NationStates Jolt Archive

so what do you non-americans think of the american accent I'm curious

el bumpo

so what do you non-americans think of the american accent I'm curious
Which one? There are so many!

whichever one you most often hear

What do you think of the Ohio accent?

(Americans say we don't have one but that is impossible, seeing how an accent is simply the overall way you speak and enunciate words).

whichever one you most often hear
Ditto my first question.

Ok. New Jersey accent. It's okay in some men...but some women with that accent sound terrible. And shrill. The 'Texan' accent...kind of funny. The yanks that talk like most Canadians...*shrugs* sound like Canadians. Accents shmacksents.

Yes, that needs to be clairified. The West Coast, New England/New York, South, and Mid West are all different, even though it is the same language.

excellent point, sinuhue. For an American, I don't think I have an accent. Yet to a Briton or Irishman, etc., I would have a marked accent. I don't have a Southern accent, a Yankee accent, a New York accent, a Western accent, yet I must have an accent. For where is the universal standard English pronunciation? Whence comes it?

exactly, illicia. To a certain region, the intrinsic "accent" isn't an accent at all for the natives to the region. Any other accent is an accent to them.

Ok. New Jersey accent. It's okay in men...but women with that accent sound terrible.

Cuppa cawfee anna bagel?

Ditto my first question.

Ok. New Jersey accent. It's okay in some men...but some women with that accent sound terrible. And shrill. The 'Texan' accent...kind of funny. The yanks that talk like most Canadians...*shrugs* sound like Canadians. Accents shmacksents.

what's wrong w/ the texan accent? :P

just generalise I guess whatever comes to mind when you hear american accent

I dunno. I don't mind most american accents, but I looooooooove the Southern gents accent.... ah do declayah, I'm gettin' tha vapahs.

At least that's what I say when I hear it. Too bad I only hear it on the TV :(

I dunno. I don't mind most american accents, but I looooooooove the Southern gents accent.... ah do declayah, I'm gettin' tha vapahs.

At least that's what I say when I hear it. Too bad I only hear it on the TV :(
ya know I've never heard that one in real life

And what do y'all think of that oh, so sexy Michiganian accent.

What do you think of the Ohio accent?

Those in Ohio have an accent? I wasn't born in the state but I don't notice anything.

I dunno. I don't mind most american accents, but I looooooooove the Southern gents accent.... ah do declayah, I'm gettin' tha vapahs.

At least that's what I say when I hear it. Too bad I only hear it on the TV :(

i live in texas and i've never seen a guy talk like that. (i think that's a woman's quote you're saying there, i don't think guys "get the vapors"(is that what you're saying?))

mebbe they do that in georgia?

(sorry, am American but gonna interject my own two cents)

I prefer my own accent, that of being in California/West Coast. I know what your thinking, surfer smoker person. I do use 'dude' alot (more than I should), but I hardly fit the image of a surfer, though people out-of-state usually get that as the first impression.

I personally can't stand German accented American accents...

Those in Ohio have an accent? I wasn't born in the state but I don't notice anything.

We don't when compared to other Americans, but we do in the sense that we speak differently than others.

I'm Californian, I can't even point out our own accent. :(

And, to be honest, I can't even point out other accents in these United States. Except for southern accents, those are pretty obvious.

(sorry, am American but gonna interject my own two cents)

I prefer my own accent, that of being in California/West Coast. I know what your thinking, surfer smoker person. I do use 'dude' alot (more than I should), but I hardly fit the image of a surfer, though people out-of-state usually get that as the first impression.
Oh yeah...I use dude a little much. But I only use it in certain jokes with my friends. Not in day-to-day speaking.

here in iowa words are different

grocery=groshery
can of soda=can of pop
mitsubishi=mitsubeetshi

that's all I can think of right now

what's wrong w/ the texan accent? :P
Last time I flew through Houston, even the little kids were in jeans and cowboy hats and said "Y'all". I guess I thought that the accent was a stereotype...that it wasn't quite that thick...but it really is:).

I think when most people imitate Americans, they use this accent.

american accents in general are about 10,000 times cooler sounding than british ones of any sort :(
i mean british people even have to sing in american accents... apart from punk but thats cos its cool enough already :cool: :P


best: west coast sufer dude or new york/brooklyn
worst: southern drawl (sorry to all y'all southerners on NS ;))

I can't stand rich,white kids that talk like ghetto trash,makes me wanna smack em'

Ditto my first question.

Ok. New Jersey accent. It's okay in some men...but some women with that accent sound terrible. And shrill. The 'Texan' accent...kind of funny. The yanks that talk like most Canadians...*shrugs* sound like Canadians. Accents shmacksents.

are you talking about the Scandinavian/German accent used by folks in such northern climes as Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan?

...vowels are hard, straightforward... none of this rounding of the vowels like you see in California and down south.

for instance:

You
Wisconsinite: Yoo
Californian: Yeh'oo

No
Wisconsinite: No
Californian: Neh'oo

hehe

american accents in general are about 10,000 times cooler sounding than british ones of any sort :(
i mean british people even have to sing in american accents... apart from punk but thats cos its cool enough already :cool: :P


best: west coast sufer dude or new york/brooklyn
worst: southern drawl (sorry to all y'all southerners on NS ;))
Yet in the US having a british accent of just about any kind automatically makes you sound smarter and more interesting. People just like things that seem sort of exotic but at the same time familiar.

Last time I flew through Houston, even the little kids were in jeans and cowboy hats and said "Y'all". I guess I thought that the accent was a stereotype...that it wasn't quite that thick...but it really is:).

I think when most people imitate Americans, they use this accent.

ahHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. that's funny. i admit i say ya'll quite a bit. i went to california to visit some friends for a cpl of days, didn't say ya'll once until the last night at dinner before we left. Needless to say that they noticed it and commented. And i admit, i can drawl with the best of them when it comes to a texas accent. However, not everyone here wears jeans and a cowboy hat (although i have on a few occasions)

(we don't ride horses to work either :P)

Ha theyr, ahm frum stayt tehnehseee, ahm hillbilleh bloo. i goht... sev'n'teen burdahs an' aah goht fourteen sistehs... that makes me bloo nuhma' thir-tee-too. hey, bloo thir-teh-too tha' do rime!

that's my hammed up hillbilly accent. now, i think i can't put any accents in place specifically, but i can damn well close my eyes and point at a map!

bump

Whether I like a person's accent depends on whether I like them. A kind, charming Texan's accent sounds sexy, to my ears, and the same accent can sound crude and coarse coming from a rude or lecherous Texan. At first I thought that the accent was shaping my perception of the person, until I realized that everyone was pronouncing the language the same, but some of it managed to come across as charming, some of it sleezy. It most likely had more to do with tone of voice... Other than a Southern accent, I didn't know that there were distinct American accents. How many are there?
I can't hear accents so well; most of the people in my family have an accent of some sort, something that I only realized when I was ten or twelve years old. Up until that point, I had assumed that my Nana's nationality (she's from New Zealand) was completely unrelated to how her voice sounds. My Grandmother's thick French accent was just how her voice had always sounded. Now when people talk about someone's "accent", half the time I realize that I didn't even notice they had one (yes, I am a little dense).
I did notice a Canadian accent when I got back after three months away, though. After flying over the Atlantic, the indescribable Canadian accent was just a wee bit annoying (I almost strangled a few airport staff). It was... I don't know. Too peppy, maybe? I did not like it.

The western New York accent is troubling to the ear, but all the more so when spoken by adult women. The insertion of soft 'y' sounds immediately before a vowel (rendering 'vowel' into 'vyowel', 'cat' into 'cyat' and 'democrat' into 'dyemocryat' is unnerving to begin with, but the further shifting of vowels only makes it worse.

'Roofing tile' should not be pronounced 'ruffing tile', saying 'sorry' should be just that, not 'sahrry', and if you're 'out and about' surely it shouldn't be said that you're 'ah-ut and abah-ut'.

Also, it's 'pop', not 'soda'. But I digress. This is about accents, not vocab after all. Though I will dip much further south to mention that 'Uhh-murrika' is a Godawful name for a nation. 'America' sounds much much better.

my favorite accent is the brooklyn joe pesci type accent cause I have relatives who talk like that

(sorry, am American but gonna interject my own two cents)

I prefer my own accent, that of being in California/West Coast. I know what your thinking, surfer smoker person. I do use 'dude' alot (more than I should), but I hardly fit the image of a surfer, though people out-of-state usually get that as the first impression.
I'm Californian, I can't even point out our own accent.

And, to be honest, I can't even point out other accents in these United States. Except for southern accents, those are pretty obvious.
The California accent is a lax accent. We are not 'going,' we are goin'. We don't ask what is up, rather s'up? Whereas a Canadian will turn things into a question (eh?) a Califorinian will turn things into something good, even if it's bad. That's hard to demonstrate in text because it's largely in inflection, but it's like half the things we say are encouragments.

Then there is North and South differences. Mostly 'Like' vs. 'Hella.' SoCalers, like, say like, like all the time. NorCalers-if you ask a SoCaler hella say hella hella times. This drifts in pockets, too. There are I think pockets of hella in SoCal and some, like, 'Like' pockets up north.

There is also a low gutteral growl in something that is cool-it was exagerated in the voice of Michealangelo in the Ninja Turtles and Specoli in Fast Times. But no one uses it all the time like that.

Yet in the US having a british accent of just about any kind automatically makes you sound smarter and more interesting. People just like things that seem sort of exotic but at the same time familiar.
yeah so i hear... i gotta try my luck at being intrinsically all "smart", "suave" and "sophisticated" with some american ladies :p

Whether I like a person's accent depends on whether I like them. A kind, charming Texan's accent sounds sexy, to my ears, and the same accent can sound crude and coarse coming from a rude or lecherous Texan. At first I thought that the accent was shaping my perception of the person, until I realized that everyone was pronouncing the language the same, but some of it managed to come across as charming, some of it sleezy. It most likely had more to do with tone of voice... Other than a Southern accent, I didn't know that there were distinct American accents. How many are there?
I can't hear accents so well; most of the people in my family have an accent of some sort, something that I only realized when I was ten or twelve years old. Up until that point, I had assumed that my Nana's nationality (she's from New Zealand) was completely unrelated to how her voice sounds. My Grandmother's thick French accent was just how her voice had always sounded. Now when people talk about someone's "accent", half the time I realize that I didn't even notice they had one (yes, I am a little dense).
I did notice a Canadian accent when I got back after three months away, though. After flying over the Atlantic, the indescribable Canadian accent was just a wee bit annoying (I almost strangled a few airport staff). It was... I don't know. Too peppy, maybe? I did not like it.

there are several american accents,

midwestern (wisconsin, minnesota, north dakota, etc) sounds a bit like canadian, with about being pronounced aboot and route root
northeastern (boston/new yorkish) pronounce the word car cah, and generally forget their r's.
southern, you said you've heard before, so no need to explain.
you got western, which they like to say dude alot :P or bra for bro. (surfer talk)

uh.. i'm sure there are qutie a few more.

I can't stand rich,white kids that talk like ghetto trash,makes me wanna smack em'What about rich black kids?

What about rich black kids?
can't smack them I'd have a racism lawsuit on my hands :D

b-u-m-p

Also, it's 'pop', not 'soda'. But I digress. This is about accents, not vocab after all. Though I will dip much further south to mention that 'Uhh-murrika' is a Godawful name for a nation. 'America' sounds much much better.

it's neither, it's "coke".
what's wrong with pronouncing america 'uh-meri-kuh'? how do you pronounce it?

Oh yeah...I use dude a little much. But I only use it in certain jokes with my friends. Not in day-to-day speaking.
Dude, seriously, you cannot over use the word dude. It's a great frickin' word. We've all heard the comedian's routine on the versatility of the word. Dude may be the greatest word. Don't appologise for it, it rules-dude.

chez bump

chez bump
Are you bumping so much just to raise your post count?

b-u-m-p

hey Thek, i think excessive bumping is against the TOS :P besides, it doesn't need to be done.

Are you bumping so much just to raise your post count?
nah I'm bored but I'll stop

nah I'm bored but I'll stop

rofl, instead of bumping why not say something else?

rofl, instead of bumping why not say something else?
okey dokey german smokey (what is rofl)

what's wrong with pronouncing america 'uh-meri-kuh'? how do you pronounce it?
Ah-meh-rih-kah

"uh-meh-rih-kuh" sounds kind of like you're grunting it out or something, or about twenty thousand years behind the rest of us in language terms. It's not an attack on anyone, just the "uh" in it a bit much.

Accents tend to be better when they're not saying things in favour of capital punishment, torture and other violent things to which I object deeply.

I do say old bean. coming from england and whatnot I find it most scintillating that all you collonials have devised your own accents. first class!

okey dokey german smokey (what is rofl)Why German smokey? :confused:

okey dokey german smokey (what is rofl)

rolling on the floor laughing

why do you call us colonials we fought a war and everything over that

Ohio has an accent but many Americans do not realize it. The reason being is that it is the preferred accent for newscasters and other such media. So people are just desensitized to it ;)

Also having lived in Ohio... there are differences in accents of Northern and Southern Ohio. To tell the difference just ask them to say Ohio... one sounds like it ends with an Oh and the other Ah.

Then there is North and South differences. Mostly 'Like' vs. 'Hella.' SoCalers, like, say like, like all the time. NorCalers-if you ask a SoCaler hella say hella hella times. This drifts in pockets, too. There are I think pockets of hella in SoCal and some, like, 'Like' pockets up north.
Your right, we DO use like a lot. Though the only time I've heard "hella" was in a South Park episode with Cartman.

"That is like so cool...:D"
"Like what the hell did you do?"
"Then I was all like "WTF that's awesome!"
"I mean, like...you know!"

Yep. It's like the best thing ever. Though I developed using the word when I started middle-school. It caught on to me as I started talking more and more like my new friends.


And maybe I'm the only one noticing this, but I think our Southern California accents are getting a little bit more Spanish. Especially considering like half of the city names here are Spanish. (Los Angeles, San Diego, Moreno Valley, Santa Monica, etc.)

Or it may be the Native-Spanish speakers using English. I think it's slowly catching on, maybe.

He didn't, he called you "collonials"

Why German smokey? :confused:
why not german smokey

The western New York accent is troubling to the ear, but all the more so when spoken by adult women. The insertion of soft 'y' sounds immediately before a vowel (rendering 'vowel' into 'vyowel', 'cat' into 'cyat' and 'democrat' into 'dyemocryat' is unnerving to begin with, but the further shifting of vowels only makes it worse.

'Roofing tile' should not be pronounced 'ruffing tile', saying 'sorry' should be just that, not 'sahrry', and if you're 'out and about' surely it shouldn't be said that you're 'ah-ut and abah-ut'.

Also, it's 'pop', not 'soda'. But I digress. This is about accents, not vocab after all. Though I will dip much further south to mention that 'Uhh-murrika' is a Godawful name for a nation. 'America' sounds much much better.

I beg to differ; nearly everywhere I've lived it's been soda :D

There are many variations of accents - NH, ME, VT, CT are all different, though CT sounds much like Mass. to me. Northern rural coastal Maine is barely English, can hardly understand it.

I agree with Dobbs, good description BTW, the western NY accent is harsh.

Rural Pennsylvanians have a distinct accent as well, develops a slight drawl in the southern part of the State.

The California accent is a lax accent. We are not 'going,' we are goin'. We don't ask what is up, rather s'up? Whereas a Canadian will turn things into a question (eh?) a Califorinian will turn things into something good, even if it's bad. That's hard to demonstrate in text because it's largely in inflection, but it's like half the things we say are encouragments.

Then there is North and South differences. Mostly 'Like' vs. 'Hella.' SoCalers, like, say like, like all the time. NorCalers-if you ask a SoCaler hella say hella hella times. This drifts in pockets, too. There are I think pockets of hella in SoCal and some, like, 'Like' pockets up north.

There is also a low gutteral growl in something that is cool-it was exagerated in the voice of Michealangelo in the Ninja Turtles and Specoli in Fast Times. But no one uses it all the time like that.


Yeah, I'm in the central part of Cali, got pockets of both the "likes" and "hellas". I REALLY cannot stand those that use 'like' in place of whole sentences. Typical valley-girl/blonde image, but it drives me crazy!!

Of the two pockets, there's more 'hellas' here, though 'dude' is used alot, especially by me. I love using that word. I often don't even realize it till after. I once called my boss dude on the phone, I don't even know if he caught it either. (and he's at least 30 yrs. older than me). It was eye-openning to see how much I use dude in sentences. Of course, not so much in typing, but in speech, a lot.

Yet in the US having a british accent of just about any kind automatically makes you sound smarter and more interesting. People just like things that seem sort of exotic but at the same time familiar.
...Up until you hear what they have to say. :D

Your right, we DO use like a lot. Though the only time I've heard "hella" was in a South Park episode with Cartman.

"That is like so cool...:D"
"Like what the hell did you do?"
"Then I was all like "WTF that's awesome!"
"I mean, like...you know!"

Yep. It's like the best thing ever. Though I developed using the word when I started middle-school. It caught on to me as I started talking more and more like my new friends.


And maybe I'm the only one noticing this, but I think our Southern California accents are getting a little bit more Spanish. Especially considering like half of the city names here are Spanish. (Los Angeles, San Diego, Moreno Valley, Santa Monica, etc.)

Or it may be the Native-Spanish speakers using English. I think it's slowly catching on, maybe.

Everybody in Northern Ireland says "like" with everything. "It's, like, 6 miles east", "Know what I mean, like?" "It was just like....brilliant" Just sort of gets dropped in quickly in the middle of things. That's maybe where it came from...after all, the Ulster Scots ended up all over America.

why not german smokeyWhy not South Bengalese Smokey? Just wanted to know why Germany Smokey and not anything else. (Since I'm half-German, I feel that I've got the right to know why ;))

[QUOTE=Thekalu]here in iowa words are different

can of soda=can of pop

In Canada we say pop too. Speaking as a non-American, I can say that I love the variety of the accents that can be heard across the US. I am most fond of the vernacular in Texas and the flair with which it is delivered. My American friends try clandestine ways of making me say 'about.' I guess I have an accent too.

Everybody in Northern Ireland says "like" with everything. "It's, like, 6 miles east", "Know what I mean, like?" "It was just like....brilliant" Just sort of gets dropped in quickly in the middle of things. That's maybe where it came from...after all, the Ulster Scots ended up all over America.
Perhaps. Which is odd because California has always had a majority for Hispanic immigration above all others. Though I've never heard of "like" being dropped in at the end of a sentence.

I hear the most annoying people whose sentences are about 70% "you know".
Also, when people say "more -er" not really a regional thing or dialect, just pissing stupid.

From my ignorant British perspective, I quite like a Southern accent mosta the time, cuz it's sounds so laid back...'Lihfe is lihke a bowhx ov choaklets...' and what not (apologies for the disgusting stereotype *slaps wrist and goes to make a cuppa tea*).
*comes back*
A Northern American accent is terrible if the person you're listening to is a droner though, cuz it is the most efficient tranqualizer even if they're talking about something really interesting. :p

Perhaps. Which is odd because California has always had a majority for Hispanic immigration above all others. Though I've never heard of "like" being dropped in at the end of a sentence.
Oh, it's not only the end of a sentence. It can go anywhere.

The Pennsylvania (and in particular Pittsburgh) accent is very much like the Northern Irish one, uses loads of the same slang words and pronunciations etc, just with an American twist to it.

Why not South Bengalese Smokey? Just wanted to know why Germany Smokey and not anything else. (Since I'm half-German, I feel that I've got the right to know why ;))
according to a movie I saw in school in 3rd grade germans are famous for their sausage whereas Bengal is known for ............uhhhh tigers *raar* and none wants a tiger sausage and boy I should go to the store

Ah-meh-rih-kah

"uh-meh-rih-kuh" sounds kind of like you're grunting it out or something, or about twenty thousand years behind the rest of us in language terms. It's not an attack on anyone, just the "uh" in it a bit much.

if you look at dictionary.com, America is pronounced the same way you pronounce about, gallop, edible, item, and circus, and i say uh-bout, not ah-bout, gal-uhp, not gal-ahp ed-uh-ble, not ed-ah-ble, i-tuhm, and cir-cuhs. not i-tahm, and cir-cahs.

so i see nothing wrong w/ pronouncing America with an uh sound.

according to a movie I saw in school in 3rd grade germans are famous for their sausage whereas Bengal is known for ............uhhhh tigers *raar* and none wants a tiger sausage and boy I should go to the store
I'd try tiger sausage, but from what I can tell tigers are pretty lean. You should mix in some pork fat, and it's probably best smoked, cured and dried. I can't imagine it as a fresh sausage.

there are many Yank Accents.

I like Louisiana's.

i'm dutch and have finished billingual education(dutch and british english) recently. somehow i find the american accent a bit annoying. saying bedder instead of better or caen't instead of can't.

there are several american accents,

midwestern (wisconsin, minnesota, north dakota, etc) sounds a bit like canadian, with about being pronounced aboot and route root
northeastern (boston/new yorkish) pronounce the word car cah, and generally forget their r's.
southern, you said you've heard before, so no need to explain.
you got western, which they like to say dude alot :P or bra for bro. (surfer talk)

uh.. i'm sure there are qutie a few more.

Not all people from the midwest talk like that. i live in wisconsin, and personally, saying "aboot" and "root" just annoys me, which i actually don't hear very often at all.

:confused:

Route ISN'T supposed to be root?

Damn that's how I read it and learned to say it!

if you look at dictionary.com, America is pronounced the same way you pronounce about, gallop, edible, item, and circus, and i say uh-bout, not ah-bout, gal-uhp, not gal-ahp ed-uh-ble, not ed-ah-ble, i-tuhm, and cir-cuhs. not i-tahm, and cir-cahs.
Oh, I know that, I just say ah-bout, gal-hup (because its an 'o' not an 'a'), ed-ih-bill (because its an 'i'), i-tim, and cir-cuhs, because its a 'u'

so i see nothing wrong w/ pronouncing America with an uh sound.
There's nothing wrong with it at all, I just think pronouncing it with an "ah" sound is more aurally pleasing.

I'd try tiger sausage, but from what I can tell tigers are pretty lean. You should mix in some pork fat, and it's probably best smoked, cured and dried. I can't imagine it as a fresh sausage.

well,I think I'm going to the zoo tonight and the butchers *wanders off into the badgers song*

i'm not very fond of american accents in general. i do like southern and midwest accents, unless it becomes impossible to understand, but they're nice sounding and i really love the southern wit.
yankee accent is alright, sometimes it sounds like they have a hot meatball in their mouth, but it's alright and fun to listen to sometimes.
i don't really like the californian accent, especially with women, at least with the most you see on tv, because it makes them sound really stupid, it's goes often with men too, but i've heard clever sounding californian people too, but i think it's my least favourite from the american accents i'm familiar with.

:confused:

Route ISN'T supposed to be root?

Damn that's how I read it and learned to say it!
Yea, how else would you pronounce it?

I'm Canadian, and i hate the american accent. I'm sick of hearing Americans say Keneduh instead of CANADA!

then theres new yorkers... dear god... kill them all

I HATE NEW YORK!

well,I think I'm going to the zoo tonight and the butchers *wanders off into the badgers song*
Don't forget the prague powder. Your dry sausages will spoil without it.

I'm Canadian, and i hate the american accent. I'm sick of hearing Americans say Keneduh instead of CANADA!
who the hell says keneduh

I'm Canadian, and i hate the american accent. I'm sick of hearing Americans say Keneduh instead of CANADA!
So who says "keneduh"?

I'm Canadian, and i hate the american accent. I'm sick of hearing Americans say Keneduh instead of CANADA!
...Which is weird because we do say Canada and not Keneduh. I've never heard Keneduh before.

At least, here in California.

I once had a family of Britons staying at my hotel who told me that Vancouverites are the only English speaking people they have encountered on all their travels who have no accent whatsoever, we seem to speak exactly as it is written. Or so they said.

Personally I have a soft spot for a Connecticut accent (okay, a Connecticut-boy-who-went-to-school-in-Florida accent). But New York and New Jersey accents make me cringe. Southern accents are cool.

I love my own accent (a weird mix of a Californian and Coloradan one), although for some reason I can't really tell what a Colorado accent is like, although I do have a bit of it (but still mostly a Cali one)...

The coolest accents ever are British ones, though... There's this one british lady that works at Kohls, and she sounds so cool when she talks...

who the hell says keneduh

people from washington state, thats for sure

then theres new yorkers... dear god... kill them all

I HATE NEW YORK!
Woah, watch the flamebait there.

people from washington state, thats for sure
Oh....PFFT....Washington...:D

I love my own accent (a weird mix of a Californian and Coloradan one), although for some reason I can't really tell what a Colorado accent is like, although I do have a bit of it (but still mostly a Cali one)...

The coolest accents ever are British ones, though... There's this one british lady that works at Kohls, and she sounds so cool when she talks...
Which British one?

Southern English? Northern English? Southern Welsh? Northern Welsh? Southern Scots? Heavy Scots? Eastern Northern Irish? Western Northern Irish?

They're all different.

And even among those there are huge variations.

I once had a family of Britons staying at my hotel who told me that Vancouverites are the only English speaking people they have encountered on all their travels who have no accent whatsoever, we seem to speak exactly as it is written. Or so they said.

Personally I have a soft spot for a Connecticut accent (okay, a Connecticut-boy-who-went-to-school-in-Florida accent).

yea, Vancouver, thats my accent (hailing from North Vancouver)

I live near Boston so most who hear me know I have a boston accent, though I don't recognize it myself.

ex: Pak the ca in Havad yad...(Park the car in Harvard Yard)

Which British one?

Southern English? Northern English? Southern Welsh? Northern Welsh? Southern Scots? Heavy Scots? Eastern Northern Irish? Western Northern Irish?

They're all different.

And even among those there are huge variations.

highland scottish accents our the best!

:confused:

Route ISN'T supposed to be root?

Damn that's how I read it and learned to say it!

Route IS root! Saying it like rout sounds wrong.

Yea, how else would you pronounce it?

I've heard people pronounce route as rowt...ow as you would say after stubbing your toe...

I live near Boston so most who hear me know I have a boston accent, though I don't recognize it myself.

ex: Pak the ca in Havad yad...(Park the car in Harvard Yard)

Well, my own American accent is of the sort newscasters are trained to use, so it's not all that interesting. Comprehensible pretty much everywhere, and not cute or entertaining anywhere, at least not in this country. Ah well.

It's interesting to see how sharp a divide there can be between two accents in very much the same region, though. Where I live, about 80% of the people speak like I do, and about 20% speak in the broadest south-midwest accent (a.k.a. stereotypical "hick" accent) imaginable. There is no middle ground. It's an interesting little linguistic phenomenon. :)

I find myself using um alot and it pisses even me off (I blame the weed)

Which British one?

Southern English? Northern English? Southern Welsh? Northern Welsh? Southern Scots? Heavy Scots? Eastern Northern Irish? Western Northern Irish?

They're all different.

And even among those there are huge variations.

Nadkor/others from britain/ireland:

i met an englishman who said that the people of a certain city/region in england say this upon greeting someone:

How up my duck?

or something like that.

when he said it, it really sounded like "hyup m'duck?"

Nadkor/others from britain/ireland:

i met an englishman who said that the people of a certain city/region in england say this upon greeting someone:

How up my duck?

or something like that.

when he said it, it really sounded like "hyup m'duck?"
Yorkshire?

Yorkshire?

that may be... i'm pretty sure he was talking about a place north of london (not that that isn't vague. lol)

Route IS root! Saying it like rout sounds wrong.I use both, depending on my mood and as far as I recall, they're both correct.

:confused:

Route ISN'T supposed to be root?

Damn that's how I read it and learned to say it!

*grin* You're not alone. When I lived in New Jersey, people were astonished that I'd grown up saying "rowt." As far as I can tell, "rowt" is a midwestern thing; "root" is used around the coasts. Since I've lived in both places, I'm a weird hybrid and use either one, depending on whom I'm talking to. :)

I use both, depending on my mood and as far as I recall, they're both correct.

I suppose it could be like saying car-mal or care-a-mel. Maybe. :)

I suppose it could be like saying car-mal or care-a-mel. Maybe. :)
hahahaha like that commercial with shaq and that kid aand the candy bar :p

I find certain American accents quite amusing. (Read : Texans ^.~ I love it!)

The 'Nou Yawk' and 'Nou Joysey' accents kind of blend into one for me. I don't much like them, but that's mainly because I have trouble understanding them, and that's embarrassing.

I have a good friend who lives in Wisconsin...it seems to me like her accent is a bit nasally so that some 'o' and 'a' sounds are turned into that uniquely American 'aaaaa' sound, more than most Americans. (I don't know how to type it, imagine an American saying 'caat' or 'haave;' that's what I'm talking about...)

West Coast 'valley girl' accents get old...fast.

However, I know very well that people can't control any of these things, and usually aren't even aware of them. So, in that sense, all accents are just fine! :D

i don't really like the californian accent, especially with women, at least with the most you see on tv, because it makes them sound really stupid, it's goes often with men too, but i've heard clever sounding californian people too, but i think it's my least favourite from the american accents i'm familiar with.

I'd think us Californian's would be the easiest to understand, barring the use of words as 'like' and 'dude,' or their overuse in a sentence. Or, unless someone talks way too fast. I've always thought that we pronouced words pretty well how they're spelled.

I always thought 'route' was pronouced 'root', though I've met many people that say it 'rouwt'. Could be just the way people form words.

......southern wit. ...

isn't that an oxymoron? :P

hahahaha like that commercial with shaq and that kid aand the candy bar :p

The idea did come from there i admit. That WAS a good commercial.

isn't that an oxymoron? :P

Well, there's the comedians Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvale, both from the South and pretty darn funny!

I've heard people pronounce route as rowt...ow as you would say after stubbing your toe...

yah, that's how i pronounce it :P rowt :P if i wanted a root, i'd dig up a plant.

I suppose it could be like saying car-mal or care-a-mel. Maybe. :)I don't think so...
Route just allows for both pronounciations while caramel, doesn't.
It's funny actually, I call it Root 66, but the military bus line that went by my house was Rowt A :D

The idea did come from there i admit. That WAS a good commercial.
but the best commercials are the quizno's sub's especially the one's they had with the retarded singing hamster thingies

yah, that's how i pronounce it :P rowt :P if i wanted a root, i'd dig up a plant.
If I wanted a rout I would go lose a battle.

ya know I've never heard that one in real life

I live in the South and I've never heard it :p. Mostly people around here just sound like Boomhaur from "King of the Hill".

but the best commercials are the quizno's sub's especially the one's they had with the retarded singing hamster thingies
Those little critters can be found on www.rathergood.com

I hate Car-mal

I live in the South and I've never heard it :p. Mostly people around here just sound like Boomhaur from "King of the Hill".
yo man talkin' bout the dang ol' boomhauer

:sniper:

I JUST HATE ALL AMERICAN ACCENTS

THEY SOUND STUPID

I'm going to risk eternal wrath here, but to be completely honest: I never liked American accent. None of them, though I wouldn't hear the difference between them.

Possibly because to me, it will always be linked to the occupation troops in my home town... they weren't too popular with most people, me included.
When I first started to learn English, British accent fascinated me. Later on, I adored Scottish. Now, I like the Irish accents. A lot.

Well, there's the comedians Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvale, both from the South and pretty darn funny!
Not as funny as Larry the Cable Guy.

:sniper:

I JUST HATE ALL AMERICAN ACCENTS

THEY SOUND STUPID
*overpowers you with his use of "like" and "totally" as well as "duuuuuude!"*

:D


Damn flamebaiting trolls.

I don't think so...
Route just allows for both pronounciations while caramel, doesn't.
It's funny actually, I call it Root 66, but the military bus line that went by my house was Rowt A :D

Actually, all four pronunciations (root, rowt, car-mul, and care-a-mel) are correct. Hooray for English, that dear crazy mongrel language. :)

I'd think us Californian's would be the easiest to understand, barring the use of words as 'like' and 'dude,' or their overuse in a sentence. Or, unless someone talks way too fast. I've always thought that we pronouced words pretty well how they're spelled.

I always thought 'route' was pronouced 'root', though I've met many people that say it 'rouwt'. Could be just the way people form words.

if you can get around the rounding of the vowels

like "Oh" = Ehoo (versus the straightforward northern midwestern "OH")

hehe

If I wanted a rout I would go lose a battle.

cackle. true.

but the best commercials are the quizno's sub's especially the one's they had with the retarded singing hamster thingies

Now they have that talking baby. That's just weird.

:sniper:

I JUST HATE ALL AMERICAN ACCENTS

THEY SOUND STUPID

damn. talk about trolling. what's wrong with the accents?

Actually, all four pronunciations (root, rowt, car-mul, and care-a-mel) are correct. Hooray for English, that dear crazy mongrel language. :)

okay, this needs to be cleared up.

Rout (rowt) - As in a football game, when one team beats its opponent badly, it is called a rout.

Root (root) - Vegetables, trees, other plants have roots... the things that go into the ground to help supply the tree/plant with nutrients (or whatever). It's also used to mean "origin" or "cause" as in, "he is the root of all evil". It is also used to mean "cheer"... "I root for the Packers."

Route (root OR rowt) - A road or path - "Just take Route 6 to the train tracks and then turn left." Also can be understood to mean a method -- "The route taken to dislodge the beast from its hole was a tough one."

lol

----------

and everyone knows that the proper pronunciation of "caramel" is "car-mul" with the wonderful american schwa phoneme proudly distinguishing the second syllable.

What most of you call an "accent" is actually more a dialect than an accent. It would comprise the usage of specific terms alien to other dialects.

Accent is just the manner in which sounds are made and pronounced, so it would apply only to the same passage of textread aloud by people from different part of the English speaking world.

Personally I prefer general Canadian accent, followed by north of England (just under the Scottish border), Louisianna, and India.

I can stand Scottish, Irish, New England and Newfoundland accents.

I do not like Southern England's, New York, Midwest or Californian, BBC/RP/Queen's, and especially not Australian accents.

Ghetto Accent Farmer Accent and thats mostly it

damn. talk about trolling. what's wrong with the accents?

I'm not the troll *waves white flag*, but to me American accent alway sounded very unrefined and somehow sleazy. I didn't like the way the pronunciation sounds like people were talking with their mouth full most of the time :eek:

damn. talk about trolling. what's wrong with the accents?

Perhaps he is one of those people who speaks perfect english. :rolleyes:

Those little critters can be found on www.rathergood.com
praise unto you for the link with which I will piss off many a neighbor at 3 a.m

Ghetto Accent Farmer Accent and thats mostly it

Mizzle my cizzles, bizzle

...ghetto-farmer way to say "Milk my cows, bitch!"

hehe

yo man talkin' bout the dang ol' boomhauer

Yeah. Gone messin up my head with that dang ol nicotine like that man.

Mizzle my cizzles, bizzle

...ghetto-farmer way to say "Milk my cows, bitch!"

hehe


LOL!! There are tooooooooo many people that use -izzle on things that it makes them sound incredibly moronic!

Meh, I'll stick with my Cali accent/dialect. Wouldn't want to change it in anyway, so you dude's can just live.

If I had to change though, I'd pick the Aussie accent. Man, I love that one. Or British S. African (or just S. African, whatever its called).

It's possible to live in New Jersey and not have the "typical" accent. I know that a few of my friends' mothers have it slightly, but maybe it's just the region in the region? I, or what I think I sound like is more similar to that of the East Coast newscasters, to myself, no noticeable accent.
Strangest of all is the fact that I'm from New Jersey, but I live in London- all of my British friends take great fun in having me pronounce words such as "coffee", "water", which may mean that I DO have a bit of a Jersey accent. More recently their favorite word is "lasso", which they pronounce with a long "o" rather than a short one, and vice versa for me.

That's the one that drives me crazy. :headbang:

I'm not the troll *waves white flag*, but to me American accent alway sounded very unrefined and somehow sleazy. I didn't like the way the pronunciation sounds like people were talking with their mouth full most of the time :eek:

i see. i prefer british/irish/scottish/australian/etc accents myself. But as far as american accents go, eh. sounds plain to me.

i had a g/f from indiana once, she thought it funny when i said pickle. eh, o well. time to go home :P hasta lunes.

I'm from Italy, but live in the US during School Season.

It's plain, but in a good way. It's easy to understand, and when people annunciate it's very clear. For those who are learning English, it's generally easier.

And to clarify, I hear the West Coast, CA accent most often.

It's easy to understand, and when people annunciate it's very clear. For those who are learning English, it's generally easier.

Well, until you get to how many variations there are on their/there/they're or to/too/two that are all (more or less) pronouced the same. Oh wait.......*stashes hard words away* As I was saying........ :p


And to clarify, I hear the West Coast, CA accent most often.

Woot! :p

LOL!! There are tooooooooo many people that use -izzle on things that it makes them sound incredibly moronic!
I honestly feel that Snoop was sittin' 'round with his homies and, after a healthy puff, said, "Yo, Check this out. I'm gonna make abuncha middle class white kids talk stupid, check it out." And -izzle was born. I've only ever seen Snoop and crackers use -izzle.

Meh, I'll stick with my Cali accent/dialect. Wouldn't want to change it in anyway, so you dude's can just live.

Because it rules, dude.

I like the California-esque characters that they do sometimes on Adult Swim, cracks me up.

Mizzle my cizzles, bizzle

...ghetto-farmer way to say "Milk my cows, bitch!"

hehe
*Shakes head*

Well, until you get to how many variations there are on their/there/they're or to/too/two that are all (more or less) pronouced the same. Oh wait.......*stashes hard words away* As I was saying........ :p




Woot! :p

Well English is my second language, but when I say second I mean like 5 seconds later I was also learning English. Although I have a thick, deep, Italian accent.

As far as other accents, even though I was born in Italy & my father is Italian, my mother's family is from the south, primarily Oklahoma and Arkansas. I've heard the Southern Drawl accents, but they are "interesting", and are really sloooow.

And I'm not a fan of the East Coast accents, especially on women, they are so rough. Not very appealing....

I positively abhor the entire "-izzle" fad.

Not to say that it hasn't made me laugh. Sometimes it can be so SILLY!

I positively abhor the entire "-izzle" fad.

Not to say that it hasn't made me laugh. Sometimes it can be so SILLY!

Better than people who say "What up?" That drives me nuts. :headbang:

Better than people who say "What up?" That drives me nuts. :headbang:
Whadaboat "s'up"?

Whadaboat "s'up"?

Just fine with it. I don't hear that so constantly as the previous greeting.

Better than people who say "What up?" That drives me nuts. :headbang:

Everytime somebody asks me, "what's up" I always refer to the thing directly above my head.

"Right now there is a cloud, that kind of looks like a bunny rabbit....and oh look, a plane!"

Everytime somebody asks me, "what's up" I always refer to the thing directly above my head.

"Right now there is a cloud, that kind of looks like a bunny rabbit....and oh look, a plane!"

Heh heh. I've done that many times. Sometimes I also answer, "An adverb meaning 'toward a higher position.'"

Mmm...dorkiness. :p

I always said "the ceiling!", as that's what's usually above my head.
"What's up?" doesn't bother me as much as the overexaggerated "WAZZAP?!"
That phrase hurts people. I swear. :headbang:

Since California entertains the world (more or less) the gap between inception and exploitation of something that starts here is pretty small. So I'm sure that it's bound to happen that something we've been doing for a while, a variation on "s'up?" will soon be made irratating by somebody soon. It's kinda makin' fun of our selves, the way it's done now. But it's more making fun of people trying to make fun of us, the hissing s'up:

ssssssss'up, .......dude? (with a dip in the 'u' of dude)

Things I've noticed about how Wisconsinites speak(I'm one of 'em, so I'd know!)
We seem to vary between "root" and "rowt" when saying "route". We also seem to be unable to make up our minds as to whether it's "soda" or "pop"(soda's used more often, though).
We tend to skip over the first "o" in "potato" and "tomato"(or at least say it very very fast). Thus, "p-tay-toh" and "t-may-to". We do that with "police", too.(thus, "plees" or "p-leese". With "ee" as in "eel"; we do NOT say it like "please". :p ) I haven't really paid attention to whether other places do that...
To us, it's a bubbler. To everyone else, it's a drinking fountain.(I've heard that some places say water fountain, which sounds just plain weird to me...)
We're decent at pronoucing French and Indian words, since so many of our cities and landmarks have names from those languages. (The strangest name being "Oconomowoc" (I'm not even sure I spelled that correctly. It's said something like "Ah-cah-nah-mah-nah-wahk".("wahk"="walk" with a more airy "a")). That makes names like "Peshtigo"(PEH-shti-go) and "Kaukauna"(K-kaw-na, Kuh-kaw-na, Kaw-KAW-na, KAW-Kaw-na, K-kah-na, and more...nobody seems to agree on how to say it. I use "K-kaw-na" most of the time. And there's skipping of the first vowel again...) seem tame by comparison.)

lol If somebody adresses me with anything "ghetto" in fashion, such as Wazzup !!!! or Yo ! I always act like I didn't hear them. Then I turn to them, and go Oh, are you speaking English?

