What does an American accent sound like to you if you did not grow up in the USA?

Answer 1

There are many regional accents and they can't be typified, as with many other countries and languages. A stroll around London is a good case in point. In China, we have 56 ethnic groups and countless dialects...same written language but pronunciation is very different. This is why...previously people were more isolated and seldom traveled, so any pronunciation would be picked up by the tribe or group and continued until there were obvious differences. Australia is a good example of isolationism and the evolution of a dialect. Now with both travel and mass communication such as TV and films, the differences are slowly being reduced and America is evolving a Mid-Atlantic accent which reflects Canadian, British and American accents blended into a standard pronunciation and intonation. Some countries that use English as their main language are hindered by the teachers follow age old pronunciation and speech patterns, i.e. India. So you can't say there is a single American accent.

Answer 2

First and foremost it depends on where at in the United States you first go. When I came here 10 years ago I went to school in California. That is a very soft pleasant accent, though somewhat nasal. Then I lived on the East Coast; DC, VA, NC, SC. These accent vary much more than for example California vs. Washington. NC and SC is hands down really hot, if it is spoken the "old" gentlemen way. I did not really like the DC and VA; they were somewhat rough and hard. I also lived in New Orleans for a year, and the likability of that accent is completely dependent on the looks and demeanor of the person.
Now I live in TX, and absolutely LOVING it! No other American accent beats it! Overall though, it's the WAY many Americans say things that's hot. You are a very persuasive breed, more so than any other nationality I've ever meet. Also, the way that you have slightly changed the English language and made it your own is brilliant. I like speaking American English much more than for example Great Britain English, which is dry.

Answer 3

Has it no longer occurred to you that there is not any such thig as an American or British accent? There are vast numbers of British accents, even with the country's small length, and definitely those are literally not continually at the same time comprehensible even to human beings residing as low as 100 miles away. American accent are also very different. unavoidably, with inhabitants moves round interior and between both international locations there are countless those who communicate with non-organic interior sight accents, and lots others whose accents (and dialects) were changed through publicity to the media, and fantastically television. So all in all, you're literally not really peculiar, extraordinary or exciting.

Answer 4

Like impossible to achieve if you bump into someone who talks rapid-fire English. I learned English when I was 16. I'm 26 now and have a pretty decent American accent, but I still have trouble with the regionals, especially Southern accent and Ebonics.

Answer 5

A bit nasal but I quite like it. In England, we have so many American TV programmes, it's not even something we think about anymore.

Answer 6

there are so many.