In Cockney English, the glottal stop is a very common feature, especially with the “t” sound. A glottal stop occurs when the “t” in the middle or end of a word is replaced by a brief pause or break in the sound, made by closing the vocal cords. Instead of fully pronouncing the “t,” there’s a sort of silent interruption. For example, in Cockney: • “Bottle” becomes “bo’le” (with a pause in place of the “t”). • “Water” is pronounced “wa’er.” • “Better” sounds like “be’er.” In standard British Engli

1967: Dick Van Dyke on that cockney accent. “I bounced all over the British Isles!”. It’s Dick Van Dyke’s 100th birthday. In 1967 whilst filming the classic children’s film ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ playing the role of Caractacus Potts, Dick Van Dyke spoke to BBC reporter Michael Dean. Amongst the topics discussed was the ability of American actors to do English accents and a very chipper Van Dyke admitted that his cockney accent in the Mary Poppins film had at times strayed into other regions o