British Accent?

Question

I have my heart set on moving to the UK. I speak as an average american does now with no accent. If I live there for the rest of my life... will I adapt to a british accent? Because I will be around people that speak like that all the time...

Answer 1

Yes, especially if you want to, ie you have an enthusiasm for doing so, this just speeds up the time it takes to naturally acquire a semi American/British accent in one or you might pronounce some phrases perfect UK English and not lose your accent on other words. You won't lose your American accent assuming you are in your twenties or thirties, only younger people ie kids lose their accents completely as they are adapting more easily, this is just my experience of my relatives, I speak three languages with prevailing UK accent and am proud of doing so,

Answer 2

I have lived in the UK for 4 years and haven't had a change of accent.

Answer 3

My friends dad is american and has lived in the UK for more than 17 years and his accent is still very much american

Answer 4

Yes, you will adopt an accent. My mom was born and raised in the US and moved to the UK when she was about 30 and said that you will adopt the accent after about 5 years.

Answer 5

What do you mean "no accent"?! I'd have thought you ought to have an American one. You could practise (or practice) by removing your r's before consonants and at the ends of words, and hardening up your t's (water instead of wadder). If you choose to live in the south west you'll feel at home, as locals still speak with elements of what became American English. I wish you the best of British (as we say).

Answer 6

It depends on you and your wishes to pick it up or not and also it depends on the Region of the country. In some of the areas, you will have to pick up some of the accent or you will not be understood unless you speak very slowly. Such areas are Liverpool (Scouse), Newcastle (Geordie). Generally, the further into the countryside you go, the stronger a local accent is spoken.

Answer 7

Lucky you, when you are old and grey and return to your native land, people will stand in awe at your wonderful accent.

Answer 8

it incredibly is talked approximately as an English accessory, there's no such situation as a "British" accessory. plus it incredibly is totally dissimilar I dont get the variety to generalise it? individuals looks to think of anybody talk with a fancy Oxfordshire accessory.