Accents: How do YOU sound?

Growing up in New York City, I’ve always found accents fascinating. Some of my neighbours’ speech had a strong Noo Yawk edge (which differs in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Nassau County and elsewhere). Others spoke with heavy Greek or Irish influences. Some of the Italian-Americans on my block could have passed for characters on the Sopranos.

My own accent probably wasn’t as New-Yorky as some of the other kids. My mother was originally from Massachusetts. My father, though New Jersey-born, studied music, voice and diction, so didn’t sound like your average King of Queens. Still, when I went to college and grad school, and then moved to Toronto, I knew that I had to lose the rough edges of the New York-ish sounds from my voice, lest I spend the rest of my life answering the question: “WHERE are you FROM?”

(Naturally, I revert to Noo-Yawkese when hopping into a cab at LaGuardia or ordering a salami on rye in the deli near my old apartment. When in Rome…)

I confess that I used to wonder about people who changed their manner of speaking. One of my high-school friends went to college in Massachusetts and came home for Christmas sounding like a Boston Brahmin. How could this happen so quickly? Fast forward four years; she took a job in Miami and began speaking like a native Floridian. Looking back, I admire her ability to adapt, though at the time I didn’t understand how or why she did it.

Given this fascination with accents, I was intrigued by this episode of Boston Behind the Scenes, where Adam Weiss interviews a linguist talking about Boston accents.

Hat tip to Bryan Person for introducing me to Boston Behind the Scenes.

Questions:
Do you feel you have an accent?
Does your accent help or hinder your communications?
Have you ever made an effort to change your accent?

Please comment. I’d love to hear from you. I think it would be fun to do a podcast on this topic in the future.

Comments

[Paull Young]

Do I have an accent: So I've been told...

Does my accent help or hinder my communications: Occasionally it can hinder, but it is normally Australian slang that sparks confusion more than the way in which it is delivered.

Often it can be beneficial. An accent differentiates you and makes you stand out in the crowd.

I likened my travels in the USA to being an undercover tourist. I'd be American right up until I opened my mouth - then I'd be getting funny looks from the entire line at Starbucks.

Have I made an effort to change my accent: Not bloody likely! ;-)

An interesting phenomena with travelling Aussies is that we'll often turn up the accent a few notches.

I grew up closely attached to the country, which means I'll always be wearing a thick Aussie accent.

It's funny to find fellow Aussies on the road who have never left Sydney's northern beachs but are suddenly speaking as though they've spent the last 5 years at a remote Merino stud in the Outback.

I've also got to recount a tale from one of my first visits to a pub in Washington DC.

I ran into a massive Southern bloke who looked like he'd walked off a Malboro billboard - 10 gallon hat an all.

He heard me order a drink and then started yelling out to his friends (in an almost unintelligible Southern drawl): "Come and listen to this guy from Australia! He's got the craziest voice you've ever heard!"

"You've got a pretty decent accent yourself mate" I replied.

To which I recieved a blank stare, and: "I don't got no accent boy!"

[Bob LeDrew]

Hi Donna:

Being from Cape Breton, there is definitely an accent associated with my homeland -- in fact, I can even differentiate between someone from New Waterford and someone from Mabou. I don't have a strong accent, but like most people, if I go home it comes back. I think accents are like spices -- they enrich the flavours of a language. And an accent hasn't seemed to hurt Rex Murphy's ability to communicate!

[Donna Papacosta]

Paull and Bob, thanks for commenting. For the record, I LOVE East Coast and Aussie accents. Great story, Paull. Of COURSE the Southern bubba would think he doesn't have an accent. I know a Scot who believes the whole world talks funny, except for him.

Paull, I can certainly understand you when you speak; it's the Aussie vocab that sometimes throws me for a loop. ;-)

Makes me wonder -- Do we consider certain accents pleasant and others unpleasant? I can't help thinking that I'd get funny looks if I walked into a boardroom in Toronto and started to drop my consonants like Camilla Soprano. What do you think?

