Essential Scottish for English Language Learners: Common Phrases & Expressions

There are many different varieties of English all over the world. Around 75 countries use it as an official language.

Then there are regional differences. For example, in the UK, there isn't just one form of English. People speak English differently in different parts of the country. 

I am from Scotland, so I speak Scottish English (or West Central Scots). In this post, I'll share some common words and phrases that will help you understand and be understood in Scotland, or around Scottish people. 

What languages do people speak in Scotland? 

The main language in Scotland is English. Government records show that 98.6% of people in Scotland speak it.

Historically, Gaelic is the traditional language. It used to be spoken all over the country. Now only 0.5% of the population speak it at home—mostly in the Western Isles and North West Highlands. 

Then there's Scots. Government information shows that 1.1% of people said that they spoke this at home. Though, in my opinion, this number should be much higher. There are many English speakers in Scotland who don't realize they are speaking Scots. I was one—until I taught my first "English" class!

The reason for this is that there is a lot of confusion over what Scots language is, what a dialect is (a local version of the language), and what Scottish English is (English with some Scots words and sounds). 

According to Scotland.org, Scots is a language made up of different dialects from across the country: 

• Dundonian dialect in Dundee
• Doric dialect in Aberdeenshire
• Edinburgh Scots dialect in Edinburgh
• Glaswegian dialect in Glasgow

When I first started teaching, I used a lot of Scottish words and sounds. The students, who spoke excellent global English, didn't understand me. I quickly learned what was English and what was Scots. 

From experience, there are lots of Scottish English speakers who are exactly like me when I started teaching. Don't be afraid to ask them if they are speaking Scottish or English! This will help them to reflect and rephrase what they've said into understandable English (hopefully)! 

Do I need to learn Scottish English? 

No, not really. It would be impossible to learn every different variety of English. 

If you plan to live in Scotland for a while, it will probably be helpful to learn some Scottish words. But if you are just staying for a short holiday, it's best to use these skills for speaking English anywhere:

• Ask for the meaning of words that you don't know
• Ask people to repeat or say things more slowly
• Rephrase what people have said to check that you have understood them

Remember there are two people (or more) in each conversation. They can help you by using their communication skills too. 

Be confident: Even proficient language users find Scots English hard

I have many examples of friends who speak absolutely fantastic English, but find Scottish speakers difficult to understand. 

One friend is a doctor from South Africa. He grew up speaking English. When he moved to Scotland, he found that there were lots of words he didn't understand. He started a vocabulary list on his phone so every time he learned a new word, he made a note of it. That list now has hundreds of words! 

Another friend is from Portugal. They use English for work every day. When they met some people I know from Dundee, they were so confused. I had to translate the Dundonian Scottish into general English for them. My Dundonian friends didn't even realize that they weren't speaking globally understood English. 

So, you are not alone, and it's not that you don't understand—the other speaker might just be unclear!

Some common differences in Scottish English to help you understand!

There's no "t" in Sco'land!

Sco'ish people often don't pronounce the "t" sound. Words like butter, wetter, and better become "bu'er," "we'er," and "be'er."

To speak clearly and be easily understood, it's best to pronounce your consonant sounds. However, it's good to know you might hear this in Sco'land. 

"How?" can mean "Why?"

In Scotland, many people will ask you "How?" when they mean "Why?"

For example: 

A: I will be late. 

B: How? 

B wants to know the reason why A will be late. 

Cannae, isnae, wasnae, gonnae

Instead of "not," many people in Scotland use "nae."

• can't > cannae
• isn't > isnae
• wasn't > wasnae
• going to > gonnae
• can you > gonnae

"Gonnae" can mean two things. It can mean the future tense "going to." People also use it to ask someone for help or to do something: 

• "Gonnae clean your room?" = "Can you clean your room?"

Wee = small

In Scotland, we use "wee" instead of "small" or "little." For example: 

• Gonnae cut me a wee slice of cake? = Can you cut me a little slice of cake? 
• I'm a wee bit tired after that class. = I'm a little tired after that class. 

When I'm with speakers of English from other places, I try not to use Scots words. But I can't stop saying "wee."

This can sometimes cause confusion. Once, I was helping my Australian friend's child at a playground. He wanted to reach but was too small. I said, "You're too wee." His reply was "I'm not a wee-wee." ("I'm not a pee.") The wee man had a good point! 

Aye = yes 

In Scotland, people say "aye" instead of "yes" or "yeah." It sounds the same as "eye" the body part, but has a different meaning. 

A: Would you like a wee cup of tea?

B: Aye! 

Yous for plural "you"

In English, "you" can be one person or many people. In my humble Scottish opinion, this can be quite confusing. 

In Scotland, we use 'you' for one person and 'yous' for many. This might sound strange if you haven't heard it before, but it makes it much clearer who we are talking about. For example: 

• Are you coming to the party?  (asking one person if they are coming)
• Are yous coming to the party? (asking two or more people if they are coming) 

But = though

You might hear a lot of sentences ending with "but." It is commonly used to contrast meaning. 

• She said she didnae want to come but. 
• He's friendly, but. 

You might think that the person speaking has forgotten to finish their sentence! They havnae but!

Bairns vs. weans

In West Coast Scots, people use "weans" (pronounced like "wane" or the same sound as "rain") to talk about children. In the East Coast, people tend to say "bairns" (pronounced like "bear"). You can use this to tell which Scots people speak. 

Who's Ken? 

In some parts of Scotland, you'll hear the word "ken" a lot. "Ken" means "know" in Eastern Scotland. This can be confusing as it is also a man's name. 

• "Do you ken whit I mean?" = "Do you know what I mean?"
• "I dinnae ken." = "I don't know."

Cheers = thanks

One of my students once asked me "Why does everyone say 'cheese' when I hold a door open for them or do something nice for them?" 

I was confused. "Cheese?"

"Yeah," the student replied. Then they acted it out. 

• "Aaaah! Cheers! 'Cheers' means 'thanks'!" 
• "Aaaah!" said my student. "Cheers! I ken now!"
• "Nae bother," I replied. Because in Scotland that means "no problem" or "no bother." 

Rain

It rains a lot in Scotland. That's why we have hunners (hundreds) of words for rain. Here are some: 

• drizzle, smirr, mizzle, Scotch mist = light rain 
• pouring doon, tipping it doon, chucking it doon =  heavy rain (doon = down)
• dreich = not raining, but the sky is dark, gray, and miserable
• drookit = a great adjective to describe when you are soaking wet (probably because it's pouring doon)

Taps aff or taps oan

People in Scotland like to laugh at themselves and the weather. They also get excited when the sun comes out. When the temperature rises over 20°C, some guys like to sit in the park with their tops off—until their skin burns. 

This is why we use the terms "taps aff" and "taps oan" to describe the weather. 

• A "taps aff" (tops off) day is when it is hot enough to enjoy the sunshine with light summer clothing. 
• A "taps oan" (tops on) day is a day when it is chucking it doon, drizzly, dreich, or cold enough to wear all your clothes.  

If you would like to get your weather this way, check out Taps-Aff.co.uk!

More on Scottish English

To learn more about Scottish English, search online for films and TV from Scotland. I'd recommend: 

• Film: The Angel's Share
• Film: Aye Fond Kiss
• Film: Edie
• TV: Outlander
• TV: The High Life 
• TV: Para Handy

I'd also recommend The Scottish Sound School. You'll find a lot of videos and other content by language expert Gemma Archer there. 

Have you been to Scotland? Do you have favorite Scots words? What experience do you have of speaking to Scots English speakers? We'd love to know.