In this thread we compare English accents and dialects

[btownmeggy]

I want to get the input of English-speakers, both native and non-native, from other countries. How do you perceive English-language accents??

In my mind, perhaps unjustly so, I tend to break English up into the following groups: North American, English, Irish, Scottish, Australian, New Zealander, and South African. In some of these dialects, I can understand regional differences (I recognize the differences between probably 20 different North American accents, maybe 10 English/Welsh, 3 Irish). For other countries, any accent differences I recognize are a matter of intensity (like Scottish or Australian--some people's accents just sound "thicker" to me, even if in reality they're regional differences).

Now, when I compare English accents between countries, I definitely make connections and distinctions. The average Australian actor and the average English actor sound VERY similar to me. I sometimes have a really hard time distinguishing. But oddly, New Zealanders and South Africans (oof! ESPECIALLY South Africans) have really weird accents that sound like no others.

Here's something else weird: I never have any trouble at all understanding North American, Irish, Australian, New Zealander, or South African accents. But there are MANY English accents that I simply cannot understand a word of, and unless a Scotsperson is pretty well-educated and dedicated to speaking "proper"ly they will not be at all understood by me. BUT WHY CAN I UNDERSTAND IRISH SO WELL?

What are y'all's thoughts and ruminations on English-language dialects and accents? Do tell. I'd love to know.

[khazalid]

comprehensible scot here. there is just as much linguistic variety in our guttural wailings as there are exist in merry old england. i have to ask glaswegians everything twice

[lord voldemort]

well nz and sth african are very similar accents.....i have mates from both countries and although i can quite easily tell the difference they are still similar
aussie actors tend to sound like english actors cause most aussies go to london for there 'big break' if that makes sense
umm
well i love american accents....its awesome

[muy_thaiguy]

Pretty much the same, though some of the slang terms of other areas/countries will probably throw me off a bit.

I do find it kind of funny though that some Englishmen try to criticize American English, while there are several accents and dialects on the one isle alone.

[btownmeggy]

well nz and sth african are very similar accents.....i have mates from both countries and although i can quite easily tell the difference they are still similar
aussie actors tend to sound like english actors cause most aussies go to london for there 'big break' if that makes sense
umm
well i love american accents....its awesome

See, I think NZers and South Africans sound quite different. South Africanish is... so strange. Hits the ear in an odd way.

[sam_levi_11]

i find it hard to tell the diff meggy.

also our accent is so different to what americans think of it as, all the stiff upper lip bs.

[t-o-m]

sorry to people of birmingham,

i hate the birmingham accent - so annoying and their voices go up and down like yo yo's

high pitched then low pitched, like their voice is breaking CONSTANTLY!!!!

[MeDeFe]

You forgot Indian English, Meggy. Very distinctive, that one.

[btownmeggy]

You forgot Indian English, Meggy. Very distinctive, that one.

Actually, I considered it. I wonder: what percentage of people in India speak English as their first language?

[reminisco]

South African people sound more like C-3P0 than any of the other "English Accents". especially when they get angry and sputter about saying "Fak you, fak you. Ooh, oh, that Altoid mint burns. Don't laugh at me. Fak you, fak you. how can you eat those things? fak you, fak you."

[Neoteny]

i find it hard to tell the diff meggy.

also our accent is so different to what americans think of it as, all the stiff upper lip bs.

You need to calm down.

[sam_levi_11]

i find it hard to tell the diff meggy.

also our accent is so different to what americans think of it as, all the stiff upper lip bs.

You need to calm down.

was i angry? i obviously appear aggresive on these boards

[Neoteny]

i find it hard to tell the diff meggy.

also our accent is so different to what americans think of it as, all the stiff upper lip bs.

You need to calm down.

was i angry? i obviously appear aggresive on these boards

I'm referring to your previous vitriol on the subject.

[sam_levi_11]

You need to calm down.

was i angry? i obviously appear aggresive on these boards

I'm referring to your previous vitriol on the subject.

yeah its sumin i dont like(when americans think of us like that). i mean i dont think ur all fat and spotty with southern american accents.

