What is a Cockney accent?
A Cockney accent is the traditional working-class accent of London's East End. Traditionally, a true Cockney is someone born within hearing distance of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow church in the City of London.
The Cockney accent is known for features such as dropping the h at the start of words, so house sounds like ouse, and using a glottal stop, where the t in words such as water is replaced with a catch in the throat.
Another feature is pronouncing th as f or v, so think may sound like fink and brother like bruvver.
Culture and change
Cockney culture is associated with market traders, the Pearly Kings and Queens and Cockney rhyming slang.
Many famous actors have Cockney accents, including Michael Caine and Barbara Windsor. Dick Van Dyke's accent in Mary Poppins is often joked about as an unconvincing Cockney.
In recent decades, the traditional Cockney accent has declined in central London, as many East End families moved to Essex and other areas. Multicultural London English has become common among young Londoners.
Estuary English, a mix of Cockney and standard accents, is heard across southeast England.