Birmingham versus Black Country

According to Gibson (1955, cited in Heath 1980: 87), it is apparent “even to the casual visitor” that the phonetic system of the Black Country differs fundamentally from that of other localities in the neighborhood of the Black Country – or at least, it was so in the 1950s. However, Heath (1980: 87) considers this an exaggerated claim.

Biddulph (1986: 17) claims (anecdotally) to have noted significant differences between the Black Country (Bilston) dialect as represented by Fletcher (1975), and his own native dialect, that of the Nechells area of Birmingham. Specific differences he proposes would seem to include (at least):

(1) MOUTH: Bilston [a:] versus Nechells ;

(2) TRAP/BATH: Bilston  versus Nechells [æ] before nasal consonants;

(3) D: Bilston  versus Nechells [d] in dead, death;

(4) H: Bilston [j] versus Nechells ∅ in head;

(5) H: Bilston ∅ versus Nechells [j] in year.