Middlesbrough

The history of Middlesbrough as an urban centre is a relatively short one, by British standards. The geographical location of the conurbation around the River Tees, the location of Middlesbrough in relation to the river, and the ever-changing identity of the urban centre all add to its transitional character both geographically and dialectally. This chapter examines variation in the realisation of voiceless stops in the variety, and considers differences both in light of the consequences of an historical influence in the development of Middlesbrough English, and also in terms of the effects of more recent socio-political changes, which have seen a shift in orientation in the urban centre from a southward to a northward direction.