Most people just look at me and raise their eyebrow, or attempt to anyways.

I always said "the ceiling!", as that's what's usually above my head.
"What's up?" doesn't bother me as much as the overexaggerated "WAZZAP?!"
That phrase hurts people. I swear. :headbang:

Ah. That Super Bowl commercial with the aliens investigating Earth by sending someone down disguised like a dog. "What did you learn down on Earth?" "WAZZAP?!" ;)

I don't really like the various American accents, mainly because the pronunciations sound so wrong to me, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

(I've heard that some places say water fountain, which sounds just plain weird to me...)

We say "water fountain" around here. Presumably that's to distinguish them from our assortment of juice fountains, beer fountains, and sulfuric acid fountains. ;)

There are many variations of accents - NH, ME, VT, CT are all different, though CT sounds much like Mass. to me. Northern rural coastal Maine is barely English, can hardly understand it.

Ugh. Don't relate CT to Mass. We still have our "r"'s, thank you very much. lol

Connecticut has no accent really(well, that is what we tell ourselves). We don't really stress any specific letters or drop any. Pretty non-regional.

Actually, I've heard that the CT/MA accents are closest to what the British accent was during colonial days.

what's wrong with pronouncing america 'uh-meri-kuh'? how do you pronounce it?

'Ah(like ash)-mare(as in a horse)-ih(like if)-kah(like cat). Ah-mare-ih-kah. America.

Not Ummurrika, or Ummurreckuh. It sounds completely awful that way, like a name for acute gastrointestinal distress or something involving a truss or a colostomy bag.

Blechh.

I tend to have (what's to me) a plain American accent. However, once in a while, I get what can only be described as a blending of European accents (no idea how the hell I picked this up). It's odd. I hate the so-called word "y'all" with a passion, and really am not fond of southern accents..they drive me up the wall. Also, don't get me started on the idiocies of calling all pop "coke". *twitches*

From Washington here. I've been told we don't have much of an accent, except being a bit heavy on r's.

'Course I've lived in enough parts of the U.S. that I don't have as much of a single accent. I occasionally use ya'll, I use mostly west coast speech forms, but I'm told I sound like a West coast southerner... :rolleyes: Whatever that means.

I have a "chicago accent" but didnt no it till i moved to texas. Some indian girl in my science class pointed it out. I found out the steroetypical accent is true in some areas, but false in others. I.E I live in Plano (which is outside of dallas) None of the kids have accents. alotta them are asian(even then they dont have heavy chinese or indian accents like they did in chicago area), or moved from another part of the country like me. A few adults do say y'all occaisonly, and it's not as annoying as i anticipated it too be. However texas is a large state and i have been outside of my area. First off is Fort Worth. Really cool area. It has a nice modern downtown where you will see both your "cowboys" and your business men of all races. then you go down to the stockyards (if you are doing a road trip to iunno mexico or whatever, check um out its really cool and if you are from up north or east like i was itll show you an awesome texas time) where there are tons of cowboy hat and belt stores, people walking around in cowboy getup, tons of the best bbq out there, and of course long horn cattle (they parade um through the stockyards each day). Theres also rodeos to catch and mexican and native american art stores everywhere. Its also not as commercial as idk... Tombstone Ariz. Ok next city on tour de texas is San Antonio. Awesome place. Obviously it has the alamo and blah blah blah which is really interesting cuz it was rebuilt and gardened, and still has tons of cool artifacts and info on the area and the battle. Then it has the riverwalk. If you havent heard of it you should search it online sometime. Its really long and really nicely gardened. The whole thing is lined with tons of entertainment. I saw everything from engilsh pubs, to discos, to bbq joints, to ice cream parlors. The whole time u can see tour boats floating up and down, and your guide will really give you a nice history of the area. The rrest of the downtown is also nice, with tons of modern hotels, along with historical hotels. Unfortunatley, the rest of the area is suffering from what i saw. Since the downtown pulls all the tourism, restraunts and business's elsewhere suffer but no one feels like reading about that. It is an extremely lively city and if you want to visit texas, that would be a great place to go. The final stop is Austin. Austin is a campus town that is real neat and hip. It has lots of nice cofee shops and a of course Texas University. It is a cool spot to stop and worth checking out. Close by is lake travis. Easily the most beutiful lake in the state, and is up there with most beautiful in the coutnry to. Lots of nice restraunts built on the hils overlooking the area, along with million dollar homes along the coast line. Renting a boat is afforadble and recommended, because the lake is breathtaking.
That ends the tour. If you wanna travel to texas, but dont feel like going to just another city, dont make the mistake of stopping in dallas and houston. Theyre nice cities and have tons of shopping and good eats and museums, but if you want something original visit Ft Worth, San Antonio or Austin. (note: If you stop at dallas fort worth is 40mins away and is a good day trip. If you go to either san antonio or austin, the other is easily drivable as well and mite be a good combined trip)
Now unfortunaltey i just wasted the last however many minutes writing this cuz most ppl on ns dont have the attention span to read something this long :mad: :( :( :headbang: :sniper:

I'm Canadian, and i hate the american accent. I'm sick of hearing Americans say Keneduh instead of CANADA!


Sounds like a Minnesota accent.

I'm not that crazy for American accents, but then again I haven't heard that many, nor do I know which one is which.
I really like European accents, though. :)

b-u-m-p

There is NO NEED to bump a thread every minute. Stop.

:sniper:

I JUST HATE ALL AMERICAN ACCENTS

THEY SOUND STUPID

I despise smilies and posts in all caps. They're just obnoxious.

Where to stop if you visit texas? Well if you're a black yankee, nowhere! :D

Seriously though, I'll be driving right through.

so what do you non-americans think of the american accent I'm curious

You mean the whiney accent that sounds like an 'r' has been put into every word, and that the 'r' is so over emphasised, it actually sounds more like a whine than someone speaking like an adult?

Yes, that is how it sound like.

Yea, how else would you pronounce it?

Easy, route; r-out

I take the route around the round about.

okay, this needs to be cleared up.

Rout (rowt) - As in a football game, when one team beats its opponent badly, it is called a rout.

Root (root) - Vegetables, trees, other plants have roots... the things that go into the ground to help supply the tree/plant with nutrients (or whatever). It's also used to mean "origin" or "cause" as in, "he is the root of all evil". It is also used to mean "cheer"... "I root for the Packers."

Route (root OR rowt) - A road or path - "Just take Route 6 to the train tracks and then turn left." Also can be understood to mean a method -- "The route taken to dislodge the beast from its hole was a tough one."

lol

----------

and everyone knows that the proper pronunciation of "caramel" is "car-mul" with the wonderful american schwa phoneme proudly distinguishing the second syllable.

Or as most other countries see the use of root - to have sexual intercorse with someone for example,

'The guy I picked up last night was a great root' (assuming it was me).

I can only distinguish between northern and southern accents. The former is piercing and slightly annoying at first. I prefer the southern accent-group.

well I like them, although I find American tourists annoying when they ask pointless questions to passers-by. The money is useful, though. In general, I just can't stay annoyed at you Americans with you pleasant accents.

