Meaning & use
West Country
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Meanings
proper nounproperBritish
The southwestern part of England, including counties such as Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset.
Grammar: Usually used with 'the': the West Country. It is not used with 'a' or a plural.
Patterns
- the West Country
- in the West Country
- from the West Country
They spent their holiday walking in the West Country.
The West Country is famous for its cider and beautiful coast.
She grew up in the West Country and still has a soft accent.
proper nounproperBritish
The dialect or accent of southwestern England.
Grammar: Used to talk about the way people speak there.
Patterns
- speak West Country
- a West Country accent
You can hear the West Country in his voice.
The actor learned a West Country accent for the role.
Common combinations
- the West Country
- The West Country has many small fishing villages.
- West Country accent
- He speaks with a gentle West Country accent.
- a trip to the West Country
- We are planning a trip to the West Country next spring.
Synonyms and how they differ
- the southwest
- More general and directional; it can refer to any southwestern area, not specifically the English region.
Word family
- West Countryman noun
- A person from the West Country (rare).
Commonly confused: West Country or West Country?
West Country vs West Country
Do not confuse with 'west country' as a simple direction; the proper noun refers to a specific cultural region.
Practice
Which sentence uses the name of the region correctly?
Choose one answer.
The proper noun normally takes 'the': the West Country. 'West Country' alone is not standard in this context, 'a West Country' is wrong because it is not countable in this way, and 'West Countries' is not a real form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “West Country”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.