What % of men in England speak with an accent like?

Question

Tim Curry or Phil Collins,
does it depend on what region you come from? Even if you come from a certain region in England, are the only ones who speak with an accent say like Tim Curry or Hugh Grant educated in expensive schools or something, how does that work?

Oh, I know, I was wondering if more people speak like Tim Curry OR
Phil Collins.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Answer 1

England, or I guess more correctly - the UK as a whole, is a comparatively small country yet boasts a rich variety of accents. There are distinct regional accents and marked variations happen within a few miles of each other. For example, the north of England on the west side is the Cumbrian accent but just a short drive east into Northumberland finds a very different accent (colloquially knows as Geordie) and a short drive north takes you across the border into Scotland where again, the accent is very different.

Hugh Grants has what could perhaps be described as a Home Counties accent (the counties to the north of London) although in reality, his type of accent can be found throughout England amongst the middle and upper classes. Phil Collins on the other hand has more of a Cockney (London) accent.

Even within a city such as London there are different accents - those from the East End having a much more pronounced Cockney accent than say those from the north of the city.

So yes, the different regions have different accents and some of the better known ones are West Country accent (South West), Cockney (London and the south east), Brummie (Birmingham and the Midlands), Scouser (Liverpool and Merseyside), Geordie (Newcastle and the north east), Yorkshire (urban Yorkshire), Broad Yorkshire (rural Yorkshire), Manc or Manchurian (Manchester). The Welsh, Irish and Scottish have very different accents and within each of these countries there are regional variations.

It's not necessary to have been educated in an expensive school to have an accent like Tim Curry or Hugh Grant. Historically elocution was considered an important element of education and the public schools often taught people who to 'talk proper'. Nowadays not so much emphasis is placed on this but there are still accents which are considered to be posher and more upper class than others.

A good resource is the BBC's Voices Project - here you can listen to different voice recordings from around the UK... http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/

Answer 2

Almost everyone in England speaks with some kind of accent. Generally the better-educated someone is the less likely they are to have a regional accent, but they may instead (although not always) have an upper-class accent. Often, well-educated people who are not from super-wealthy families will have only a slight accent, in the sense that it will be difficult for another British person to figure out where they come from (although it's almost always possible to tell that they are indeed English).

Hugh Grant and Tim Curry normally talk with a slightly upper-class accent. Phil Collins has a mild regional accent (he's from London).

A couple of English accents which are easy for foreigners to spot are "Geordie" (from North-east England) and "Scouse" (from Liverpool).

Answer 3

There are plenty of men with the sort of accent to which you refer - but not masses. They will tend to have been educated privately, or at least be the children of parents who were and who have passed on their accent. I come from the sort of background where most of the men (and women, inc myself) speak that way. If you go out to the smarter bars, perhaps in the City or in Chelsea, Kensington etc, if you are in London, then you are more likely to bump in to chaps with this form of speech. Are you asking because you find it attractive? (by the by, I don't think I would add Phil Collins in with Tim Curry and Hugh Grant!!)

FYI - the accent can be known as 'Upper Class' - but to speak really well and clearly (but not too cut glass and nasal) is referred to as Received Pronunciation.

Answer 4

Not sure about curry? but phil collins has a london accent, hugh grant yes would talk as if he'd had boarding education.(higher education) accents in the uk are difficult to explain to an outsider.
There are many people who are from the uk, who are not good at telling accents. I am pretty good on accents, i can mimmick many accents.

Answer 5

accents are dependant on the people that you interact with, either socially, at home or in the work environment. Accents are usually similar in certain geographic regions because we spend most of our time in those areas, ie, home, work, school etc.
When it come to things like expensive schools, I suppose you get a larger percentage of people that speak like that, so it is more likely you would develop such an accent.
It is impossible to give percentages in regard to this, it is mainly down to social interaction and the environment you grow up in

Answer 6

if you go to a private school they will encourage you to speak in an upper class accent regardless of where you are in the UK- and quite right too

Who on earth would want to speak like a northern monkey, or an essex chav?

Lets keep England high brow

Answer 7

Might depend on region. My land lord and his wife are from England, and only he has an accent.

Answer 8

Everyone has an accent, it's all relative.

I think the term you're looking for is RP received pronunciation.

Answer 9

Its all accents in England, i am from Liverpool, our accent is strong, The Beatles are from Liverpool, check there accent

Answer 10

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