Cardiff accent?

[interviewed]

Hello there,

Does anyone else know many people from Cardiff/ or are from Cardiff and can explain the accent to me.

I have a new colleague who is from Cardiff but she doesn't sound Welsh to me at all. I assumed she was from the South (of England) somewhere.

I always thought people from Cardiff sounded Welsh?

Is it perhaps a class thing, as she's quite middle class?

There are a lot of different accents in Cardiff.

Yes so many different styles.
I know a few people from the Heath/Roath area who sound quite English.
Not Queens English but Portsmouthy 😂.
Some Cardiff accents sound so strong.
Ely, Canton, Grange Town are all so distinctive.
A few friends who have been away to uni have developed a new sound, maybe that's the same with her?.

I'm from Cardiff and agree with what Ryvita said.

I don't sound particularly "Cardiff" or Welsh in comparison to a lot of people here (except for perhaps a couple of words), but my aunt, who lives in Somerset, thinks I sound very Welsh.

My boyfriend sounds even less Welsh than me, but his family is rather middle class.

Celebrating I grew up in Whitchurch, and we're all pretty English sounding here too.

Agree with the Ely, Canton and Grangetown mentions though, and would have to add Tremorfa, Splott, and both Rumney and Llanrumney.

Each of those areas, however, have different variations of the Cardiff accent, and as we're a multicultural city, particularly closer to the city centre, I don't think we have an accent that's just ours.

Wait till she asks you if you fancy a clarksie, that's very Cardiff

Lived and worked in Cardiff for years and have a valleys husband. I used to love hearing all the different Welsh accent's in one place.

I'm from the valleys and think of a Cardiff accent as being like Ness in Gavin and Stacey. But I suppose that could possibly be a Barry accent?

I know quite a few people from Cardiff and most of them have quite English sounding accents (maybe sort of Bath area) but some of them have really strong Welsh accents. I don't really know why?

www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/fun-stuff/man-brilliant-accents-over-wales-12074836
Gareth Bale and Danny Gabbidon always sound quite Cardiff to me, although the latter is actually not from there.

Cardiff is more multicultural than other areas of Wales so lots of residents don't have Cardiff accents at all. I'm from the proper south east valleys and my accent isn't very strong because lots of my friends growing up and at university were English so probably watered down my accent a bit. I've never loved outside Wales though.

There are lots of different accents here. I grew up in Swansea but now live in Fairwater, and everyone here sounds very Cardiff to me, especially when they're talking about schoo-ul.

In the same way that not all English accents are the same, not all Welsh accents are you wouldn't expect someone from Newcastle to sound the same as someone from Essex would you?

I'm from and live in Cardiff, I don't think I have a strong accent at all. My English friends think I sound "Welsh", but I sound very different to friends from Bridgend or Swansea, who have stronger accents.

I grew up not far from Cardiff and - many, many moons ago - went off to Uni in Guildford. At the time, everyone at home told me I didn't have an accent (no idea why, it wasn't anything deliberate) and yet once I got to Surrey I was always being asked not just what part of Wales I came from, but what part of South Wales I came from.

In a fairly small area - from Chepstow to Abergavenny, across to Merthyr and down to Cardiff - there are umpteen variations of 'a Welsh accent'.

I get asked what part of the West Country I'm from, when I speak (I'm from Cardiff btw).

In the same way that not all English accents are the same, not all Welsh accents are hmm you wouldn't expect someone from Newcastle to sound the same as someone from Essex would you?

But the didn’t say ‘Welsh' accent, did she?? hmm She said ‘Cardiff’

It’s Not unreasonable to think someone from Birmingham will sound like someone from Birmingham, or someone from Manchester will sound like someone from Manchester is it?

Go away with your professional offence taking. This is a genuine question not an English v Welsh thing. Asking questions is good.

I don't have a Cardiff accent when I speak English. I do when I speak Welsh.

Is she bilingual?

First of all CatAndMice, how arsey is your post? You're the one taking offence, and you're not even the original OP! Get a life.

Secondly, re-read the OP - it says the colleague "doesn't sound Welsh at all". WELSH.

The 'educated' welsh accent is very subtle. Obviously there are many highly educated people with strong welsh accents, but there is also a class of 'comfortable' educated people whose accents are barely there- think of famous welsh actors (whose names I can't remember... Richard Burton? Anthony Hopkins) there is a richness and tone to the voice, along with a musicality, rather than a strong accent.

Alex on Love Island had an educated Welsh accent.

I think I have one now I've lived in England for over 30 years. My original accent, which I revert to when I phone/visit home is strong valleys shwmpo though. My kids find it highly amusing.