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How is slang different from a regional dialect?

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Thematic map of Europe displaying the distribution of Germanic languages, with different colors indicating regions where English, German, Netherlandic (Dutch), Frisian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faroese are spoken. Striped areas mark regions where bilingualism is common, and language regions cover countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and parts of surrounding countries. — Dialect Distribution of the Germanic languages in Europe.

While both slang and regional dialects involve variations in vocabulary, they are distinct linguistic phenomena. A dialect is a variety of a language that typically signals a speaker's geographic origin, social background, or occupation. It is characterized by structural differences in grammar—including morphology and syntax—as well as vocabulary and pronunciation.1

In contrast, slang is primarily defined by a specific, informal vocabulary. Unlike a regional dialect, which is often tied to a stable community or location, slang is highly flexible, subject to fashion, and depends heavily on a speaker's age group or membership in a specific subculture.23

Key differences include:
* Structure: Dialects encompass broader linguistic features, such as sentence structure and word formation, whereas slang is largely limited to vocabulary.21
* Usage: Slang is often used by people who are "bidialectal," meaning they use it alongside their standard language or regional dialect.2
* Origin: Slang often emerges from social or group-based conflicts in values, serving to express attitudes or maintain group solidarity, rather than developing as a traditional geographic variety of a language.234