A contrastive study of the vowel systems: Received Pronunciation and Northern Irish English.

Facultad de Filología GRADO EN ESTUDIOS INGLESES TRABAJO DE FIN DE GRADO CURSO: 2024/2025 Título: A contrastive study of the vowel systems: Received Pronunciation and Northern Irish English. Alumno: Lucía Gómez Rosas Firmado: Tutor: Esaúl Ruíz Narbona ****************** ****************** ****************** Table of contents 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………… 1 2. Objectives and methodology …………………………………………………...... 4 2.1. Objectives …………………………………………………………………… 4 2.2. Methodology ………………………………………………………………… 5 3. Vowels and Consonants …………………………………………………………... 6 3.1. Describing vowels …………………………………………………………….8 3.1.1. Tongue Height ……………………………………………………….....8 3.1.2. Frontness and Backness ………………………………………………. 9 3.1.3. Position of the lips.……………………….……………………………10 3.1.4. Duration ……………………………………………………………….10 3.1.5. Position of the soft palate ……………………………………………...11 4. RP English vowels ………………………………………………………………...11 4.1. Short vowels ………………………………………………………………… 12 4.2. Long vowels ………………………………………………………………… 12 4.3. Diphthongs ………………………………………………………………….. 13 5. NIE vowels ………………………………………………………………………. 15 5.1. Short vowels ………………………………………………………………… 15 5.1.1. High vowels ………………………………………………………….. 15 5.1.2. Mid vowels ……………………………………………………………16 5.1.3. Low vowels ……………………………………………………………17 5.2. Long vowels ………………………………………………………………….17 5.2.1. High vowels …………………………………………………………...17 5.2.2. Mid vowels …………………………………………………………….19 5.2.3. Low vowels…………………………………………………………….19 5.3. Diphthongs ……………………………………………………………………19 5.3.1. Closing diphthongs …………………………………………………….19 5.3.2. Centring diphthongs ……………………………………………………21 6. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………22 7. Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………….23 Abstract This work explores the vowel system of Northern Irish English (NIE), with a particular focus on the variety spoken in Derry. Despite the standard recognition in phonetic and phonological studies attributed to the Received Pronunciation (RP), this work points out the diversity of English accents within the UK. Thus, in order to achieve this goal, a description and classification of vowels have been done based on major works of experts in the field of phonetics. Once the framework of the work has been discussed, a deeper comparison of the RP and NIE vowel systems has been established. In addition, to illustrate all this data, the analysis of the NIE has been supported with real speech examples from the TV show Derry Girls, challenging the predominance of RP English and promoting the inclusion of other English accents. Keywords: Northern Irish English, Received Pronunciation, vowel system, phonological variation, Derry Girls, language and identity. 1 1. Introduction English is currently the most widely used language in the world as it works as the means for international communication in areas such as trade, science or international relations. It is not only one of the largest languages globally, but also in terms of native speakers with approximately 400 million at the turn of the twenty first century (Crystal, 2002: 1). Throughout the English Studies degree, one has the impression that these speakers are almost exclusively distributed in the United States, and especially in the United Kingdom, when in fact, British speakers represent a small minority of people who use English as a means of everyday communication, either as a first or as a second language (Crystal, 2002: 2-4). This is partly so due to the high prestige attributed to Standard British English and its pronunciation, RP English. This accent of English is the one that features most often in British media, the one that most proficient learners of English tend to imitate (at least in Europe) and the one that is most widely taught to foreign learners (together with General American English) across the world. However, it is in the field of linguistics and phonetics and phonology in particular, where this variety is omnipresent, as it serves as the model for description in most introductory courses. Thus, for most students, English phonetics and phonology equal RP English. We must be aware of the fact that RP English is by no means the sole variety available to British speakers, and even prestigious as it is, it may be faced with opposition by some speakers in neighbouring areas. That is precisely the case with the areas of Northern Ireland, whose pronunciation is the focus of this paper. As Corrigan explains (2010: 1), the island of Ireland is currently divided into two states. Twenty-four of its thirty counties conform the Republic of Ireland, an independent state since 1922, which has a majority Irish Catholic population. The island’s six northernmost counties (also known as Ulster) constitute Northern Ireland, one of the territories of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (See Map 1 below). Its population is mostly Protestant and supports, for the most part, British rule over this territory. 