Idiolect refers to the way in which we all speak an individual and unique variety of a language. Some may be so bold as to say that there are as many Englishes as there are English speakers. While this may be an exaggeration, it illustrates the idea that pronunciation, idiom (word choice) and syntax are all expressions of a unique identity. Because everyone's identity is influenced by a range of unique, cultural and contextual factors, people end up speaking unique varieties of English. 

In the play Pygmalion, a linguist by the name of Henry Higgins claims that he can locate anyone's origin according to his or her accent or dialect. While this is a rather extreme claim, it is worth considering that regional, social and economical factors influence the way we speak.

Related lessons

• Social languages