Follow Us!
Subscribe to Blog via Email
-
Recent Posts
All-Time Most Popular
1. The Accents in Downton Abbey
2. The 5 Best Irish Accents on Film
3. Arrr, Matey! The Origins of the Pirate Accent
4. The 3 Types of Australian Accents
5. Canadian Raising: Nobody Says Aboot
6. South African or Kiwi or Aussie?
7. Top 10 American Accents by Non-Americans
8. Mom Mum Mam
9. When Did Americans Stop "Talking British?"
10. The Wild World of the English "r"Recent Comments
For the Uninitiated
Sites I Love
Categories
Archives
- April 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
Author Archives: Ben
Estuary English in the 21st Century
I’ve used the term Estuary English quite a bit on this site. For the dialect novices out there, I’d like to explain what this phrase means, and my personal take on it. Estuary English is a hard concept to define. Sometimes … Continue reading
Posted in British English Tagged celebrity accents, Estuary English, Received Pronunciation (RP) 28 Comments
Is the Welsh Accent “Foreign?”
The Welsh accent is a mystery on American shores. Numerous Welsh celebrities have made the US their home: your Hopkinses, Burtonses, Zeta-Joneses, and just plain Joneses. Yet Americans have few of the preconceptions about Welsh English that we do for … Continue reading
Does Climate Affect Accent?
I have one last point to make about the accents in Fargo. After that film was released, I remember its dialect coach being interviewed on a glib entertainment news show (a la Access Hollywood). As I recall, she mentioned instructing … Continue reading
The “Fargo” Accent: A Joke that Never Dies
It’s been fifteen years since Fargo was released in American theaters. Set in rural Minnesota, the film turned an obscure American regional dialect into a national punchline, albeit a loving one. Mention “Minnesota dialect” to an American, and they’ll give you … Continue reading
Pub vs. Bar: The Eternal Quandary
It’s Friday afternoon, a time of drinking and merriment throughout the world. As such, today’s post will focus on two words related to imbibing: pub and bar. Although similar in meaning, these terms seem to have different meanings depending on … Continue reading
The “Trubbow” with L-Vocalization
Listen to a three-year-old say “doll,” and it will probably sound like “dow.” Along the same lines, a young child’s “trouble” becomes “trubbow,” “fall” becomes “foe,” “bell” becomes “bew.” Or so it sounds to the average listener. This is what is … Continue reading
Arrr, Matey! The Origins of the Pirate Accent
Ask people to imitate a pirate, and they instinctually adopt the “pirate accent” immortalized in film and television. This unique brogue is renowned for it’s strong “r” sound, as in “yarrr” and “arrrrr.” Pirate imitators may wonder, “What accent am … Continue reading
Posted in British English Tagged accents for actors, dialects in film, Rhotic vs. Non-Rhotic 45 Comments
Was that a question? Belfast Upspeak
“Belfast upspeak” describes the upward inflection you find in Belfast English (and perhaps Northern Irish accents generally). In a nutshell, upspeak is the tendency to go up at the end of sentences? So everything sounds a bit like a question? … Continue reading
A Quick Break
I’m going to be computerless for the next two days, so I’m taking a short break from this site. I won’t be a presence in the comments section, but feel free to share! In parting, I’d like to share one … Continue reading
Learn an Accent in 3 Minutes! (A Rant)
A while back I posted something about “accent savants” on Youtube. These are people with a knack for dialects who post videos of themselves imitating Cockneys, Americans, Irishmen or some other nationality. I find these videos harmless fun, even as … Continue reading