[Gloria Hildebrandt]

I don't think that I have a distinctive accent in English, but when I speak German, Germans spot me right away as having a Hamburg accent! There are regional accents in Germany and I learned to speak from my family which was based in Hamburg. And the French I know has a Parisian accent, so in Quebec I am considered an outsider but also as being more fluent than I am. Sometimes, having an accent can give the impression that you know more than you do!

[Donna Papacosta]

That's interesting, Gloria. You've reminded me of a time I was speaking Spanish in Colombia and someone thought I was Cuban. Probably because I learned my accent from a Cuban-American teacher plus a girlfriend. (My Spanish is gone now; no chance to practice it here.)

I'm intrigued by your last sentence. I hope others add their thoughts.

[Skye Lemmon]

I was born and raised in Norway. My parents are from South-Asia. I grew up watching MTV and American sitcoms. After high school I went and lived in the UK for four years.

English was (originally) my third language, but I use it more now than both my mothertongue AND my country's national language...so I guess you can say it has +become+ my first language.

My accent when I speak English is hard to place. I don't sound Scandinavian or South Asian, neither do I sound British or American. I guess my accent has a touch of everything in it, confusing to say the least.

I agree with Gloria's comment, sometimes an accent might make you sound like you know more, not necessarily a bad thing when you work in PR ;)

In my experience, people tend to listen more carefully when you have an accent. Not necessarily because of what you have to say or because the accent is hard to understand...but it gets people's attention and makes them concentrate more.

[Donna Papacosta]

Very interesting, Skye. I'd love to hear your voice!
Thanks for commenting.

[Karel Mc Intosh (Trinidad)]

It may sound silly, but I never realised I had an accent until I set foot in England at age 25. Having lived in Trinidad for my whole life, to me when Trinis spoke it sounded normal. But in England, as soon as I said something people would look at me. The funny thing too is that I had to learn what my accent sounded like by listening to my other Trini friends, and still I didn't think they had an accent. Then I realised I had to listen to intonations of how Trinidadians spoke.

Some people change their accents to blend in. However, I think my accent got even thicker, as my way to hold on to my Caribbean identity, and I revelled in speaking Trinidadian Creole (which is a dialect that was formed by slaves mixing English with their own language, and includes unique words and sayings). People say Trinidadians' accent sounds happy. To quote a previous boss, she said it sounded like a lilt.

When I speak Standard English people understand it quite well. Like Paull says, it depends on how it's delivered; it's the slang/ dialect that can confuse people. I've spoken with Paull, and another Aussie and had no problems understanding them. Seems they understood me quite well also, and our accents are quite different.

[Sue]

Sometimes in the company of Americans, I'm told it's obvious I'm from Canada because of my accent (which of course I don't think I have). Speaking French (badly) in Quebec, I was told I sounded American. I find if you hang around for any length of time with people who have a certain way of speaking -- those Noo Yawkers you mention, Brits, Aussies, Southerners -- you tend to pick up that sound too!

[Steven Lewis]

I'm English but lived in Hong Kong from the age of 6 (I'm 35 now). The dominance of US TV meant, I'm told, that I ended up with a transatlantic accent. I'm often mistaken in the UK for an American, although Americans refuse to believe that when I tell them. To them I sound as American as Churchill.

Now, after four years in Australia I get mistaken for an Aussie, too. This is something Australians find amusing, although recently I've been asked by Australians where I'm from because, I suppose, I do sound less English to them. I'm assimilating. They often think I'm from Adelaide -- a place, I'm told, where the accent is quite English. Lee would be the authority on that, I suppose.

My family certainly think I sound Australian; often remarking on it. What's funny is that they don't mean it as a compliment so I do wonder why they mention it. "You're getting quite an Australian accent there" translates as "You sound dreadful and should work on that immediately as you're disgracing yourself."

