Singapore English (SgE) is generally used as an umbrella term, encompassing a formal educated variety, Singapore Standard English (SSE) and an informal contact variety, Singapore Colloquial English, also known as “Singlish” (Lee, 2022). However, the boundaries between SSE and Singlish are suggested to be blurring for younger Singaporeans aged 21-29 (Starr, 2021). Recent research shows that features of SgE, in line with increased endonormativity, have become “available as resources with which to construct careful, correct speech styles” (Starr, 2021, p. 333). Nonetheless, contemporary understandings of the labels “Singlish” and “Singapore Standard English”, and the social meanings they invoke, remain to be explored.

The present study addresses this gap by drawing on semi-structured interviews recorded in 2023 with 24 participants born in Singapore between 1988 and 2004. The findings reveal diverse understandings of SgE. While some view SgE as “in between proper English and Singlish”, others described it as “professional English” or “speaking in a more Singaporean way”. Participants predominantly viewed “Standard English” as English “we are taught in schools”, while “Singlish” emerged as “always evolving”, “the way that [older Singaporeans] probably bridge” into the English-dominant society. For some, the negative connotations of Singlish seem to be dissipating, as these young participants reported using Singlish in formal settings. These findings suggest that perceptions of SgE are in a transition phase, and align with Starr (2021), who argues that the “Heartlander” (working class) character type in Singapore, who typically speaks Singlish, has now been re-evaluated to simply index a local orientation. These findings will contribute to the growing body of work on attitudes and perceptions of SgE and World Englishes more generally.