What is the difference between accents/dialects?

Question

What is the difference between accents/dialects?

Answer 1

Accents use different sounds for the same language, whether because it is foreign to the speaker or because it is a different region. Dialects use a different vocabulary, which is unknown to someone who is not from the area or has not studied it. A dialect may be difficult to understand to someone unfamiliar because of vocabulary. (ex: Scotland uses "ken" for "know") An accent may be difficult or easy to understand. It is simply a difference in the way the words are pronounced. (ex: Boston area usually drops Rs, like getting in the cah, rather than getting in the car.)

Answer 2

Accent means slightly different pronunciation (does not matter if it is foreign language or native language) and dialect means different words.

In China although nearly everybody speaks Mandarin they will all speak it with a slightly different accent depending which part of the country they come form. Much like somebody from Texas sounds different to somebody from New York even though they are both speaking English.

Dialects is a bit trickier. How many words have to be different enough before it is regarded as a seperate language ? Linguists argue about this all the time.

Answer 3

An accent is the way you sound when you are speaking a foreign language and a dialect is the different nuances and slang or phrases you might use when you speak your own language that is different of someone who is speaking the same language

Answer 4

Accent a person from Texas and a person from NY...the different way they sound is the accent.

Dialect: would be consider solely because they are not (or not recognized as) literary languages, because the speakers of the given language do not have a state of their own, because they are not used in press or literature, or very little. or because their language lacks prestige.

Answer 5

If your looking for the simplest and easiest explanation to remember, I think that the person who wrote "Child and barn represent dialect difference; bæth and bAHth (i.e. bath) represent accent difference" said it the best.