Northern Europe
Video Chat with People from the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is four nations, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and accents can change noticeably within an hour's drive. You might meet someone from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast, or from a seaside town you've never heard of. The UK runs on Greenwich Mean Time in winter and British Summer Time (UTC+1) in summer, so 9 PM in London is mid-afternoon in New York and early the next morning in Tokyo.
English is the main language; Welsh is spoken by many people in Wales, and Scottish Gaelic and Irish are heard in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Good topics: football from the Premier League to Scottish clubs, the music that came out of cities like Manchester and Glasgow, summer festivals, comedy and panel shows, Sunday roasts and fish and chips by the sea, and walks in the Lake District or the Highlands. If an accent throws you, our guide to understanding English accents has practical tips.
The United Kingdom at a glance
| Flag | 🇬🇧 |
|---|---|
| Official name | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| Capital | London |
| Region | Europe · Northern Europe |
| Official language | English |
| Currency | British pound (£, GBP) |
| Calling code | +44 |
| Time zone | United Kingdom Time (Europe/London) |
How to say hello
A friendly local greeting makes a great first impression.
| Language | Phrase | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Hiya! | HY-yah | Hi! |
| English | You alright? | yoo awl-RITE | Hi, how are you? (a greeting more than a question) |
| English | Cheers! | cheerz | Thanks! / Bye! |
| Welsh | Shwmae! | shoo-MY | Hello! |
Tips for chatting with people from the United Kingdom
- 'You alright?' is a hello, not a health check; 'Yeah, not bad, you?' is the perfect reply.
- Don't call everyone English. People from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are British but not English, so ask where they're from.
- In British English, 'not bad' often means 'pretty good', and 'quite good' can mean just OK. If you're unsure, ask; it's a fun topic.
- 'Cheers' covers thanks, goodbye and a toast, and 'mate' is a friendly way to address almost anyone.
Only meet people from the United Kingdom
Omlet matches you Worldwide by default. To meet only people from the United Kingdom, use the country filter, the only filter Omlet has:
- Open Omlet and press Country on the control panel.
- Search for United Kingdom and select it.
- Press Start. Press Next to meet someone else from the United Kingdom, or switch back to Worldwide any time.
Your first day is free: you add a card through Stripe to start it, and nothing is charged that day. When the 24 hours end, the country filter costs $3 one time, charged to that card, unless you cancel before then in Settings (if you cancel, you can still pick a country until the day ends). It's not a subscription, and it stays unlocked on that device and browser. It doesn't carry over to other devices or browsers, and clearing your browser data removes it. There's one free day per device, home network and card. Payment goes through Stripe, so Omlet never sees your card number.
The filter works both ways, and matching can be slower when fewer people from the United Kingdom are online. Chatting itself is free, and Worldwide matching never costs anything.
Your own country is detected automatically and shown to the people you meet as a flag.
Neighboring countries
The United Kingdom borders 1 country. Curious about the people next door? Meet them too: