

How it sounds

The Brummie accent has a distinctive rising and falling tone. Some vowel sounds are pronounced differently from standard English: the word I can sound more like oi, and words like bus and up have a short u sound, as they do across much of the north and Midlands.

Famous Brummie voices

Many well-known people have kept their Brummie accents, including Ozzy Osbourne, the comedian Jasper Carrott, the musician Jeff Lynne, the writer Benjamin Zephaniah and the television presenter Adrian Chiles.

The television series Peaky Blinders brought the Birmingham accent to audiences around the world, although many locals felt the actors' versions were not quite right.

Brummie words and phrases

Here are some of the words and phrases you might hear in Birmingham:

• Bab: a friendly term of address, similar to love or darling.
• Tara-a-bit: goodbye, see you later.
• Bostin: excellent or great.
• Cob: a bread roll.
• Babby: a baby.
• Island: a roundabout.
• Gambol: a forward roll.
• Mom: mum. Brummies spell and say it with an o.
• Yam yam: a playful name for someone from the Black Country.
• Tip: a messy place, or a rubbish dump.
• The outdoor: an old word for an off-licence.

Where do the words come from?

Many Brummie words have roots in old English dialects, while others came from the city's industrial past or from the communities who settled in the city over the centuries.

Changing speech

Like all accents, Brummie is changing. Young people in Birmingham today often speak in a way that mixes the traditional accent with influences from the city's many communities, including Caribbean and South Asian English. This new urban speech is a sign of a living, evolving city.

Proud to be Brummie

For many people from Birmingham, their accent is a source of pride. It is a reminder of where they come from, and of a city that has always been friendly, down to earth and welcoming.

So next time someone calls you bab, take it as the warm greeting it is meant to be.