Tongues a talking point in accent study

Linguists are looking for volunteers - and their tongues - to help them better understand variations in north-west England accents.

Professor of phonetics at Lancaster University Claire Nance said her team was looking for 40 people in Barrow, Cumbria, to help with their study.

The scientists are seeking to better understand how tongue position can affect accents.

"Barrow is particularly interesting for accents due to its rich industrial history and rapid growth in the 19th Century," Nance said.

The team will be taking recordings from individuals at Barrow Library on 7 November between 11:00 and 15:30 GMT.

Nance said the study would involve individuals reading a few words out loud while a ultrasound probe held beneath their chin records the position of their tongues.

It is part of a wider project looking into how the long-term positions of the tongue, mouth and jaw can lead to regional accents and different ways of speaking.

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