The Wonderful World of Accents

[Leave a Whisper]

Do you have an accent? Do you notice your own when your in a different place? Are you attracted to certain accents?

 I don't think I have an accent, mine seems flat and without inflections, some people in the world think we Californians still sound like valley girls, I dunno why. I assure you I only talk that way to annoy people. LOL

 I once talked to a British guy and I mentioned how much I like their accents. He thought I had an accent.

 I like
 English-I like many English accents, not just posh and smooth
 Irish-musical
 New York/Bronx-I blame 80s cartoons for using East Coast accents, they make me go oo la la!
 Cajun-I blame Gambit. His accent just makes him even more pounceable
 Japanese-its soft and pretty.
 Jamaican-musical and smooth
 Native American accents-idk what it is, but its soft and soothing to my ears.

 Because of my mother and several of my not so nice relatives, I'm not too crazy about Filipino accents. The way some of my older family speaks always sounds sharp, fast and condescending to me and I am embarrassed to say it, but I tried to work very hard when I was younger to get rid of any trace of that accent I picked up from my mom. I'm more okay with it now.

[kaoskat]

Everyone has an accent and no one thinks they have one. That's just kinda how it works.

[Skeen]

My husband is Australian so to me, yes, he has an accent.  But I never hear it anymore!  It's just so "normal" to me I don't notice it. 

[moevelvet]

Ooh, I hardly ever notice accents, and I never know where someone's from just from listening.  But based on television shows, I really love Welsh accents.  Oh, and also South African.

[Kittywhiskers]

Even though I've been living in Australia for years, it doesn't really have any effect on my accent most of the time. I've talked to people and had them immediately go "you're American!"

It's probably because on most days I don't talk to anyone besides my parents. Kinda comes with the whole "living in the middle of nowhere" thing. You can't pick up an accent from people you never hear.

[starrypawz]

I'm English, and I don't really have my 'local' accent which tends to come in two forms you get a 'posh' middle class British accent around here or you get a more 'common' accent. Although considering the general history of where I live the more 'common' one is probably the more 'native' accent.

I think whatever accent I have is fairly 'non regional' like I probably sound English but I don't have a 'noticeable' accent so you can't pinpoint where I'm from. I'm not one of these people who when they speak you could go 'You're from Birmingham!' or 'You're from Yorkshire' for example

What was weird was a few years ago I got mistaken for being someone from either Australia or South Africa.

[LadyMoondancer]

I mostly have the 'generic' American accent (like, the one that is standard on sitcoms), but because my parents are both from Minnesota originally I pronounce some words the Midwestern way.  Like I say 'bag' and 'milk' differently from most people around here.

[Beldarna]

I think accents are so interesting. Like five (swedish) miles up the coast people talk completly different from where I live. I hear directly if they're from "the woods" or the coast in my own small county. Myself is a sponge when it comes to accents. I'm not mocking or anything like many thinks but if a person with a thick accent talks to me for longer than two minutes I start to talk just like it. But trying to reenact it later is impossible, like I've completley forget how I talked just a minute ago. So weird. I so wish I could have my own accent and keep it. My sister thinks I sound like a Stockholmer and for us northerners that is an insult.

When it comes to English speech I am in love with scottish and irish accents. I can hardly understand it but love listening to it.

[Nightbow]

Someone asked me yesterday where my accent was from. I really don't have an ear for accents myself, but as silly as it may sound I think my mood may affect how I pronounce certain words.

But I love Scottish. Scottish accents are the best!

[galaxystardust]

Ooh, I hardly ever notice accents, and I never know where someone's from just from listening.  But based on television shows, I really love Welsh accents.  Oh, and also South African.

It's so nice to hear that people like my accent Whenever I hear South African's on tv I think we sound awful and I get embarrassed about it. Haha

[xeevee]

As said above, everyone has an accent.  You just don't hear your own. 

I just moved back to Australia after living in California for 3 years.  Now Australians sound so weird to me!  It's  crazy!  I used to not be able to hear it.  But, if I have ever, even once heard someone with an Australian accent talk before I left, they sound accent neutral.

My kids have awesome accents though.  To Americans my kids sound Australian, but to Australians my kids sound American.

Another interesting thing that's happened since I travelled is, prior to living in America I was unable to hear the difference between a Canadian and an American accent and now I can.


My favourite accents include New Zealand, English (most of them, but especially the one Tom Hiddleston has), A softer Cajun accent and Scottish.

[ArtyAmy]

Being someone who lives near Liverpool, I wish American movies would portray a wider variety of British accents, not just London posh or cockney X3.

[Carrehz]

Everyone has an accent and no one thinks they have one. That's just kinda how it works.

Yes, this! Thank you!! It drives me crazy when people say they "don't have an accent" hahaha.

I'm like Starrypawz, my accent's not local and it's hard to place because of that. I probably sound super English to non-Brits but I think my accent's kind of a mish-mash anyway.

[Skeen]

Even though I've been living in Australia for years, it doesn't really have any effect on my accent most of the time. I've talked to people and had them immediately go "you're American!"

When I lived in Oz people always thought I was Canadian!   

[Moonbreeze]

I have the South-Holland accent The generic one, towns like The Hague have a different one than I speak and it's only 10 km away. Only my 'g' and my 'r' are fancy But the amount of accents and dialects in this tiny country are pretty insane.

When it comes to English it depends on where I am. In the States I'll probably speak more like they speak there then when I'm in Britain