Understand UK accents per region: Cockney/London

Learning English is a particularly tricky language to learn for all the versions of English you can learn; British, American, Australian, and so on. And that doesn't even take into consideration all the dialects and accents! So here we are, picking these accents apart one at a time trying to get to the more difficult parts of the language and help some English learners out. This time it's the turn of the London accent, Cockney.
[caption id="attachment_6587" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]
Photo via Flickr[/caption]
Photo via Flickr[/caption]
Photo via Pixabay[/caption]

London
Do we really need to tell you about London? The capital of England, one of the most famous cities in the world with some of the most iconic landmarks? We know you know what London is! It is a multicultural city home to some 8.9 million, with the best connections to all the other places in the country by rail, bus, and even domestic flight. London, as the backdrop to so many movies, also exposes the world to one of the most distinctive accents you will find in the U.K. Cockney!Learning English? Check out our free placement test to see how your level measures up!
Cockney accent
So, what is the Cockney accent? You know how in every movie about the U.K., the people portrayed are either wealthy and speak The Queen's English, or not wealthy and speak far rougher? That would be Cockney. Traditionally, those who can claim to speak Cockney must have been born within earshot of Bow Bells, which are the bells of St Mary-le-Bow.Stereotype
The Cockney accent is the one with all the slang associated with being a Brit; the whole apples and pears thing and just about everything else. The Cockney accent is about the wide-boys (and Del Boys) on the streets of London who are wheeler-dealers and probably going to rip you off—but will have a good heart about it as they do! The Cockney accent is generally the accent of the average working class Londoner. [caption id="attachment_6588" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]
Famous Londoners
Well. Where do we start? Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Boyega, Hayley Atwell; so many of the U.K.'s most famous people were born in and around London. Though it isn't just movies and TV that will give you a range of famous Londoners. David Beckham, Naomi Campbell, Chris Martin; the list goes on and on!Hear it for yourself
How about hearing some Cockney accents from regular folk instead of just famous people? Youtube is the answer! Try LetThemTalkTV, or English Like A Native for a little guidance. [caption id="attachment_6589" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]