2 Figure 1: Map of Ireland. The division of the country fostered the resentment of Irish nationalists who had been struggling for independence from the United Kingdom for centuries. This resentment grew in turn, given the fact that the Irish Catholic minority in Northern Ireland was clearly discriminated against. This tension eventually gave rise to a period of conflict and continuous street violence known as The Troubles (Na tríoblóidí in Irish) from 1968 to 1998, in which thousands of people lost their lives or were wounded. The conflict was brought to an end after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. This treaty set the stage for Irish-British dialogue, beginning with the abolition of the border that separated both territories. Additionally, it established the right for Northern Irish citizens to hold either the Irish or British citizenship, or both, if they wished so. For more on the recent history of Ireland, see O’Toole (2015), and for the Troubles, see Wallenfeldt (2025). One of the towns where the conflict hit hardest was the Northern Irish town of Derry (for more information, see Britannica, Londonderry 1 ). This was mainly due to two reasons: on the one hand, its proximity to the south border, and more importantly, because it was, and remains, the only major urban centre in Northern Ireland with an Irish Catholic 1 Londonderry is the British name of the town. Irish Catholics utterly reject it and prefer the name Derry, the English version of the original Irish name Doire. 3 majority. This group is represented by the idealistic schoolgirl Erin Quinn and her friends, the protagonists of the TV show Derry Girls, produced by Netflix and available on stream, and created by Lisa McGee, which has served as the source of data as far as the illustration of Northern Irish pronunciation in this work. This TV show tells about the everyday life of a group of Irish Catholic school girls and their families in the mid and late 1990’s. The tone of the show is funny and is full of comical everyday situations that tend to contrast the girls’ idealism and real life. Their plans and aspirations tend to end up badly, although in a way that makes the spectator laugh and makes the girls learn a lesson. In spite of its comical tone, the show also makes reference to what life was like during the Troubles, and the problems that Irish Catholics may have faced in a town like Derry at the time. Following this overall positive tone of the show, the last episode features the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and the end of the violence in Northern Ireland. As discussed above, the speech in Derry Girls has been used to illustrate the pronunciation of vowels in Northern Ireland, which is the focus of this study. However, just as English is not monolithic worldwide, English in Northern Ireland also presents variation. As Corrigan points out (2010: 19), linguistically speaking, three major varieties have been considered in this territory: Ulster Scots (US henceforth), South Ulster Scots (SUE henceforth) and Mid Ulster English (Mid Ulster English henceforth), to which the town of Derry belongs (See map 2). Other considerations, however, must be born in mind too, such as age, social class, identification with Irishness and/or Catholicism or Britishness and/or Protestantism. Additionally, part of the population should be considered bidialectal as these speakers use both a local variety and the Northern Irish English standard in their everyday lives. Finally, it is also worth mentioning that English is not the only language spoken in this territory. According to the census registered by the NISRA (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency), 12.45% of Northern Irish citizens are proficient in Irish, while Ulster Scots is spoken by approximately 10.38% of the population. 4 Figure 2: The major dialect zones of Northern Ireland (Corrigan, 2010: 16) The introduction to this work is followed by six sections. Objectives and methodology establish the main aims of this work and the methodology followed. The theoretical framework focuses on the difference between consonants and vowels and the means used to describe and classify the latter. Vowels in RP English offers an overview of vowels in this variety of English and describes its main features. This is followed by the description of vowels in Northern Irish English, together with examples taken from Derry Girls. This paper closes with the conclusion and the bibliography section. 