Chapter 4

Varieties and Registers of Spoken and Written Language

Register

- a variety according to the use in the sense that each speaker has a range of varieties and
chooses between them at different times
- set of meanings that can easily become identified with particular groups
- refers to the level of formality of the speech
Dialect
- variety of a language according to the users

 Varieties of Language are identified through certain levels:

1. Phonological – sounds
2. Lexical – words
Varieties of English
-refer to the different kinds of English used around the world based on geographical locations
1. American English – United States; preferred to be used in academe
2. British English – United Kingdom; preferred to be used in international business
transactions
3. Australian English – Australia; similar to New Zealand English, spelling same from British
English
4. New Zealand English – New Zealand; similar to Australia
5. Black English – also called African American Vernacular English; spoken by black
communities in America, United Kingdom, Caribbean, Africa. Two variants: African
American Vernacular and British Black English
6. Singapore English – SingEng or Singlish; most popular medium of communication in the
academe; has two variants: standard Singapore English and Singapore colloquial English
7. Philippine English – Philippines; related to American English in terms of spelling and
grammar; considered one of the official languages of the Philippines
Forms of Language Register
1. Frozen Register
2. Formal Register
3. Register
4. Neutral Register
Bias-Free Language
1. Avoiding gender bias
2. Avoiding racial and ethnic bias
3. Avoiding age bias
4. Avoiding disability bias
Achieving Appropriate Level of Diction
Diction – choice of words especially with regard to correctness, clearness or effectiveness
Levels of Diction
1. Unprofessional – low-level diction
2. Conversational – mid-level diction
3. Formal – high-level diction