Modern Northern English shows a strong influence from the Northumbrian dialect of Middle English. It also presents evidence of the contact with different peoples, such as the Old Norse during the Viking Age and the Irish English following the Great Famine. More recently, since the industrial revolution, it seems to have been influenced in some areas by midlands dialects.

There isn't a universal agreement about the dividing line between the North and the Midlands. The most accepted version considers Northern England as equivalent to the seven historic counties of Cheshire, Cumberland, County Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Westmorland, and Yorkshire.

Northern English contains different dialects such as Cheshire dialect, Cumbrian dialect, Geordie, Lancashire dialect, Mackem, Mancunian, Northumbria dialect, Pitmatic, Scouse, Teesside, and Yorkshire dialect.

Unlike Southern accent, Northern English words like "book" and "buck" sound the same. In the North of England there are harsher consonant sounds than those in the south, with shorter vowel sounds.

We often hear a Northern English accent to portray honesty and straightforwardness. Northern habits are sometimes considered to be more traditional than Southern, so it could be a good choice for older customs.