2. Objectives and methodology 2.1. Objectives The main objective of this paper is to offer an overview of the phonological system of Northern Irish English with a focus on the vowel system. This is due mainly to two reasons, on the one hand, space constraints do not allow for an in-depth description of both the vowel and consonant systems, since, as will be shown below in the case of vowels, the Northern Irish variety differs considerably from RP English. On the other 5 hand, the most remarkable differences with respect to RP English can be found in the vowel system, as far as pronunciation is concerned. Vowel realisation is what immediately catches the attention of those people who are only or mostly familiar with the standard British variety. In addition to this general overview of the vowel system of NIE, with an emphasis on the pronunciation in the Derry area, this paper offers a description of the RP system that serves as a basis for comparison. Since, as explained above, RP English is the system that is most widely referenced when English pronunciation is discussed, a comparison of both this system and the Northern Irish one may be helpful for readers in order to better understand the subtleties in the description of the Northern Irish vowels. Finally, this work aims to raise awareness of the fact that even if RP may be held in high esteem by most speakers and that its role as prestigious pronunciation in the UK and worldwide is indisputable, even within the British Isles, other varieties, spoken by different individuals that do not necessarily identify with RP and what it conveys, are used in everyday contexts such as in conversations with families and friends, in school, etc. Even though these varieties may not be as visible in prestigious media such as the news, they are an essential part of the communities where they are used. The TV show chosen for this video is a perfect example of this, since language variety is an inextricable part of what makes these girls from Derry feel credible in their context. Furthermore, this work serves to highlight that independently of its status as a model for the description of English phonology, any variety of English can be eligible for such a description and that there is nothing that sets RP English apart from other varieties from a purely linguistic point of view. 2.2. Methodology From a methodological point of view, the basis of this work is mainly theoretical. A description of the RP system serves as a term of comparison for the description of the NIE system. These descriptions follow major scholarly works in the field, such as Roach (2010) for RP, and Hickey (2004) and Corrigan (2010) for NIE. In addition to the purely theoretical description, I decided to include examples of actual utterances found in the TV show Derry Girls (Netflix, 2018-2022) so that readers may actually hear how these vowels are uttered in real speech. These examples will serve thus to support, or contradict in some cases, the data discussed following previous works. 6 Furthermore, these examples may serve to disambiguate contradicting descriptions or may highlight the tendency of Derry speakers in favour of one variable or another in cases where more than one variable for a vowel sound is available in Northern Ireland. As for the compilation of examples itself, even if the whole TV show, consisting of three seasons, 19 episodes, approximately 20 minutes long, has been taken into account, the examples discussed in this paper have been taken from three different scenes only, all of them part of season 3. This has been done in order to facilitate access to scenes for every reader who may wish to listen to these examples. Bearing in mind that examples of practically all vowels are easily found in every scene of the show, restricting examples to only three scenes made references easier. The scenes included for reference in this paper are the following: - Scene 1: This scene is taken from episode 1, season 3, entitled “The night before” and covers from minute 6 to 7.19. After a conversation with sister Michael (the girls’ teacher), the girls and Michelle’s English cousin, James, decide to sneak into the school to get their exams. - Scene 2: Taken from episode 3 “Display the Kit Kat”, minutes 4:30 to 5:40. This is a discussion between the group of teenagers and Fra, the snack cart attendant, for a Kit Kat that is supposed to be “for display only”. - Scene 3: It covers from minutes 17 to 19 in the seventh episode, “The Agreement”. In this scene, the older characters, Joe, Gerry, Mary, Sarah and Eammon discuss the political issues related to the future Good Friday Agreement. 