Linguists launch appeal for regional swear words

Linguists have appealed for the public to help them create a national database of regional swear words.

Experts at the University of Sheffield want to build a UK Swear Map to show how English is spoken, before the words and phrases used locally in 2026 "disappear".

Dr Chris Montgomery, who is leading the project alongside arts project Modern Toss, said: "We're really interested in anything that's rude, that's a bit naughty, that might be counted as a swear word or a phrase."

Researchers said the project is not about promoting offensive language but about recording how people speak across the UK.

They believe swear words can have cultural meaning based on the history and humour of local communities and should not be excluded from formal research.

"This project recognises that to truly understand English as it is lived and spoken, we must include all of it – not just the polite or standardised forms," Montgomery said.

"Some traditional regional dialects might be disappearing, and this project is about celebrating the regional language that people actually use and preserving a record of it."

He said the project would help give future generations an insight into people's lives and how people communicated across the country in 2026.

"Swearing is a fundamental part of how everybody expresses emotion, identity, humour, and social connection, yet it is often excluded from formal records of language," he added.

"We want to hear from everyone. Whether you're in Glasgow, Sheffield, Cardiff, or a small village in Cornwall – your voice matters."

Researchers wanted the project to represent "as much variety as possible".

They have set up a link for people to contribute their commonly used profanities, particularly if they are specific to one area.

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