I have tried to conceal my accent at times; mostly, though, it's unintentional. The cleaners used to laugh at me at university because, without meaning to, I'd have started dropping my Hs and uva letters when talkin' to 'em. I expect it sounded like a poor Dick Van Dyke impression. (Incidentally, why does no one say "impression" anymore. I studied law when I wasn't chatting to the cleaners and I can authoritatively say that impersonating someone is not the same thing at all.)

[Tom Keefe]

Do you feel you have an accent?
I know that I sound like a Midwesterner, but not like a southside Chicagoan. (If you hear someone imitating Coach Mike Ditka and talking about Da Bears, you're hearing a southside accent.)

Does your accent help or hinder your communications?
It doesn't impact me because I try to soften it when necessary.

Have you ever made an effort to change your accent?
All of the time. Actually, I went to college at a university only 4 hours south of Chicago (Eastern Illinois University). Believe it or not, people there had a noticeable "twang" (think country-western). I liked it, and picked it up. My Chicago friends ribbed me to no end when I came back to town during school breaks.

[Donna Papacosta]

Thanks to Karel, Sue, Steven and Tom for commenting. This has turned into a fascinating thread. I definitely have to do a podcast episode around this topic.

[Paull Young]

Skye is right about the Norwegian mixed accent. I passed through Oslo in my travels and ever since I've been telling people that the Scandinavians speak better English than me!

The highlight was a Norwegian guy I met who, when speaking english, had one of the broadest Australian accents I've heard.

He wasn't trying to put it on, and didn't know where he'd picked it up but he sounded like a Bushie from the deep Outback!

[Christine Smith]

Do I have an accent? Not sure. I know I've been pegged as having a "CBC announcer kind of voice" that's clearly an alto. On the subject of accents, voices and podcasts: I hit the stop button on podcasts with voices and accents that I find grating to listen to. And, sorry Donna, one podcaster (from Fast Company magazine I think) was just too, too New York for me and I hit the stop button. What might be an interesting subject for a podcast: how podcasters' voice attributes ( perceived maleness, femaleness, pitch, volume, accent, etc.) affect the degree to which listeners continue to listen to them.

[Donna Papacosta]

Thanks for commenting, Christine. I am definitely going to do a podcast about accents.

[Oleg Kuzin]

Of course I have an accent! It has been described as mid-European, although a person with a keen ear will say Russian. I have dealt with accents throughout my life, first it was a Cezch accent, then a French one, then a British one (that is what was taught in France), then American, then Texan, then Mid-Western, then German (I was mistaken for someone from Bavaria). An accent is whatever difference that may exist between what one speaks and what the people around you speak. One starts to lose one's accent when one stays too long in one place or when contact with previous countries/cultures disappears. To a new Canadian's ear, my accent probably sounds quite Canadian but to a native born Wasp, I am still from the Old Country.

[Allan Jenkins]

I grew up in the American South, and have all the usages and slang of that region ("y'all", "reckon", "likes (lacks)", "fetch", etc).

But I have little of the accent, having left the South more than 20 years ago. Most Americans can't place me on accent alone; it's only when I use a Southern expression.

But I regain a Southern accent in about 10 minutes when I am in the South or am with Southerners.

I pick up accents easily, without knowing it. Six months in Australia rendered me sounding like Lee Hopkins. I didn't realize it until I heard tape recordings of myself... it passed after a few weeks, but I was deeply aware of it and worried colleagues and friends thought I was "putting it on."

Allan

[Donna Papacosta]

Thanks for commenting, Allan. I know what you mean about slipping into the old accent when you go "back home." I for one love hearing you say y'all.

