Why do Americans shout instead of talking?

Answer 1

How can you judge a nation by reacting to your impression of perhaps one American? Do you ever do anything wrong you little angel you?

Answer 2

I live in Germany near Ramstein, a large US base. Wherever you go you can hear the Americans at a very great distance. Even the Americans notice this. It is true they are very loud.
A freind of mine toured the US with the Rolling Stones and he said that they all shouted, even when using walkie-talkies. So he and another Brit started to do the same thing. The Americans told them that they didn't need to shout, they in turn explained that they did. Poor people never realised they were having the piss taken out of them.

Answer 3

You are quiet Engleesh person! I can tell!

If think the reason conversational American English is typically so much louder than the reserved Englishperson's conversational English is because the American has been raised to be confident in what he or she is saying (whether right or not), whereas the English educational system instills doubt in what every Englishperson is saying out loud (whether they are right or not!).
This has it's roots, I think, in a certain intellectual guilt that Britons feel (perhaps subconsciously) that their historical geographical meddling (creating Israel, Northern Ireland, Pakistan/Bangledesh) is largely responsible for most of the world's present ills.

Answer 4

Because in the US people talk all the time when they are not eating. So in order to be heard above the nasal drone that is an American accent they have to shout

Answer 5

Because they always have food in their mouths and so they have to shout to be able to pronounce their words clearly. Nah jus kiddin, Americans are great and friendly people. I think it's mainly the east coast people that talk kinda loud.

Answer 6

American English is spoken from the diaphragm. Speakers of many other languages do not usually breathe from the diaphragm when speaking. This means that Americans speak more loudly than speakers of other languages. But it's normal, not shouting.

Answer 7

I have nothing against Americans, or America as a country, but all my experience in dealing with people from the US leads me to say that I have to agree with you on this one.

I'm not trying to be stereotypical - it's just my personal experience that every American I've met did speak exceptionally loud. I've often wondered myself why this is so...

Answer 8

How many shouting Americans do you know? My dad always shouted when he talked because he was nearly deaf, but other than that, I don't know what you mean.

Answer 9

Not all are loud. And if they are it's not intentional, you could say something to them when out and about, which might be a fun exchange of thoughts in itself. :) I'm American and I've noticed others while traveling talking loud amongst themselves, but it's just through excitement. It's nothing more.

Answer 10

You've obviously never been to America. If you had you'd know that there is a rather loud buzzing noise in America (its really loud in New York and New Jersey), and we speak louder to be heard. We're used to it, so we don't realize its there and don't adjust are tone when outside the USA.

But tell me dear heart, what short comings do you have, as you are trying to deflect attention to our gregarious and cacophonous speech patterns?

Answer 11

I don't think all of us shout ( just like I don't think all Brits love tea and warm beer, all French eat Brie, all Dutch grow tulips, all Germans listen to tuba music and eat wurst, all Russians drink vodka and get depressed, all Australians throw prawns on the barbie........ and whatever other stereotype) but I agree we are little louder than other nationalities.

Maybe even somewhat obnoxious at times. I think we are just generally a little more exuberant and not quite as uptight.