What does an American accent sound like to others?
Mar 2nd, 2004, 03:37 PM
#42
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To a Canadian, many Americans (discounting the very distinctive Texan twang, southern drawl, Brooklyn, Bostonian) sound "flat" and sometimes harsh sounding; it's all in the vowels. It's amazing to hear the differences and we're just an hour from New York State. One night my husband and I pulled up to a hotel across from Buffalo airport and were asked if we were here for "hackey" (instead of hockey).
Mar 2nd, 2004, 03:37 PM
#43
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WOW, I never expected so many responses!
Thanks to you all! Interesting!
And I really did mean, from the beginning, what does an American sound like to someone from, say, Europe or Australia. I can't hear an accent in most of us, since I'm American. (except for the few regional dialects)
I'd still like to speak French---OOH
LAH LAH!!!!
Thanks to you all! Interesting!
And I really did mean, from the beginning, what does an American sound like to someone from, say, Europe or Australia. I can't hear an accent in most of us, since I'm American. (except for the few regional dialects)
I'd still like to speak French---OOH
LAH LAH!!!!
Mar 2nd, 2004, 03:43 PM
#44
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Living in southwest Missouri, folks often say,"You're not from around here, are you?" That's because I was born in Chicago and so in my infant years lived there. It's fun to try and guess where Americans were born since I believe that your speech pattern is largely determined by where you lived as age 2-4 year old when learning to speak.
Speaking of John Wayne, here is a trivia question...what was his real name and what state was he born in? I'll give you a clue...it's the same as my wife's father!
Ozarksbill
Speaking of John Wayne, here is a trivia question...what was his real name and what state was he born in? I'll give you a clue...it's the same as my wife's father!
Ozarksbill
Mar 2nd, 2004, 04:38 PM
#50
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How does the American accent sound to others??
Linguists have actually studied the way accents are perceived, and the general upshot is that...
1. Sound systems themselves are neither inherently appealing nor unappealing based on the actual sounds, sound combinations, intonation, etc.
2. A person with a positive (or negative) attitude toward a particular accent usually has other positive (or negative) feelings toward the culture behind that accent. If you appreciate things Italian, you're likely to appreciate an Italian accent. If you had a bad experience in New York once, you may find a NY accent unattractive.
Accents are to me no different than skin color. You can't assess a group or an individual by either, and if you have negative - or even excessively positive - feelings toward a group because of its accent, then it's time for some introspection.
Linguists have actually studied the way accents are perceived, and the general upshot is that...
1. Sound systems themselves are neither inherently appealing nor unappealing based on the actual sounds, sound combinations, intonation, etc.
2. A person with a positive (or negative) attitude toward a particular accent usually has other positive (or negative) feelings toward the culture behind that accent. If you appreciate things Italian, you're likely to appreciate an Italian accent. If you had a bad experience in New York once, you may find a NY accent unattractive.
Accents are to me no different than skin color. You can't assess a group or an individual by either, and if you have negative - or even excessively positive - feelings toward a group because of its accent, then it's time for some introspection.
Mar 2nd, 2004, 05:01 PM
#52
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Dr. Do Good,
Although I'm not very objective, being American and all, I think the issue of volume is also one of those generalizations.
When I've gone to the UK, Ireland or Australia, it's been said by in-law typre relatives there "I thought you lot were all loud...". At least 50% of the people I know are no louder than I am. The other 50% are just easier to notice.
Mar 2nd, 2004, 06:39 PM
#53
Speaking of British accents, here is an interesting site: http://www.geordie.org.uk/
Mar 2nd, 2004, 08:08 PM
#54
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I too wonder what accent we have when we speak another language.
kismetchimera: I too have an odd mix of accents. I speak english with no accent being from the west coast. I speak Italian, and when in Italy, they always ask me if I'm from Naples, although all my teachers in Italian have been from Rome and the north. When I go to France and try to speak a little french, I have a total Italian accent, not american, and there is no way that I can speak french without it...go figure!
kismetchimera: I too have an odd mix of accents. I speak english with no accent being from the west coast. I speak Italian, and when in Italy, they always ask me if I'm from Naples, although all my teachers in Italian have been from Rome and the north. When I go to France and try to speak a little french, I have a total Italian accent, not american, and there is no way that I can speak french without it...go figure!
Mar 2nd, 2004, 09:30 PM
#55
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Russ - a negative attitude toward an accent indicates a negative attitude toward that culture? What complete and utter twaddle!
All I can say about American accents (apart from what I said before, above) is that sometimes when I'm watching American movies I wish they had sub-titles so I could understand what they're saying. But as someone else in this column pointed out, that may be a Californian accent, not necessarily an "American" one - if there is such a thing.
All I can say about American accents (apart from what I said before, above) is that sometimes when I'm watching American movies I wish they had sub-titles so I could understand what they're saying. But as someone else in this column pointed out, that may be a Californian accent, not necessarily an "American" one - if there is such a thing.
Mar 2nd, 2004, 10:17 PM
#56
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For Twoflower:
As an Australian with an MA in Linguistics who speaks fluent German, and is therefore sensitized to phonetic differences, I am amazed that you believe that you can pick Australians' State of origin by their accent. I have lived here all my life, apart from a number of years overseas, in three different States, and can not begin to identify where my fellow Australians come from solely on the basis of accent.
There are quite a few regional differences in terminology; and accent is certainly stratified here along sociological/educational lines - but try as I might I can not place people geographically by how they say a given phrase or sentence. But I can quickly tell you which one of five or six main dialect areas a native German speaker comes from.
