What Is the Difference Between Language, Dialect, Accent

When we communicate with others using words, we’re using language. We’re also using
a dialect and an accent, whether we’re aware of it or not. But what do all of these words
mean? How are languages, dialects, and accents different from each other?

A language is a set of words and all of the systems about usage of those words that a
group of people uses to communicate with each other.
A dialect is a specific variety of a language spoken or signed by a group of people that
may have different vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation from the main form of the
language.
Dialects are mutually intelligible forms of a language that differ in systematic ways.

An accent is a distinct way of speaking or signing a specific language or dialect that is

shared amongst a specific group of people, usually distinguished by geographic area or
social class.(A particular way of pronouncing a language.)

dialect vs. language

The word language describes a body of words and the systems we apply to those words,
such as grammar and spelling, in order to communicate with each other. A language
includes the spoken, written, and signed forms of the words and systems.
Language is a way of communicating among people.
(For example, a Northern American can understand a Southern American.)
The word dialect describes a particular variety of a language. A dialect often follows
most of the rules of its respective language, but it may have different vocabulary,
grammar, or pronunciations. Most dialects are recognized by their usage in a specific
geographic area, but dialects may be determined by other criteria such as social class.
(Some examples of dialects include Australian English, Chilean Spanish, Egyptian
Arabic, and Jamaican Patois.)

dialect vs. accent

While a dialect can include differences in pronunciations from the language it comes
from, it also includes differences in vocabulary and grammar.
The word accent, however, describes just a distinct way of pronouncing a language. It
does not include differences in vocabulary and grammar. Like dialects, accents are often
distinguished based on geographical area, social class, or other common features among
speakers.
Often, an accent is described as being a subset of a dialect in the same way that a
dialect is a subset of a language.
Examples of dialects and accents
Let’s look at examples of both dialects and accents to help explain the difference. In the
United States, English is the most commonly spoken language, and the specific version
of English that Americans speak is referred to as American English. American English is
considered a dialect of the English language because Americans often use vocabulary,
grammar, and pronunciation that are different from those of English speakers from other
places, such as Canada, Britain, or Australia.
American English is often further divided into different American dialects, usually based
on location but not always. Examples of specific American dialects include Cajun
English, African American English, and Southern American English.
In the United States, people also pronounce English words in a large variety of ways.
That is, they have different accents, often depending on where they live in the US. Some
well-known examples of American accents include the New York accent common in and
around New York City, the Boston accent spoken in the New England area and
originating from the city of Boston, and the Southern accent spoken in the New England
area and originating from the city of Boston, and the Southern accent found across the
southern part of the country.
Let’s look at some examples of both dialects and accents.

Examples of dialects:
● Canadian French
● Connacht Irish
● Wuhan (Chinese)
● Gyeongsang (Korean)

Examples of British accents:

● Cockney
● Yorkshire
● Scouse
● Estuary English

Selected References:
Dictionary. com
Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics
(R.L. Trask)
Fromkin, V., Rodman, R., and Hyams, N. (2014). An introduction to language (9' ed.).
New York: Thomson Wordsworth.