3. Vowels and consonants This work describes the vowel sounds in NIE. The approach is twofold in that scholarly works serve as the basis of the description, while the TV show Derry Girls is used to support or contradict the information by comparing it with real-world examples. It must be pointed out that, additionally, a description of RP English vowels will be offered. This will serve to establish a comparison with the NIE vowel system since RP is the most 13 - The vowel /ɜ:/ is a central mid vowel. The lip position is neutral, and an example can be NURSE. - The vowel /ɑ:/, which is an open vowel in the region of the cardinal vowel nº. 5 but not as back as it is and with a neutral position of the lips, is exemplified by the lexical set PALM. - The vowel /ɔ:/ is placed in tongue height between the cardinal vowel nº. 6 [ɔ] and nº.7 [o], as it is fully back and has quite strong lip-rounding. For instance, THOUGHT. - The vowel /u:/ is not very different from the cardinal vowel nº.8 [u], but the lips are only moderately rounded, and it is not so back nor close. The lexical set that exemplifies it is GOOSE. Figure 7: English long vowels (Roach 2010: 28) 4.3. Diphthongs For the RP English variety, Roach (2010: 29-30) describes a total of eight diphthongs that can be divided into two groups: centring diphthongs, which glide towards the /ə/: /ɪə, eə, ʊə/ (beard, cairn and tour); and closing diphthongs. Within this last group, two further subgroups can be identified: the one gliding towards /ɪ/: /eɪ, aɪ, ɔɪ/ (pain, time and voice); and the gliding diphthongs towards /ʊ/, in which the tongue moves closer to the roof of the mouth, and a rounding movement of the lips occurs at the same time: /əʊ, aʊ/ (load and loud respectively). 14 Figure 8: Classification of diphthongs (Roach 2010: 29) - /ɪə/ has its starting point a little closer than /ɪ/ in bit. For example, NEAR. - /eə/: beginning with the same vowel sound as the /e/ in get. For instance, SQUARE. - /ʊə/ starts closer than /ʊ/ in pull. The lexical set CURE serves as an example. - /eɪ/ has its starting point in the same place as the /e/ of men. For instance, FACE. - /aɪ/ begins with a central open vowel, which is similar to /ʌ/ in cup. PRICE is an example. - /ɔɪ/: the first part of this diphthong has the same quality as /ɔ:/ in born. For example, CHOICE. - /əʊ/: lips are slightly rounded in anticipation of the glide from the /ə/ to the /ʊ/, as in the case of GOAT. - /aʊ/: the diphthong begins with a similar /ɑ:/ but a little more front towards the /ʊ/ with slight lip-rounding. For example, MOUTH. Figure 9: Starting points and glides of RP English diphthongs (Roach 2010: 30) 15 5. NIE vowels Once the description of the RP English vowel system has been established, this section will describe the NIE vowel system in a similar way to the description of RP above. Bear in mind that vowels are classified following the RP system and that the major references in their realisation will be discussed. Thus, in spite of the fact that vowel quantity is not a relevant criterion in Northern Irish English, the description offered below will still refer to quantity as it is relevant in order to establish a comparison with the RP system. 5.1. Short vowels 5.1.1. High vowels With regards to high vowels, Corrigan (2010: 34-40) distinguishes the following sounds, attending to general descriptions of the vowel system in the NIE variety: [ɪ], near-high front as in KIT, and [ʊ], near-high back as in FOOT. - /ɪ/ This vowel appearing in the KIT lexical set is the opener and the nearer vowel to the higher position, even more than the cardinal vowel nº1 [i], showing a slight spread of the lips. Corrigan (2010: 36) points out a more central and lower collocation of the mouth, while the lips are progressively spread. The variation progresses along [ɪ]–[ɪ ] 2 -[ɛ ]–[æ ] depending on the setting and the linguistic context. For instance, the lower variations are common in Belfast and Derry working class and in US varieties when the vowel is before velar consonants or /l/. In scene 2, Orla and Erin pronounce kit as [kɛ t], as in Scene 3, where it can be appreciated how Joe and Mary give different variants for this vowel: Joe – “Sit!” [ˈsɛ t], and Mary – “When they find out about this parish hall thing” [ˈθæ ŋ/]. - /ʊ/ The vowel /ʊ/, FOOT, is close to cardinal vowel 8 [u], but more open and central, and with lip rounding. In NIE, it has a greater centralisation, resulting in mid and rounded [ʉ] for middle-class citizens in MUE/SUE areas. Furthermore, Corrigan (2010: 35) points out two more variants that are relevant for Derry pronunciation: the mid-back [ɔ ] found in 2 Diacritics that give a more centralised version of the sound, by gliding to the centre of the vocal track and maintaining a bit of rounding. (International Phonetic Association, 1999: 13, 25). 