What accent should I use?

Question

I am from Georgia, and I am trying to diminish the regionalities in my voice. Because I have such a stong Southern accent, it is much easier for to imitate the British Received Pronounciation than it is for me to speak with a Mid-Western American accent. If I just drop all the R's out of my speech, I sound very British. Isn't funny though that if change my accent to the Mid-Western, no one would care, but if I just do the more British, people would make fun of me? Well, I will probably just keep my Southern accent, since it is so much trouble to change. Any thought sin General about American speech?

Any thoughts in general about Amercian English......( I messed up that last question)

Answer 1

Keep your Georgian accent it's part of who you are and there is no real set standard any more ifyou have seen the pbs special on the history of english there are just preconcieved ideas associated with certain accents. Like the oxford english accent or the "generic english" which isn't really generic if you listen long enough. Georgian accents are somewhat southern aristocratic I think. I don't think you should have to change. Brits arn't racing to sound like Americans. Be Yourself.

Answer 2

The reason people think certain accents are good or not good is because of the people who use them, not the accents themselves. You have already identified that, for you, identifying yourself with Georgia or the South is undesirable. (However, it seems like it's not that undesirable, since you said you might keep it.) To make a choice about which accent you will use, you will have to decide which accent is of high status, or which accent gets you the results you want. Americans don't always associate a British accent with high status, so that's why people might laugh when you imitate a British accent.

Answer 3

Hey! It's a talent to be able to switch accents! Why do you assume people will laugh at you? Most women love an English accent ....even if the person isn't from England. I can do seven accents (I do a brill English accent myself in fact!)and I get a real kick out of startling people speechless. Have fun with your abilities. No need to take them so seriously. Have a bash!Cheers!

Answer 4

you think that you sound british when you drop your r's but I guarantee your accent isn't that good. It would be easier to adopt a mid-western style of speaking. But why bother? And yes I think if you suddenly started speaking with a different accent people would make fun of you!

Answer 5

Just be yourself dude if you have a southern accent then speak with the southern accent and be proud of it. Do not try to imitate other accents, becauese those other accents are not who you really are and if people dont like your normal accent then srew them.

Answer 6

I think you should just be yourself for the most part. To change your accent at whim is fun, but the original owners of that accent can smell a fake a mile away.

Answer 7

There s no such factor as a British accessory. Britain is made from four nations: Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales but when I needed to reply, I could say the southern English accessory

Answer 8

Southern accent...
WHAT
you don't won't to get rid of your Southern accent. i know we do the brits well don't we......yeah that's fun!
It's funny how I have seen some brits right here on this site joking about hillbillies and we can talk like them so easily.
I think southern accent is HOT!!!!!!!!!!
We rule!
Keep it!

Answer 9

well im from up north and we dont say our r's either lol maybe if you moved up north somewhere you would eventually lose the southern accent then you can say pahk tha cah in tha havad yahd

Answer 10

why you want to change your accent? I guess you aren't happy and you are ashamed of your background keep your accent because that's what and who you are, don't pretend to be anyone else...