# dialect

/ˈdaɪəˌɫɛkt/ (US) · /dˈaɪəlɛkt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dialect
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. regional language variety

noun · CEFR B2

a form of a language spoken in a specific area, with its own grammar and vocabulary.

For teachers: a variety of a language characteristic of a particular geographic area or social group, differing from the standard form in phonology, lexicon, and syntax.

- The local dialect in this mountain village is quite different from the language spoken in the capital.
- Linguists spent years documenting the rural dialect, noting that many of its grammatical structures had remained unchanged for centuries.

### 2. programming language variant

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a specific version of a computer programming language.

For teachers: a specialized version or extension of a programming language that shares the same core syntax but includes unique features or libraries.

- The team decided to use a specific dialect of SQL that was optimized for their database.
- While the core logic remains the same, this particular dialect of Lisp introduces several macros that are incompatible with the standard implementation.

### 3. animal vocalization

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the different sounds or songs that animals of the same species make in different areas.

For teachers: a regional variation in the vocalizations of a specific animal species, most commonly observed in songbirds or cetaceans.

- Researchers discovered that whales in the Pacific have a different dialect than those in the Atlantic.
- The study suggests that songbird dialects are culturally transmitted, as young males learn the specific acoustic patterns of the local population.

## Examples

- She speaks with a strong southern dialect.
- His thick Scottish dialect made it hard for the tourists to understand his directions.
- The novel captures the rhythm and vocabulary of the local dialect, grounding the narrative in its specific cultural setting.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.