16 words such as foot [fɔ t]; and a variability between [ʉ] 3 and [ʌ], as in the case of the STRUT vowel [strʉt], being the former one the more prestigious option regionally. In Scene 3, we can hear two examples of this vowel: Mary – “I mean, what does an exparamilitary do?” [dʉ], and Eammon – “Sarah said you wouldn´t mind” [ˈwʉdənt]. 5.1.2. Mid vowels The mid vowels present in the work of Corrigan (2010: 34-40) are the mid-front [ɛ], the mid-central [ə] and the mid-back [ʌ]. - /ɛ/ The DRESS vowel, a front vowel between cardinal vowels nº. 2 [e] and nº. 3 [ɛ] and with a slight spread of lips, presents in NIE with a more open tongue height and frontness and an even more spread position of the lips. It results in [a-æ] for working-class speech in velar contexts. However, it also has the realisation of schwa /ə/ in open syllables or the close and front [i], before palatals and velars. For example, the word dreg is realised as [dɹɛig] (Corrigan 2010: 36). Michelle gives the example when she says: “If we fail, well…” in Scene 1, uttering [ˈwɛil]. - /ə/ Despite there not being much discussion concerning schwa /ə/ in the NIE variety in the works of Corrigan (2010) and Hickey (2004), they do describe it as a mid-central vowel with no rounding. Some examples of a variant have been found in the speech of Derry Girls where it has been noticed that there is a tendency towards pronouncing this vowel in a higher and more fronted position close to RP [ɪ] as in the examples from Scene 1, Michelle – “We can see we´re dealing with tonight” [tɪˈnaɪt], or Sarah - “What will happen to the barracks?” [ˈbarɪks], in Scene 3. - /ʌ/ The STRUT vowel has a central and open realisation with a neutral lip position in RP English. It presents a variation to a slightly rounded [ɔ ], more open in tongue height and with a back position in many MUE areas, being intensified in the general case of the 3 Representation of a sound common in NIE that is close, central and rounded (International Phonetic Association, 1999: 13, 25). 17 oldest and youngest males in Derry, who pronounce a more rounded and closer vowel, thus [ʉ]. Corrigan (2010: 36) exemplifies this case with the word strut [strɔ t], while some other samples can be added from the Scene 2: Michelle – “Give me the fucking KitKat” [ˈf ɔ kɪŋ], “You´re upsetting the passengers” [ɔ pˈsɛtɪŋ]; or Scene 3: Mary – “We are their mothers” [ˈmɔ ðərz]. 5.1.3. Low vowels The group of short low NIE vowels is composed of [æ], near-low front and [ɒ], near-low back, as Corrigan (2010: 34-40) states. - /æ/ The vowel in the lexical set TRAP is not as open as the front vowel [a], pronounced with the lips slightly spread. However, Corrigan (2010: 36) points out that the realisation of this vowel is maintained or has suffered a minor variation to [a]. Moreover, older speakers in Derry, together with US and Belfast varieties, realise this vowel more openly, with an [ɛ:], having a more central and neutral pronunciation in examples such as bag [bɛ:g] or as can be observed from Scene 2, Michelle – “You´re upsetting the passengers” [ˈpasɪndʒərz] or Scene 3, Sarah – “What will happen to the barracks?” [ˈbarɪks]. - /ɒ/ The vowel of LOT, which is a low, back and rounded vowel, can have two main realisations in NIE. The first variant concords with MUE and SUE regions, in which Derry is included, while the second one is common in US (Ulster Scots) dialect. In this latter dialect, there is a merger between [ɒ] and [ɔ:], in which the distinction between the two ends up in the realisation of [ɔ:], generally distinctive in MUE/SUE. For example, stock, [ˈstɒk] and stalk [ˈstɔːk] are homophonous, pronounced with [ɔ:]. In Scene 2, Fra pronounces “Oh, my God” as [ˈɡɔ:d]. 5.2. Long vowels 5.2.1. High vowels This section includes the high front [i:] and the high back [u:] vowels, according to Corrigan (2010: 34-40). - /i:/ 18 The FLEECE vowel, nearer to the cardinal vowel nº. 1 [i] than the short /ɪ/, has the lips only slightly spread, giving a different vowel quality. But in the NIE case, no distinction is made between short and long vowels, so it seems to be invariant in the case of Derry, as Corrigan (2010: 6) describes. It is also noticeable that speakers from Belfast or urban areas produce a mix of the vowel [e:] and the FACE one when they speak in a spontaneous everyday language. This is the case of words such as creature [kre:təɹ] or leave [le:v], or the sample from Scene 2, Michelle – “Stop being a dick” [ˈbeːŋ]. - /u:/ The vowel for GOOSE positions the lips in a moderately rounded way, and it is not as back and close as the cardinal vowel nº.8 [u]. In the NIE variety, this phoneme shows less lip rounding compared to the RP English one, leading to more centralised vowel pronunciation such as [ʉ], common in MC speakers in MUE/SUE areas (Corrigan 2010: 35). In addition, it is relevant to point out that FOOT and GOOSE are merged into this variant. Scene 3 can exemplify this sound with Joe – “This thing has two main aims” [ˈtʉ]. 