People speaking a creole language were considered uneducated. This belief, along with no knowledge of the influence of their ancestral African languages, left many Caribbean people to think of Caribbean Creole languages negatively.

There are at least five variations of English in use in the Caribbean today. Each variety is connected by a chain of similarities. The term dialect continuum is used to explain this pattern. In the case of the Caribbean these variations include Creole English, Rasta English, Foreign English, Erudite English and Standard English. Most Caribbean people can operate in Creole English and, depending on the context, at least one other.

Each Caribbean country has its own distinctive accent and local dialect that can also be placed on the continuum between Creole and Standard English. In some cases the dialects at either end of the continuum are actually quite different.

Creole English

The term Caribbean Creole English or Creole English establishes a connection between the same or similar patterns occurring within the Caribbean territories. The following are certain common features: