Posted June 5, 2011 I live in Michigan where apparantly we have a very nasal accent to a lot of people. When my family decides to go on vacation to another state people always know where I'm from because of the way I pronounce things (to, roof, refrigerator, etc.). People tell me all the time that people from Michigan sound wierd outside of their own state because they have a strong accent. I don't know if this is true to others or not because I'm native to Michigan and can't tell what the accent sounds like myself. This is the same for me. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 5, 2011 (edited) My ancestors used to be Celtic, so that's why... When I talk slowly, I sound kind of British. I often get asked if I come from Britain. I was rather meaning which reigion. The Welsh sound very different to the Scots, who sound very different to the English. And there's massive variation in each reigion as well. It's kinda the point that no one *in* Britain would say "You sound British" because there's really no such thing as sounding 'British'. You can sound Scots. You can sound Welsh. You can sound English... but you can't sound 'British'. Edited June 5, 2011 by TikindiDragon Share this post Link to post
Posted June 5, 2011 (edited) It's kinda the point that no one *in* Britain would say "You sound British" because there's really no such thing as sounding 'British'. You can sound Scots. You can sound Welsh. You can sound English... but you can't sound 'British'. It's the same here in Norway. There are HUGE differences depending on where you live. For one, some places roll their r's while other don't (Like they're French) In the past tense, I end most of my verbs with 'I', were my friends in Oslo end with 'et' And a lot of people make feminine words masculine (that just sounds weird...) I only live about 1 hour + away. Edited June 5, 2011 by coralkiki Share this post Link to post
Posted June 5, 2011 I was born and raised in Florida, so you would think I would have a southern accent... Nope. I pronounced my vowels differently as a child, and while speech therapy helped, I apparently still sound English, Scottish, and British. Basically, I sound different, and people just throw out an accent that they think I sound like. I say Sam like, Sim. And sometimes Saaaam. With an A like Amish. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 5, 2011 I was rather meaning which reigion. The Welsh sound very different to the Scots, who sound very different to the English. And there's massive variation in each reigion as well. This. I'm not from the United Kingdom or anything, but I at least know full well that accents differ greatly from region to region in the same country. Though in all honesty, I only recently learned about all the different accents in America... ^^; As for myself, I guess I have a standard Japanese accent when I speak English. I mean, it is not rike I am goin tuu tark tuu yuu rike diss, but I can honestly say that I mess up with the l/r if I'm speaking too quickly. However, I can sound American if I speak slowly enough, mostly since my father lived in New Jersey for a while and he doesn't have an accent. Since he got me speaking English, that probably means my American accent is from north New Jersey/New York, I guess. On the other hand, my mother was raised in Fukuoka in Kyushu, so while speaking Japanese I'll sometimes dip into a kitakyushu/northern Kyushu dialect for some of my words. I have been told by my Korean friends that I sound like I have a Busan dialect when I try to speak in Korean, which is understandable since Busan dialect Korean tends to sound really close to north Kyushu dialect, only... Well, Korean. Tohoku dialects are terribly difficult to understand if the person is speaking too quickly, mostly because of how they speak. (not offense to anyone with this dialect!) It's just that they'll be saying something like susu and you will be wondering whether they mean sushi or actual susu[soot, to those of you who might not know this] since they kind of blend i and u into the same thing. Sounds really smooth and poetic in my opinion, though! :,D Oddly enough, the word in English I have the most trouble with is by far 'doctor'. I pronounce it 'docteur/doctuur'. This is the same with many words with that type of o in them - it'll go from o to uu sometimes. Like dog. I say it like dough-'g'. ._. Share this post Link to post
Posted June 6, 2011 I have an accent, but nobody seems to know what kind. The problem is that I'm a mimic - I'll hear something I like and copy it until it becomes habit. I've been pegged as being English, Australian, even Indian, when really I've rarely even ventured outside Virginia. Share this post Link to post
Posted July 15, 2011 Just one leetle thing... Firstly, the term "british accent" INFURIATES me, unless used in the proper manner* - there is NO SUCH THING! There isn't even such thing as an 'English accent'! I even found a map to show you (here) and even THAT is by no means extensive. [/rant] I personally am what you would calla 'well spoken geordie**'- My friends and most other local people think I'm posh, But I sound ridiculously geordie when I'm talking to people from somewhere else Oh, by the way, CHERYL COLE IS NOT A PROPER GEORDIE. Yes, she's from newcastle. Yes, she USED to be a proper geordie. Fact of the matter is, she is never in newcastle any more, and she's lost her accent a bit, then tried too hard to keep it. now, she just sounds like a plonker.[/rant the second] * (i.e. "there are many types of british accent") ** No, we don't all talk like that, not any more at least Share this post Link to post
Posted July 16, 2011 I'm from New Zealand, so I have a New Zealand accent, which I find is kinda boring. Accents have always facinated me and I love trying different ones on, especially an Irish one, but I'm absolutely terrible at any American accent with an exception to a deep southern Cajun accent, which isn't that hard anyway really. You know what's really hard though? A south african accent, by the Gods. Eastern european accents are especially fun. Share this post Link to post
Posted July 16, 2011 I have an American accent. I grew up in the North Carolina, but my the southern accent does not really show up that much. Sometimes I will unconsciously talk with a bit of a British accent. Share this post Link to post
Posted July 16, 2011 I was born in New York but raised in Texas, so I have a nice mix of drawling and overly-exaggerated o's in my speech, but I've toned down the Texan and my New York accent is so much more noticeable. Share this post Link to post
Posted July 16, 2011 I have an American accent. I grew up in the North Carolina, but my the southern accent does not really show up that much. Sometimes I will unconsciously talk with a bit of a British accent. *COUGH*COUGH* . DID YOU NOT READ MY POST? Share this post Link to post
Posted July 16, 2011 The Welsh sound very different to the Scots, who sound very different to the English. Though (at the risk of invoking stereotypes) called posh Scots sound a lot like posh English people, as do posh Americans. Share this post Link to post
Posted July 16, 2011 Accents are lovely, although I don't have one (I wish I did, lol). Of course, then again, over in England they'd tell me I had an American accent, wouldn't they? Share this post Link to post
Posted July 17, 2011 Accents are lovely, although I don't have one (I wish I did, lol). Of course, then again, over in England they'd tell me I had an American accent, wouldn't they? We would indeed. That said no one around here really considers my other half accented, and yet the times we've visited the US everyone has mentioned his english accent! Though (at the risk of invoking stereotypes) called posh Scots sound a lot like posh English people, as do posh Americans. Um. Not really, no. Share this post Link to post
Posted July 17, 2011 Utah accent, if anyone's heard it. Apparently we don't say mountain, kitten, Britain, basically -tain or -ten or -tin words fully. We say mount'n kind of like that. Hahaha, I didn't even know I had an accent till my friend told me. Now I try to play it down a little. Share this post Link to post
Posted July 17, 2011 Alright yeah. I posted here before but I developed a slight southern accent. /spends too much time around Alabamians Share this post Link to post
Posted July 17, 2011 New Yawk accent . If I were to spell mitten the way I say it, it would be mi-in . Share this post Link to post
Posted July 17, 2011 Um. Not really, no. You don't think so? To me the Morningside/Kelvinside accents sound a lot like the "middle-class" English accents I've heard. Maybe it's just the diversity of the Scottish accents that I'm used to. *ponders* When me and my sister started watching some of the older American movies we were a little confused by the accents. There was one in particular that we weren't sure where it was set, mostly because it shared a name with an area of London (I can't remember which one). Share this post Link to post
Posted July 17, 2011 (edited) You don't think so? To me the Morningside/Kelvinside accents sound a lot like the "middle-class" English accents I've heard. Maybe it's just the diversity of the Scottish accents that I'm used to. *ponders* When me and my sister started watching some of the older American movies we were a little confused by the accents. There was one in particular that we weren't sure where it was set, mostly because it shared a name with an area of London (I can't remember which one). To me a posh English accent is that very typical RP/Oxfordshire accent. And I've never known anywhere else in the *world* that manages to sound quite like that. Edited to add: w/regards an area that exists both in London and in New York... are you thinking Soho? Edited July 17, 2011 by TikindiDragon Share this post Link to post
Posted July 18, 2011 I am from southern California... I am told I speak rather fast-paced, and I admittedly abuse the words "like" and "totally." I'm much better about it when I write though Share this post Link to post
Posted July 18, 2011 Hey Tiki would someone from Astoria have an accent considered to be posh? I'm actually not sure if Astorias even a place in England (Is it an area of London?), so I may be shooting blanks here but I'm curious. Share this post Link to post
Posted July 18, 2011 Hey Tiki would someone from Astoria have an accent considered to be posh? I'm actually not sure if Astorias even a place in England (Is it an area of London?), so I may be shooting blanks here but I'm curious. Well the only Astoria I know of in England was a music venue that was demolished by the government in 2009 (sadly - it was a blinder of a place for gigs) to make way for a new rail project I think there may also be a couple of London hotels with 'Astoria' in their name, but I'm not sure about that. If you are talking about someone from that general area of London... accents in London can vary greatly, even in the sapce of just a couple of miles, so it's impossible to give a blanket statement about them. I would think it unlikely that the general population around there sound terribly posh, though. With the possible exception of people from nearby Chelsea of West Kensington. Share this post Link to post
Posted July 18, 2011 Edited to add: w/regards an area that exists both in London and in New York... are you thinking Soho? I think the film was set in Greenwich (apparantly there's a lot of them in America), but the Soho thing's definitely confused me before. Share this post Link to post
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