5.2.2. Mid vowels The vowels that conform to this section, as Corrigan (2010: 34-40) points out, are the mid central [ɜː] and the mid back [ɔː]. - /ɜː/ The vowel of NURSE is a central vowel with neutral lip position. The pronunciation of this vowel in NIE shows variation. The utterance of this vowel in rural areas is not clear, showing better conservation or even a little change to [ər] or [ʌr]. But it is in Belfast, and certainly Derry, where a merger has taken place between the sounds of the words NURSE and NORTH. The mid-central sound [ɜ:] may be perceived here as an [ɔ:], more open and back, and showing lip rounding, as in the case of [bɔ rd] for bird or [tɔ ɹf] for turf. In the show, Erin pronounces “You were three” [ˈwɔːr], in Scene 1, while Joe exclaims “You heard the man” [hɔ ɹd] in Scene 3. - /ɔː/ For the THOUGHT vowel, it can be noticed that it is placed between the cardinal vowel nº. 6 [ɔ] and nº.7 [o], being fully back and having quite strong lip-rounding in RP English. In contrast, in the NIE variety, speakers from Belfast and Derry realise the NORTH vowel 19 as [o:ɹ], a slightly more mid vowel maintaining its backness and rounding. It is also relevant to mention that these speakers do not distinguish the vowels from NORTH and FORCE, provoking a merger with [o:ɹ], which is spread to the western part of Northern Ireland, but not used by speakers out of the areas of Belfast and Derry, who maintained the distinction /ɔɹ/ -/oɹ/ (born and bored). The example by Fra “I don´t have any in the drawers” [ˈdro:ɹz], in Scene 2, can corroborate this information. 5.2.3. Low vowels - /ɑ:/ The vowel in words like car or farm, or in the lexical set START is the only long back vowel in the RP system. According to Corrigan (2010: 5), however, the vowel in this lexical set does not represent an independent phoneme and it simply shows the realisation of the short low vowel [a] described in section 5.1.3. followed by the sound [r]. Thus, the equivalent transcription of the word START would be [ˈstart] in NIE. Some examples can be taken from Scene 1, Claire - “Our lives are over” [ˈaːr], and from Scene 3, Joe and Gerry – “Gardening?” [ˈgaːrdənɪŋ]. 5.3. Diphthongs Finally, similar to the previous sections, diphthongs will be discussed following their organisation in RP English. As mentioned at the beginning, Roach (2010: 29-30) enumerates a total of eight diphthongs, but the NIE variety will only take into account four of them, which suffer variations. 5.3.1. Closing diphthongs The following diphthongs /eɪ/, /aɪ/ and /aʊ/ are three of the total of five closing diphthongs established in the RP English variety that suffer a variation in the NIE dialect. - /eɪ/ The vowel in FACE is said to have a starting point in /e/ and ends in the higher vowel /ɪ/ in RP English. But in the case of NIE, it presents different realisations, mostly in MUE 20 areas. First of all, the most common variant used in formal contexts is the utterance of the monophthong [e], but with a slightly closer tongue height. Secondly, Derry Catholics show a closer and higher realisation resulting in [ɪ], while Derry protestants prefer the closer and higher diphthong [iə]. Finally, this latter aspect is part of the innovative form for the vernacular Belfast, in which the diphthong evolves from [eɪ] to the central phoneme [ɛ], then glides to a schwa and creates the diphthong [ɛə], and ends up in the diphthong [eə], which is very close to the RP one in the diagram for diphthongs. The following are some examples from Scene 2, when Erin says “Oh, happy days” [dɪz], or with Fra´s speech “This is what I´m saying” [ˈsiəŋ]. - /aɪ/ The realisation of the PRICE vowel, which begins with an open vowel between front and back, similar to the STRUT one in RP English, varies greatly depending on the phonetic context, age, social class or region. First, this diphthong is pronounced as [əi(:)] when followed by a voiceless consonant (being a bit higher and preserving the frontness of the tongue and the spread of the lips), for example price [prəɪs]; and to [a(:)e] before vowels (in which the most noticeable feature is the mid and central position of the last vowel that conforms the diphthong), for instance, my idea [ma(:)e aɪˈdɪə]. However, this variation may provoke the appearance of minimal pairs since it is not a pure allophonic variation. This is the case of phonemic variation, where there is a phonemic opposition in words which share the same phonological environment. For example, lie (not tell the truth), [ləi:] and lie (recline), [la:e]. A further variant is [ɛ]. This sound is more centralised and neutral, tending to raise the first element of the diphthong. But although it is familiar in old speakers, this feature is being replaced by the continuum [æ.