A RECENT study has shown that aspects of the northern accent are dying out with some aspects being totally wiped out by 2066.

The study by academics from the universities of Portsmouth and Cambridge say that the northern accent will disappear as the southern accent becomes more dominent in the North.

Dr James Burridge, from the University of Portsmouth said: "There are certainly some features that look like they are disappearing.

"For example, foot and strut when i say them they dont rhyme. But in many northern accents they do. We predict that, that will go by 2066."

In the North East, the Geordie accent is holding out, while the Lancashire accent is changing this is because of its geography which makes the accent resistant to linguistic change. But, words like 'spelk' are set to dissapear in 100 years time.

Other trends from the study show that, 'thrawing' will work its way through Manchester and Sheffield over the next 50 years, but it's not all doom and gloom.

Words like 'singer' which in the north rhymes with 'finger' are holding out even though its a minority linquistic feature. The research predicts if people were to stop using those words the northern twang which makes them rhyme would disappear.

Dr James Burridge, said: "We studied 25 features and significant numbers of them we think are disappearing but some of them aren't.

"We can't draw any major conclusions about the whole accent but, there are certainly some southern features which are going to take over the north just becasue of sheer weight of numbers."

He also went on to say that the study is showing a major change in the way we speak. Dialects are declining and people are sounding more and more like eachother but regonal accents will never disappear but will get less distinctive.