What do you think about American's accent?

Question

How do we sound from a British perspective? Also, how is our English different from other English speaking countries? Thanks!

I'm from Gordon, Alabama(small boring town) I live in the country. I have a noticible southern accent but I definately don't sound like a country singer or redneck.

Answer 1

American women are on the whole alot more feminine than British women in my experience. Most British women scare me with their excessive drinking and foul language !YUCK!

Feminism in Britain was and continues to be encouraged (Don't ask me why). So I prefer American ladies. In fact I married one. She lives with me in London. I used to live in the US but the blatant fascism drove me crazy!!!!!!!

American Women and British men are a match, but the culture thing can be tough unless you are very willing. A majority (and I honestly believe it's fair to generalise here) of American men, to me, are the most annoying people ON EARTH...So I understand the craving for a more well rounded man. More Alpha-male-esque.

The accent I don't notice on her anymore and she says she doesn't notice mine anymore. But she was always saying 'huh' or 'what' when I first met her. It's the arrangement of the words that confuse alot of Americans (for some reason, baffled).

To answer the question, For British people (I'l happily and honestly speak on their behalf) American accents are interesting and almost mystical. You see we get ALL your TV shows here and always have done, we're used to the accent. But when we meet you in person, it's like meeting a TV or Movie star. I'm sure you know what I mean, and Americans definately have a look about them too. I can spot one a mile away. Loudness is also a good way to spot one.

Anyway I could go on all day.

I'l let you into a secret though while I'm here. If you've come across British people on here who give you a hard time, it's because of the downright assuredness of alot of Americans that 'they know they're right'! British people tend to stop and think more. If you know what I mean. That's the MAIN difference I saw. Canadians are more like the British in that respect. That's what gets up british peoples noses anyway. British people can be very cynical, it's hard to escape it when you live here. But once you get to know us. I believe Britain has the best way of thinking and living anywhere in the world. Although Blair and Bush need to take a hike ASAP ;)

I'm off for a crumpet, and a cuppa tea whilst raising my little finger as I drink it.

Answer 2

About American and British accents. A little know fact is that
the accents of many Brits and Yanks have been molded over the
last century by the advent of mass media. Both in Britain and the
U.S. there were many regional accents and with the coming of
radio , there was a need to smooth out and average the language
so that people could understand the radio announcers speech.
So , the British created a language called '' BBC standard''
and the U.S. created '' NBC Standard'' . Both of these new ways
of speech were rather bland versions of normal speech, rounded
vowels etc. In the U.S. , the west coast has this altered speech
perhaps due to their early exposure to mass media.
I'm sure the same holds true for some areas of Britain.
Additionally , the oldest form English is spoken in the Appalachian
region of the U.S. -it's a form of Elizabethan.
.

Answer 3

There s no such element as a British accent. Britain is made from 4 international locations: Scotland, England, Northern eire and Wales yet when I had to respond to, i'd say the southern English accent

Answer 4

well iv'e got a yorkshire accent and i know the london accent coz i lived there for 5 years.
from abrittish perspective the american accent is kind of weird and a little posh.
personally i don't like it because it's kind of catchy. - not a good thing 4 me coz i like my accent.
u should hear all the other accents.
i love the scottish accent cos it sounds kind of funny in a cool way, the irish accent is layed back and kinda cool as well.
i haven't heard the accent of the people living in wales cos i only visited the place once when i was much younger.
this has got nothing to do with the u.k. but the austrailian accent is really cool 2.
i'm trying 2 learn it by watching soaps and films.
compared to all of the other english accents
america's accent is unique in a different way.
it's deffinitely uniqe. but in which way it's hard to tell.
at least it's more understandable that the yorkshire accent.
u should hear us.
half the letters in our words are missing.
for instance if we wanted to say
hi, how are you?
we would sound like this
hi, haw aa ya
see i missed out the "r" in "are"
and i said "ya" instead of "you".
it's like we've mixed the yorkshire accent with slang
so most of the time people can't understand us.
i recently moved to a country that speaks english in the american accent.
my accent is so different that they ask me to slowly repeat what i just said.
that's wat has made me popular in my new school - my accent.
anyway ur accent is different just like any other accent.
but at least it's understandable, not like mine.lol

Answer 5

American Accent is simply put-not nice. Sorry, but personally I feel it’s all wrong! When I hear Americans, especially with that Southern accent, with their "lung wurdeeng...and thair slouw acsint..." I just wana kill myself. I mean some are ok like N.Y accent, or just basic American. But I still feel it’s like a retard speaking. I guess I’m a hypocrite though cause as much as I would love to speak with an English accent naturally, the only thing that comes out is American.

Answer 6

I'm Texan, I love all accents. The plain jane american accent bores the crap out of be. But the Boston and New York accents are hilarious. Canadian accents too, accents are just awesome in general.

My favorite accents are the Australian, then the Europe accents. Like Spanish, Scottish, Irish, English, and the Italian.

The other ones I haven't really heard enough to like yet!

:D

Answer 7

G.T. and Grington sorry someone gave you the thumbs down ; my own accent is drawn out so I can get the stoner bit . I am also a little twangy so I see the nasal comment as also being true. Th-UP
One of the most interesting experiences I had in visiting London was watching Parliament in session. I never thought there was such a difference between English , Scottish and Irish accents but I definitely heard it that day.

Answer 8

I like the American accent. Like the way you can hear certain ancestral influences in the accent like the Irish one in the New Yorican accent. I like the Southern accent as well , a lot of people in England think it sounds dumb , like the Bruumie accent [ Birmingham ] one. It probably isn't a coincidence given that a lot of people from the Midlands settled in the Deep South.

Answer 9

I don't mean to be rude, but to the British ear some American accents sound nasal and whiny (particularly the precocious kids on TV), some are unintelligible, some are OK.
As for your English differing ... again, depends where you're from in the US, but generally your spelling is lazy (e.g. there is a u in so many words like labour, it is not labor, theatre should not be theater etc) and really annoying - none of you seem to have noticed there is a second i in aluminium?

Didn't somebody once say "We are two nations divided by a common language"?

Answer 10

I like the American accent!! it is cool!! Its hard to explain what you sound like!! What i find strange though is when I watch American films/TV shows I don't really notice the acccent but when I talk to an American person (have quite a lot on my course at uni) the accent is strong!! Its also funny when I hear an English person speaking on an American TV shows - they always seem to sound very English!

Answer 11

I personally like the British accent more