ɪ] → [eɪ]. Young and WC speakers prefer this rising diphthong, though it is also true that the original one is selected in formal situations. Scene 2 gives many samples such as, “I for one will never forgive myself for that” [meɪˈsɛlf], by Erin; “That´s right” [ˈreɪt], by Fra, “I suppose you drive the train as well” [ˈdreɪv] by Michelle; and the passenger “Jesus Christ!” [ˈkreɪst]. - /aʊ/ The MOUTH vowel, beginning with a little more frontness than in /ɑ:/ and moving towards /ʊ/, is said to be a distinctive feature in NIE because of its great variation. According to Corrigan (2010: 37), the general realisations that it has in Northern Ireland are [əʉ], [aʉ] or [ɑʉ], going from a more centralised and neutral pronunciation of the 21 diphthong, to the most similar to the original. But the most remarkable difference is found in Derry, in which /aʊ/ presents a rounded variant, with higher tongue height in the pure vowel, and frontness in the second one, [ɔ y]. On the other hand, as a marker of social class, Belfast speakers choose between using a more fronted [ɛ] for the first element (typical of WC speakers), or [a-ɑ-ɔ] realisations before /r/ for MC speakers, which, together with the [ʉ] variation from Ballymena, these variants are more frequent than those explained at the beginning. In Scene 1, samples of this diphthong are found, starting by Michelle with “Our mas are gonna fucking wipe us out” [ˈɔ yt], Erin uttering “It´s like grounded bad” [ˈɡrɔ yndɪd], or Clare saying “How?!” [ˈhɔ y] 5.3.2. Centring diphthongs As can be observed in the work of Corrigan (2010), this group of diphthongs is defined as “Vowels before /r/”, since the RP English variety is considered a non-rhotic dialect which does not pronounce the post-vocalic /r/, provoking in this way the so-called centring diphthongs. Nevertheless, the NIE variety shows that this group is characterised by pronouncing a vowel followed by a post-vocalic /r/ because of its rhotic nature, as in the case of /eə/. For the two resting centring diphthongs /ɪə/ and /ʊə/, non-variation has been noticed. - /eə/ The SQUARE vowel, beginning with the sound /e/ of DRESS and gliding to a /ə/, has a monophthong realisation in most of Northern Ireland: [ɛ]. To add more, the sounds in SQUARE and NURSE also merges to [ɔ ] in Belfast, spreading this innovation to Derry and being typical of MC Protestant speakers (Corrigan 2010: 39). Scene 3 provides an example by Sarah: “I´m sick of the pair of them” [ˈpɛr.]. Figure 10: Typical NIE vowel system (after Wells, 1982: 483) 22 6. Conclusion As was discussed in the introduction to this work, the role of English as the global lingua franca in the present day is undisputed. In spite of its global character, two major varieties clearly stand out internationally and among native English speakers, namely General American English and Standard Southern British English and its pronunciation, RP English. Additionally, the latter serves as the main model for linguistic description at all levels, but especially with regard to phonetics and phonology. Thus, as a student of linguistics, one ends up with the impression that English equals RP English. This paper has shown that even within the UK, at least from a geopolitical point of view, variation in terms of pronunciation may be far greater than anticipated. The description of the vowel system of NIE has served to highlight major differences between this variety and RP English. For example, a basic feature in the standard system, vowel quantity, is neutralised in this Northern Irish variety. Likewise, many individual sounds are uttered in ways that are completely unfamiliar to RP speakers, for instance, the fronted vowel in words like hood, or most diphthongs, which present remarkable differences with those found in RP English. This work has not only emphasised diversity from a purely theoretical or descriptive point of view. It has also tried to bring this variety to readers by making them aware of the fact that speakers of this dialect use it in all contexts in their daily lives and that this is part of their identity, of what makes them feel Irish. The fact that examples have been taken from a real TV show serves to exemplify the use of this variety and these pronunciations in a real-life context where it is used in daily life in the Derry area, regardless of the high prestige that RP English might have. All in all, I hope this work has managed to raise awareness of the role of other varieties, their relevance in the English-speaking world and the importance of emphasizing the fact that not everyone speaks RP English and that other varieties can be described, that they can be used in works of fiction like Derry Girls and are, in fact, essential in building credible identities for their characters.