Microsoft pins down British dialects

UK computer buffs and novices alike have been prompted to send in their favourite local vocal quirks, and the project's been a success so far according to The Vole which has apparently received thousands of entries.

It's all part of an effort to compile local dialect dictionaries world-over, which will be free for the downloadin' this July. This is great for frustrated red-line-o-phobes who are frequently told off by Word, Outlook or basically any other Microsoft product that their choice of words is incorrect. Be afraid of typing "ginnel" no more, Yorkshiremen.

As well as user submissions, Microsoft has enlisted help from its pals over at the British Library. "Britain has a rich heritage of different accents and dialects and, contrary to popular opinion, there is still a great deal of lexical diversity across the UK," curator of English accents and dialects at the library told the Beeb.

There's little time left to get yer words in, so quickly draw up an e-mail to dialect@microsoft.com if you fancy bigging up that bizarre Bristol-exclusive word for "box" or what have you. µ