[btownmeggy]

i mean i dont think ur all fat and spotty with southern american accents.

You don't?? Aww, that's so sweet of you.

[firth4eva]

Meh, I thought a canadian bloke was american.

[btownmeggy]

Meh, I thought a canadian bloke was american.

Yeah, it usually takes me at least 5 minutes of conversation to be able to tell the difference, if I ever do. I consider them basically the same accent.

[btownmeggy]

Meh, I thought a canadian bloke was american.

Yeah, it usually takes me at least 5 minutes of conversation to be able to tell the difference, if I ever do. I consider them basically the same accent.

Oh, and the same country: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=24639

[firth4eva]

Took until someone told me for me to work it out.

[greenoaks]

You forgot Indian English, Meggy. Very distinctive, that one.

Actually, I considered it. I wonder: what percentage of people in India speak English as their first language?

i would think that percentage would be zero. although a large number of them would have it as a second language. amongst them there are two types:

one like the kwicky-mart operater in the simpsons.
the other has the very formal british stiff upper lip accent.

[Xtratomato]

There are 5 different accents in London alone that I can distinguish between.

I can probably differentiate between:

3 Different irish (notice lower case)
Ulster, Dublin and the midlands I can place

5 Diferent Scottish
Aberdeen/inverness, Glesgae, edinburgh/lothian, borders, fife
3 Different Welsh
Swansea, rest of south wales, north wales
5 Different USA
New york, Florida/georgia kind of merge into one with me, Texas, alabama, LA/west coast/ Yar Kewl! hat is like, so awesome!

The rest of the states seem pretty dull, without sexy cheerleaders and stuff...

But in England I can detect and identify:

Cornish, North Brummie, South Brummie, wolverhampton, Dudley, yam-yam-ish, Coventry, nottingham/derby/leicester, south yorkshire, Barnsley, North yorkshire, scouse, manc, preston/blackpool, Stoke/cheshire , warringtonian, Geordie, Wembley/north landan, sarf lanadan/crawley/guildford, east landan/basildon/ashford, west landan/reading, Wot-wot landaners/landaners wiv plums in their moufs init, Bristol, Havant/Pompey, Scumhampton/salisbury, Norfolk. Probably forgotten a few...

Most of the rest falls into the unplaced english accent...such as area's like the home counties, south of the midlands (gloustershire for example) and the south

Canada, South africa, Newzealand and Australisa I can distinguish easily, but all of them are unplaced...I couldnt tell you the differnce between Durban and Capetown accents..Though, the bloody screams and shreiks of terror whilst being mutilated by angry mobs of "natives" probably doesnt help the matter.

[brooksieb]

Well i've obviously boycotted the thread but i just needed to point something out. there is about 3 different types of native accents in london we also have slang like glasgow, e.g. you new delhi = belly, the apples and pairs = stairs and so on... in the UK you can have 2 different accents only 2 miles apart so you'll get hundreds of different accents. I always think of america as having two main different accents a southerner accent and a yankee accent, like you guys only think of the Uk of having two main different accents with our English and Scottish accents but i know there are loads more american accents i can't tell apart because i'm from England/UK.

[Xtratomato]

Well i've obviously boycotted the thread but i just needed to point something out. there is about 3 different types of native accents in london .

I can find 5, and I don't even live there.

[brooksieb]

Well i've obviously boycotted the thread but i just needed to point something out. there is about 3 different types of native accents in london .

I can find 5, and I don't even live there.

I salute ya. And north london accents are way different to south london accents, escpecially how we word things.

[jonesthecurl]

As long as nobody supposes that Dick Van Dyke does a credible cockney accent in "Mary Poppins", I'll be happy.

When Jane Leeves (who played Daphne in "Frasier") hosted the quiz show "Have I Got News For You", she quipped "Of course Americans are stupid - they believe Daphne's brother comes from Manchester!"
Jane, in character, carried off a beautiful Manchester accent. Her brother seemed to attempting a generic "English" accent, and ended up sounding less English than the Crane brothers do.