The use and utility of localised speech forms in determining identity (TUULS): Forensic and sociophonetic perspectives
This project investigates variation in accents across North East England, with a focus on the speech of the cities of Newcastle, Sunderland, and Middlesbrough.
The project seeks to identify the specific features that distinguish these accents from each other, and those which cause them to be identified as distinct from other accents of northern Britain. One aim of the project is to examine speech variation at the level of the individual rather than the group or community. This is particularly relevant in the forensic domain, wherein establishing individual identity is crucial. Findings from this project will benefit the relevant academic communities as well as having significant applied utility in the field of forensic speech science.