Tag Archives: dialects and comprehension

Foreign Accents

As much as I hate to admit it, ‘foreign’ accents don’t pique my interest the way ‘native’ accents do.  That’s not to say I don’t love foreign languages.  I’m fascinated by the grammatic intricacy of Navajo and the differences between … Continue reading

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Posted in Miscellaneous Accents and Dialects | Tagged , , | 40 Comments

Why Americans Don’t Get ‘Dialect’

I first heard the word ‘dialect’ within a bizarre context. It was the 1980s, and some adult (whose identity I forget) used it as a euphemism for African American English*. It was something along the lines of, “He speaks dialect, … Continue reading

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Posted in American English | Tagged | 11 Comments

Will English Dialects Become Languages?

It’s a fair question to ask if English dialects may eventually split off into separate languages.  This has happened before, of course, Latin being perhaps the most notable example. And while I find it a compelling question, I think we’re … Continue reading

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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 26 Comments

A Rant: Accents and Bad Journalism

I realize that accents and dialects constitute a fairly obscure topic.  But I’m finding myself increasingly dismayed by how terribly journalism bungles this area of study. Look, I understand how easy it is to mess up facts when it comes … Continue reading

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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Stage Accents vs. Real Accents

As per recent discussions of American actors doing British accents, I’d like to make an important distinction: Authentic accents vs. stage dialects*. For about 90% of situations in which an American actor needs a British accent, that accent is probably … Continue reading

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Posted in English Phonetics | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Cheryl Cole’s Accent: You Decide

I don’t want this to turn into a pop culture site, but it is hard to ignore the recent hubbub surrounding Cheryl Cole. As I mentioned a few days back, Ms. Cole is a pretty pop singer from the UK … Continue reading

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Posted in British English, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Speech Impediment vs. Dialect

In yesterday’s post, I talked a bit about Jonathan Ross’s famous pronunciation of “r,” and how I believe this is actually a dialect feature rather than a speech disorder or impediment. It’s worth taking a look at the overlap between … Continue reading

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Posted in English Phonetics | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

“Incomprehensible” Accents

On occasion, I may refer to a certain accent as “incomprehensible” or “inscrutable” or some other questionable attribute. I would like to take a moment to clear up what I mean. I love the dialects of English. I think they … Continue reading

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