Does the Croydon accent exist? - BBC London

Police are looking for a robber with a 'Croydon accent', but does it actually exist?

[Skaterbun]

The first lady they interviewed has the original Croydon accent.

[nanaaopare]

Just talk to the roadmen kids in croydon and you'll get your answer😂

[stillumz]

I've lived in Croydon and it's so mixed that there is no Croydon accent just like there is no London or British accent.

[adc]

Theres no croydon accent most people either sound a bit cockney/white working-class, have a MLE accent, or speak a bit posh

[jeff]

Personally I do think there is a Croydon accent, which tends to be a mix of working-class south London and the "Multicultural London English". It is usually (but not always) distinguishable when hearing long time Croydonians from other Londonders or people from Crawley. But the more middle and upper class areas of Croydon have the standard "BBC" accent.

[nonsense]

I would say most of South and East London speak typically cockney however because of diversity there, it's only now a London accent and some variation of a twang in their speech. North London sound different as they don't like to use full words, as for West London, thats completely different, they don't have a specific accent because of huge cultural diversity because of how big west london is

[equinox]

There's no such thing as a Croydon accent, don't fall for the hype.

[MatthewKersley]

I've lived in Croydon all my life. I got a job in central London, and I could tell two of my co-workers were also lifelong Croydoners. We all had different racial backgrounds. I think there is an extremely subtle difference in how we speak and act. It is hard to explain, perhaps a little more like a Surrey sound than "cockney".

[mangiagatti]

I am Croydon born ('56) & bred...local roots back to the 17th c....& I recorded my mum, gran, great-aunts & brothers chatting about our family history over a family funeral...& the distinct Croydon accent is as clear as the bell in St Andrew's (mum was born 50 yds from that church!). Not quite 'saarf' London...but with a bit of a rustic burr & many quaint verbal choices...& full of lively exclamations we no longer hear.
At a posh school in Southwark (Guess!), I was lucky enough to get for free (11 plus genius?) from the council budget...I was mocked by prep-school types & masters for sounding so 'common'...like Michael Caine (my dad's family were from the Borough & the Elephant!)...until I remembered my 'h's...& refined my vowels! Then the Croydon friends mocked me back for being 'a bit posh!'.
I think some of us still speak 'Croydon'. Just listen to the older residents...some still trying to sound less Croydon & more Dulwich village!

[ColliWobblers-db]

Most of England is unrecognisable as even being English any more. you will find African accents, Caribbean accents, Indian accents and Pakistani accents more than English now in a lot of places.

[truthhitman]

Where is the video of Croydon housing causing people to go into arears by not paying housing benefit residents are entitled to ? THOUSANDS of people are getting letters from their housing association for rent not paid by Croydon council.

[Boktierchowdhury]

Comment was removed as was abused offline by friends of the racist.

[its-MK...]

It definitely exists. Is it just me or does a "th" in Croydon sound a bit like a soft "d" sound? Clearly there are a plethora of different accents in a relatively small area, which isn't at all surprising considering such a rich & *long* history.

[Samara]

Yeah I come from Croydon, we have one

[FFM]

I grew up in Croydon and I couldn't ever say I noticed a difference between 'Croydonian' and other South London boroughs as far as an accent was concerned. IMO, the cops are just looking for an excuse to arrest Stormzy.

[ArnoldQMudskipper]

Dude went from Mary Poppins era Dick van Dijk, via Crocodile Dundee, to Croydon roadman Bri'ish, innit.

[hazelswain]

yes its a cross between Jamaican patois and Indian!!!!even though the 2021 census showed those cultures to be in a minority in the borough

[davedrew]

You forgot Susanna Read as well known person.

[charlesmanson]

Never heard of it. Maybe Bromley does the further you go towards Kent

[lizirie]

Look at Andre Traveler videos to see how is Croydon now