[Ralf]

Hello Donna
I'm from Poland, born and raised there. I came to the UK two years ago. Wherever I go I'm constantly reminded that I'm foreign. The worst thing is that no one has ever told me that I'm Polish, which I would find quite nice actually. People in Liverpool tell me I'm German, people from South Africa tell me I'm Dutch, the English people in Manchester tell me I'm Russian and so on. I'd love to find a podcast one day on how to speak with an American accent which sounds foreign, but normal at the same time here, in the UK. The British have come up with like a million of various accents and I sure I cannot imitate any of them. Instead of saying "UP" they say "OOP" as in POOL for example. I think I able to communicate quite fluently when nobody is paying any attention to the way I speak, but when I'm reminded I start to mumble. Thank you for raising this topic and all the best from Manchester, UK.

[Donna Papacosta]

Ralf, thanks so much for sharing your experience. This is fascinating stuff. Definite fodder for a future podcast!

[Lee Hopkins]

I remember that, like Paull, an Aussie accent was a way of gaining attention. The trouble was, it didn't gain me credibility when trying to deal with successful medium-sized businesses in the South of England. So I adopted as best I could an Oxbridge/Surrey accent (but the Aussie in me came out under the alffluence of incohol -- the more alcohol, the more Aussie).

In the middle and north of England my accent was 'no drama', as I guess anyone who didn't have a Southern Counties accent was considered 'an outsider' (according to my target market) and so I fitted in with everyone else as 'an outsider'.

One might also posit that those from outside of the Southern Counties were less snobbish... {smile}

[Lea]

Do you feel you have an accent?
I was told many times I do. I live in Montreal, so I obviously overuse tabarnaks and have the accent, but I did grow up in Jonquiere. (Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean) People from there are considered to have the strongest french accents.

Does your accent help or hinder your communications?
I just usually make friends more easily - They interrogate me on where my accent comes from.

Have you ever made an effort to change your accent?
No, and I never will. =]

[Lea]

Do you feel you have an accent?
I was told many times I do. I live in Montreal, so I obviously overuse tabarnaks and have the accent, but I did grow up in Jonquiere. (Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean) People from there are considered to have the strongest french accents.

Does your accent help or hinder your communications?
I just usually make friends more easily - They interrogate me on where my accent comes from.

Have you ever made an effort to change your accent?
No, and I never will. =]

[AbuBakir]

I’m from Damascus, Syria. I speak with a Damascene accent which is very distinguished throughout the Arab World. Beiruti accent of Lebanon and Damascene accent of Syria are the most dominating over this part of the world. Having attended an American school I have an American accent. Even though it’s a mixed combination of different accents, it is more New Yorkese than anything else I was told.

I don’t usually change my accent when I visit another country and I don’t think people would like me to. I met five different families from five different countries who asked me to “just talk”. They loved the accent, the Arabic one that is.

As far as my English is concerned, and that’s what you want to hear about I presume, it always got me in trouble while traveling. People never believed I was from Syria when I spoke English. One Italian guy I met in a hotel in Istanbul while I was with other people stared at me in a strange way. When he later found out that I was not American he came and shook my hand and apologized for his behavior saying that he hated Americans and he figured me for one when he heard me talk.

Is there any advice you can give me?

[AbuBakir]

I’m from Damascus, Syria. I speak with a Damascene accent which is very distinguished throughout the Arab World. Beiruti accent of Lebanon and Damascene accent of Syria are the most dominating over this part of the world. Having attended an American school I have an American accent. Even though it’s a mixed combination of different accents, it is more New Yorkese than anything else I was told.

I don’t usually change my accent when I visit another country and I don’t think people would like me to. I met five different families from five different countries who asked me to “just talk”. They loved the accent, the Arabic one that is.

As far as my English is concerned, and that’s what you want to hear about I presume, it always got me in trouble while traveling. People never believed I was from Syria when I spoke English. One Italian guy I met in a hotel in Istanbul while I was with other people stared at me in a strange way. When he later found out that I was not American he came and shook my hand and apologized for his behavior saying that he hated Americans and he figured me for one when he heard me talk.

Is there any advice you can give me?