There are several people on this forum that can attest to the fact that I have an awesome accent.

If I have to hear another southern Californian accent I think i will scream....

"and it was like, you know, so cool, and we did the whole thing, like, like you know and that was so cool."

If I have to hear another southern Californian accent I think i will scream....

"and it was like, you know, so cool, and we did the whole thing, like, like you know and that was so cool."

Valley Girl accent. It's not contained just in SoCal anymore. Now it's in high schools across the country.

"Like, oh my god!, it was like, you know, so totally awesome!"

"Like, oh my god!, it was like, you know, so totally awesome!"

That was so much better than mine. I once met a German girl who had lived in California for 6 months (two years ago) and had that god aweful accent...sort of funny but it made an intelligent woman sound so stupid...eventually when we were both drunk I told her...didn't go down to well. :D

"See..you americans say "'erbs", we say "Herbs"....becuase theres a fucking H in it."
-Eddie Izzard.

I know that different parts of America have different accents, but can all Americans do all American accents?

I mean, most speakers of Australian English can switch to Strine (the very broad, nasal accent), then back into educated Australian, without even noticing the change. If we're in the company of English or American speakers who use what I've heard called the "mid-Atlantic" accent, we segue comfortably into that.

So, does a Bostonian born and bred find herself speaking Californian if she spends a few months there? Does a polite New Yorker turn Southern gentleman if he holidays in Mississippi?

(And, yeah, don't bother telling me that "polite New Yorker" is an oxymoron.)

So, does a Bostonian born and bred find herself speaking Californian if she spends a few months there? Does a polite New Yorker turn Southern gentleman if he holidays in Mississippi?

Yes. I used to lose some of the edge off of my accent when I would go up to New Hampshire for school and be around all the New Hampshirers(-ites?) for a few months' time. Then I'd go back home for Christmas or summer, and I'd pick the Boston accent right back up, full force.

Heh,
I'm so sure. Americans have accents. NOT!

I don't think *I* have an accent, and I speak in a clear english 'accent', and I speak ENGLISH, so.....I have the best claim on that :p
*Runs off before I am proven wrong*

But I think an accent is the stressing of some sounds, so americans definitley do have an accent.

An accent is vocal prominence or emphasis given to a particular syllable, word, or phrase. So therefore, everyone has an accent whether they realize it or not.

There is no one country, language, region, or village that can claim they do not have an accent, because to a traveler, they most definently do.

Heh,
I'm so sure. Americans have accents. NOT!

You couldn't possibly be so dense....

okay, this needs to be cleared up.

Rout (rowt) - As in a football game, when one team beats its opponent badly, it is called a rout.

Root (root) - Vegetables, trees, other plants have roots... the things that go into the ground to help supply the tree/plant with nutrients (or whatever). It's also used to mean "origin" or "cause" as in, "he is the root of all evil". It is also used to mean "cheer"... "I root for the Packers."

Route (root OR rowt) - A road or path - "Just take Route 6 to the train tracks and then turn left." Also can be understood to mean a method -- "The route taken to dislodge the beast from its hole was a tough one."

But here's where i throw you analysis off track:

When i talk about a plant root, i say 'root' as if it rhymes with 'foot'. I also say 'roof' with the same sound.

I also say 'creek' as if it rhymes with 'stick', if i'm LOOKING at one. But if i'm reading the word, i say creek, rhymes with geek.

There are thousands of Mehricun accents. A good linguist can pin a northeastern accent to within a few square miles of where a person grew up.

Try this with your american friends: make them say the three following words and see if there is any difference between them (i say them all exactly the same)
Merry
Marry
Mary

Yinz wanna go dahntahn 'n pick up some Ahrn City 'n jumbo 'innat? Maybe after dat, we'll go dahn ta Heinz Fild 'n watch da Stillers. --- The Pittsburgh accent.

The American accents I hate? The Southern ones, of course!

It's a cool accent , after being in florida for 2 weeks hols i sound like an american! Sort of

What do you think of the Irish accent?

Well, I've spoken to a few Americans on the phone, and I've noticed that most americans sound similar. And you pronounce depot funny...something like dee-po instead of dep-o.

Weird.


I speak with a really bad Australian accent, in the sense that Australians always ask me if I was born in England. Which I wasn't.

This is something all Georgia 12 graders must read successfully in order to get their diploma.

MR DUCKS
MR NOT
OSAR
CM WANGS
LIB
MR DUCKS

Of course, it comes out a little differently if an Alabamastanian reads it.

what's wrong w/ the texan accent? :P

Nothing. I find it very sexy in women
:p

What do you think of the Irish accent?


I love it but I love a nice British accent even more. Those from Surrey are the best. :D IMHO.

:p

i just hate all american accents, they sound awful.

This is funny. I live in Michigan and my friend in Toronto loves when I speak to her on the phone. She loves when I say certain words just like I love it when she says aboot or eh or aygain. It's all in fun.

Now when I call England. I am made to say MARMALADE. My goodfriend says it makes her laugh. I know that when she starts talking really fast I lose her lol.

I think it is really great when someone from another country can actually understand some of the people in the US. I know that there are some southern dialects that I cannot even understand. I was at Disneyworld a few years ago and meet this woman. I asked where she was from and she said something that I couldn't understand. It ended up she was from North Carolina but I sure as heck wouldn't have figured that out if my friend didn't pick it up.

*sorry for multiple posts.

This is funny. I live in Michigan and my friend in Toronto loves when I speak to her on the phone. She loves when I say certain words just like I love it when she says aboot or eh or aygain. It's all in fun.

Now when I call England. I am made to say MARMALADE. My goodfriend says it makes her laugh. I know that when she starts talking really fast I lose her lol.

I think it is really great when someone from another country can actually understand some of the people in the US. I know that there are some southern dialects that I cannot even understand. I was at Disneyworld a few years ago and meet this woman. I asked where she was from and she said something that I couldn't understand. It ended up she was from North Carolina but I sure as heck wouldn't have figured that out if my friend didn't pick it up.

*sorry for multiple posts.


You got a youpper or a troll accent?

so what do you non-americans think of the american accent I'm curious

You do realize there is no one American accent. Each region and sometimes each state has their own. Hell New York has about two dozen.

'Sfunny, some posters I "hear" in particular accents or tones. Eutrusca I "hear" as something like John F. Kennedy -- I don't know whether he'd appreciate the association. Kennedy always sounded to me as if he were talking while picking his way along an uneven path; not hesitant, so much as force under constraint.

Sdaeriji, I apologise in advance, but I "hear" you as refined Bette Midler. Your "voice" is full of energy and decision.

Fass, who's not American, sounds to me like Jimmy Stewart, the old-time movie star. And Frisbeeteria I hear in my head as, gawdelpus, the young Bill Clinton (BTW, I like Fris). Katganistan "sounds" like Molly Weasley in the Harry Potter movies (which would probably surprise her students) and Rothania's a bit Sean Connery-ish.

There are others, but I've probably made enough trouble for myself with this lot.