The traditional Accent of North Wales

Recordings of People from North Wales who speak Welsh as their mother tongue and English as their Second Language. Their accent is very different from what many people recognize as North Wales accents and is much less common than it was in the past.

[@mr.afrikaans1747]

I noticed this many years ago when I met a group of lads from Holy Island at a festival. I could've sworn they were Scouse.

[@connor1564]

This is tends to be truer as the person gets younger (but not in all cases). My grandparents sounded very welsh, my parents still but less than their parents and myself even less. People tend to hear me as vaguely northern English but they can't quite put their finger on it.

[@greentorm5467]

My Father's family lived in Trefor, a small quarry, coastal village and again the accent varies from other parts of NW. Go to Llandudno and you'll be pushed to find a Welsh accent and yet a lot are natives...it's mad. I love Rhys Ifans accent.

[@DafyddHughes-oq2hd]

This takes me back to growing up in Amlwch in the 80’s and early 90’s. Every time I go home to visit I find it harder and harder to find Welsh speakers…bechod

[@elliotgordon4795]

that first guy's accent is amazing

[@broman178]

For those interested in seeing a bigger variation of accents in North Wales, there was a video uploaded last year by RTSTC with the title "Different Accents of North Wales.". I tried sharing the link of that video in my comment but unfortunately it resulted in my comment being removed for some reason.

[@martinhughes2549]

It's totally untrue that people in North Wales speak like scousers. Scouse sounds similar to North Wales Welsh accents, because scouse was influenced by North Wales Welsh dialect speakers who migrated to Liverpool in the 19thC. My nain was a first language Welsh speaker from Henllan near Dinbych ( Denbigh) who lives a completely Welsh only environment until her teens. She learned English in School, her mother couldn't speak English at all. She lived in Wales all her life and she never sounded like someone from Deinolen. She sounded like someone from the Mynydd Hiraethog/Dyffryn Clwyd area.

[@Abshenonas]

If you don't mind me asking, when was your Nain born? And her mother?

[@martinhughes2549]

Politics by Rebuttal 1908. Her mother was born around 1880 in Llansannan. My uncle was a Welsh speaker from Llysfaen who when he spoke English sounded different again, he did have a strong Welsh accent, but nothing like someone from Llangefni. Another Welsh speaking uncle from Rhuthun again sounded like he was from er Rhuthun. Accents in Rhyl & Prestatyn are influenced by English accents, but I know people from Bagillt, who have a very definate Welsh accent, a very nasal sounding accent which stop doesn't sound scouse to me. I've actually worked in Liverpool and a Flint accent and a Toxteth accent only vaguely sound similar, lenition is used very differently for a start. Flint is definately Welsh sounding to me. People simplify accents in North Wales, the coastal strip, a couple of miles wide from Llandudno to Prestatyn is quite anglicised, but people from Denbigh, Y nigh, isnt't! Or Wrexham of course. I'm my experience Wrexham accents can be very strong& very Welsh at that.

[@equineeditsx6078]

It actually isn't. I'm from North Wales and people constantly tell me my accent sounds scouse

[@martinhughes2549]

itsmoidione x The only Scouse accents in North Wales are from people who are from Liverpool.

[@equineeditsx6078]

Martin Hughes well I can am born and bred in NW and get told I sound scouse which is probably due to the fact I only live 3 hours away

[@baokachi9767]

this sounds seriously icelandic its crazy

[@nenoroalzafen30]

mother tongue i don't understand but english with welsh accent it's understandable

[@Bigbenunknownzz]

Ahh shit in a spoonn northn sparcer x

[@anakinskywalker3777]

We don’t speak like that

[@cymro6537]

..not any more....

[@220773]

This doesn't sound Scouse at all... it's not like Flint and Denbigh, come on...

[@TheAlmightyAss]

To people who think only welsh native speakers are proper Welsh; are Irish people not Irish then?