Question for people from the UK?

Question

Do you find American accents peculiar? Difficult to understand? Easy to understand? Humorous? Can you tell what part of the US a person is from by his/her accent?

I'm asking this question because i am American and just wondering what you think (I am from Pennsylvania).

Answer 1

I find the evolving language of Americans very interesting as it has absorbed so many others (such as Irish etc) and I can distinguish some accents (I especially love the Southern lilt) but if you asked me to distinguish a Californian from an NY person I'd struggle!

I have a Canadian friend who sounds American to me, but then I have only mingled with people from Chicago & San Diego before. Of course I watch a lot of TV so it doesn't sound peculiar (except for THE NANNY, hers is just plain WEIRD and annoying) and it's exceptionally strange when an American does a Brit accent..but hats off to Renee Zelleweger for her portrayal of Bridget Jones because her accent was AMAZING! There're probably others but I can't think of them right now.

I ask the question back, can you distinguish a Birmingham accent from a Newcastle, Scottish or Mancudian accent? Most people will roll into a LONDON accent when they think of Brits, but there a TONS of very different accents in the UK. And the Welsh are always left out somehow, that's a beautiful language that is very underrated and unrecognized. I'm proud they still hang onto their language when others like CELTIC and GAELIC are almost obsolete!

Answer 2

Well, like the UK as you move around regional accents change the way people can be understood.

I knew a girl from Pennsylvania and found her very easy to understand, if a little nasal in her tone.

Now, Floridians are like country hicks and can talk a bit fast!!

Not being familiar with all accents in the US I would find it hard to work out where someone came from

Answer 3

I haven't found any difficulty with any American accents, and I have been to quite a few states in my time. The accents I do have a problem with are here in Britain. The Scouse accent( Liverpool) The brummie accent (Birmingham) and I have found some Scottish accents Difficult to understand.

Answer 4

I love a Southern drawl.... New York can be a little irritating... None are particularily hard to understand - unless it's being spoken by someone REALLY lazy - there were a couple on American Idol tonight - Darnold and Cavort (or something like that!) they were TERRIBLE! Either from LA or Alabama...

As a rule, I think the accent is pretty sexy!

Answer 5

No, Americans generally speak English very well.

Their accents do no not sound peculiar to me.

A humorous accent? Not too sure about that one?

I Can tell where they are from on only a few occasions.

In Britain, we would all say, that you have taken a beautiful language, (English), and "Americanised" it, i.e. ruined it!

Answer 6

Some American accents are nice but the NY accent is not.
Some English accents are easy to distinguish..Brummie,Scouse,
Cockney,Geordie,West country.
I'm Welsh, it's easy to tell the North and South accents apart..(when speaking Welsh or English).
I live in the North and can tell the difference when people from Caernarfon,Bangor,Wrexham,
Machynlleth and Bala speak Welsh.
They all have distinct accents.

I am,however unable to distinguish the American and Canadian, also the Australian and New Zealand accents.

Answer 7

I like the American accent....The only difference i notice from the different states is the New York accent and the Southern accent...red necks i think u might know them by...I always wonder why all jokes are aimed at the southerner's, Are they really all so dense!!!? lol.....
((between the lines i love the Southern accent the best))

Answer 8

dont find them peculiar, or dificult to understand most of the time i cant tell which part of america they are from though or if they are canadian except when someone is from the south of america like a texas accent etc! thats when they are difficult to understand do u know which different parts of the uk people come from by their accents?

Answer 9

Most american accents arent difficult to understand, and I can usually tell whereabouts someone is from by their accent. In very general terms that it like south, east, but not the exact area. Most accents I like, except possibly very loud texans.

Answer 10

The accents of people from the northern states is much nicer than the southern. I think the southern accent is awful. What makes me laugh is things like bangs instead of fringe, the way that Americans say erbs not herbs and some pronounce shone like you would pronounce shown. And some of them the way they pronounce mirror is so comical. They're so busy getting their tongues round the r's that they miss out the vowel. Very amusing.