Would you ever say I’m pure ragin’? And what about them gutties? Do you say stubborn or thran? Aye or yes? You or youse? And do you pronounce meat the same as mate?

Speak for Yersel asks these questions in order to capture the different words, sounds and sentences used across Northern Ireland. But to do this, we need YOU!

In the survey you’ll be asked questions about your own voice. Your answers will be recorded in real time on a map, providing a snapshot of Northern Irish English in voices from Ballycastle in the north to Bessbrook in the south, and everything in between. Maps let you further explore the English used in Northern Ireland today.

A few notes before you start:

1. Many of us speak differently, depending on who we’re talking to and where we are. In the following activities, we’re interested in finding out about how you speak with friends and family, rather than maybe with teachers or at work.
2. The activities focus on the voices of those who live, or have lived, in Northern Ireland. You might not be from Northern Ireland, but we still think you’ll find Speak for Yersel fun to try out, so, wherever you’re from, jump right in!
3. If you’re from the Republic of Ireland, then complete the Speak for Yersel RoI surveys instead of these ones. Of course, we know that people in Strabane might speak more like people from Donegal than Belfast. There are separate surveys for boring, technical reasons – not for linguistic ones!

Take survey