As to American speech, I find it above all, shall we say, penetrating - and there are some accents I can not stand, ones where every [r] is given 150% emphasis, and where they say the [h] in 'vehicle'. But as to what proportion this is or which regions they represent, I can not guess, never having been to the States.
Harzer
As an Australian with an MA in Linguistics who speaks fluent German, and is therefore sensitized to phonetic differences, I am amazed that you believe that you can pick Australians' State of origin by their accent. I have lived here all my life, apart from a number of years overseas, in three different States, and can not begin to identify where my fellow Australians come from solely on the basis of accent.
There are quite a few regional differences in terminology; and accent is certainly stratified here along sociological/educational lines - but try as I might I can not place people geographically by how they say a given phrase or sentence. But I can quickly tell you which one of five or six main dialect areas a native German speaker comes from.
As to American speech, I find it above all, shall we say, penetrating - and there are some accents I can not stand, ones where every [r] is given 150% emphasis, and where they say the [h] in 'vehicle'. But as to what proportion this is or which regions they represent, I can not guess, never having been to the States.
Harzer
Mar 2nd, 2004, 11:25 PM
#57
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two Scottish accents stories:-
Patrick, until you have been a Scot and forced to live with the appalling accents foisted on us by Hollywood over the last 60 years, you haven't lived (or died). I cite as my witnesses- Brigadoon; Wee Geordie; Loch Ness; Braveheart and many thousands of others. Only the Irish have suffered as much.
I come from Perth, a cosmopolitan city of some 55,000 souls in the central belt of Scotland. I married a man whose family come from a tiny fishing village on the North East coast of Scotland, close to Fraserburgh. The two places are easily 120 miles apart. I spent the Christmas we were engaged in a kitchen in Cairnbulg, not understanding a word for hours at a time. They tell me it was English
Patrick, until you have been a Scot and forced to live with the appalling accents foisted on us by Hollywood over the last 60 years, you haven't lived (or died). I cite as my witnesses- Brigadoon; Wee Geordie; Loch Ness; Braveheart and many thousands of others. Only the Irish have suffered as much.
I come from Perth, a cosmopolitan city of some 55,000 souls in the central belt of Scotland. I married a man whose family come from a tiny fishing village on the North East coast of Scotland, close to Fraserburgh. The two places are easily 120 miles apart. I spent the Christmas we were engaged in a kitchen in Cairnbulg, not understanding a word for hours at a time. They tell me it was English
Mar 3rd, 2004, 12:44 AM
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Oivia Newton John is Australian.
An American accent in a confined space...train,shop etc often sounds loud and hard to me. But we Australians are often accused of sounding loud also.
When I'm in Europe, most people think that I'm either British or from NZ.
In the UK, depending where I am either Australian or British..go figure.
The best bit is the smile you receive when you say your Australian.
An American accent in a confined space...train,shop etc often sounds loud and hard to me. But we Australians are often accused of sounding loud also.
When I'm in Europe, most people think that I'm either British or from NZ.
In the UK, depending where I am either Australian or British..go figure.
The best bit is the smile you receive when you say your Australian.
Mar 3rd, 2004, 01:07 AM
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I grew up in America just before I start... and I have an Irish accent that makes few people think I am from outside Ireland. My partner finds the American accent a bit loud and twangy but I have to explain that there are loads of accents in America.
A few Americans in tour groups can come across as loud,and occasionally a pain in the arse. I think this and the fact that Amercians are not afraid to ask for things and question things if they are unhappy. Sometimes this comes across a bit more bluntly than necessary (maybe need to do this more in Ireland!) which may make them stand out a bit from europeans. Saying that if you roar across the street to your pals you will definately stick out.
To be honest if you stuck myself and my boyfriend in the middle of farm country in Kerry....We probably would have a difficult time understanding people talk much the way Sheila did in Scotland.
A few Americans in tour groups can come across as loud,and occasionally a pain in the arse. I think this and the fact that Amercians are not afraid to ask for things and question things if they are unhappy. Sometimes this comes across a bit more bluntly than necessary (maybe need to do this more in Ireland!) which may make them stand out a bit from europeans. Saying that if you roar across the street to your pals you will definately stick out.
To be honest if you stuck myself and my boyfriend in the middle of farm country in Kerry....We probably would have a difficult time understanding people talk much the way Sheila did in Scotland.
Mar 3rd, 2004, 01:27 AM
#60
Good question.
I'm an American living in Kuwait surrounded by many, many accents. I've never thought of myself as having an accent, although I'm sure my non-American friends would disagree.
I posed this very question to an English friend this morning and she told me I sound, well, American! When I asked what the heck that meant, she told me that we Americans flatten our vowels.
We then went on to discuss the differences between American accents of the south, the northeast, etc. She said she can definitely distinguish between an American from say, Alabama and an American from CA (well, who can't?). She also said that my accent is different from that of every Californian she's met! That really surprised me. I'm from Colorado and I had no idea I sounded any different than someone from California.
We also discussed volume. Her opinion was that Texans speak loudly and the rest of us take the heat!
I'm an American living in Kuwait surrounded by many, many accents. I've never thought of myself as having an accent, although I'm sure my non-American friends would disagree.
I posed this very question to an English friend this morning and she told me I sound, well, American! When I asked what the heck that meant, she told me that we Americans flatten our vowels.
We then went on to discuss the differences between American accents of the south, the northeast, etc. She said she can definitely distinguish between an American from say, Alabama and an American from CA (well, who can't?). She also said that my accent is different from that of every Californian she's met! That really surprised me. I'm from Colorado and I had no idea I sounded any different than someone from California.
We also discussed volume. Her opinion was that Texans speak loudly and the rest of us take the heat!
