Random Observation #3498352

[_digital_angel]

Accents are so weird! Srly, I just watched this Lost fanfilm (some of it, anyway) and I dunno what I was expecting, but it was all... American! And for me, that made it more professional because being in England and 99% sheltered from American accents, I associate them with blockbuster movies and US TV shows

Comments

[faded_memories]

This may sound like a stupid question but can Americans tell the difference?

It depends on the person, really. Yesterday someone asked my mother where in England she was from. She was born and raised in Belfast. Granted, we're in Canada, not the US, but still.

As for my own accent, I've been here so long (and I was so young when I came here), that I sound like a regular girl from Ontario who has spent an incredible amount of time in Quebec.

Are the differences not as obvious as they are in the UK or can I just not hear them? :/

Speaking with respect to Canada, not the US, there are a lot of regional accents that are fairly easy to pick out. Someone from the Maritimes will speak differently than someone from Ontario, the Prairies, or the West Coast.

[_digital_angel]

I suppose the difference are obvious to someone who comes from any given country and not so obvious to others? Because really, this sounds dumb, but I can't even tell the difference between a Canadian accent and the accent of someone who lives in the US, never mind different types of Canadian accents.

That is one cute little cat in your icon btw ^___^

[faded_memories]

I think you're right about the regional accents being more familiar to the people who hear them most often. I could go into a long, boring, and drawn out essay about sound patterns and junk that I learned when I was working on my linguistics degree, but let's face it -- it'll bore both of us! :D

Here, have another cute kitty.

[x__annika]

My accents is kinda ..flat. I talk like a Rotterdammer, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't make any sense ^_^

I only hear a difference between UK and Scottish, I <3 Billy Boyd's accent haha XD

[_digital_angel]

I have no idea what a Rotterdammer is, lollerz! xD

Oh, I love it too! Billeh Boyd. And of course, Desmond a la Lost. And David Tennant. Scottishness <3

[kaowyn]

Oh indeed! Scottishness = Love. I'm part Scottish. ^__^

[_digital_angel]

ORLY? You should go around speaking in a Scottish accent to freak people out. Just 'cos it'd be funny XD

[anonymous]

sorry i just really need to say this --- you don't know me but i've been just looking through the livejournal site and i came across yours, and i have to say: i'm from the u.s. (and i live here)and i am absolutely obsessed (ok, a little strong there) with english accents!!!!! I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!! also, i hardly doubt that anybody in the u.s. can tell the difference between any english accents - i know i can't!!!!!!

just needed to say this! - alyssa

p.s. if you want to reply (you don't have to) just respond to this comment and i'll catch up on it later!

p.p.s. by the way - i'm 15( 16 in a couple weeks), just to tell you!

[_digital_angel]

Lol! Hello, there ;)

Glad you love English accents! I suppose, seeing as I'm around them all the time, they get boring. It's kinda weird to think that someone couldn't tell the difference between them - it seems so obvious to an English person!

Also, I'm curious - where did you find the link to my journal?

Thanks for your comment! :D

[anonymous]

Whoah!!!! it seems way weird that someone couldn't tell the difference between u.s. accents!!! and i think that english accents could never get boring!!

well, i have a journal here myself and i was just looking around because i barely found out that livejournal isn't just in the u.s. (weird, i know) and there was a featured spotlight on england or something, and i clicked on it and some different journals came up, including yours,so i clicked on it, and voila! here i am!

anyway, if you want a link to my journal, then just let me know!! bye - alyssa !

[fangirljen]

I was thinking about this just the other day! And you kind of support what I was thinking: the British probably like American accents as much as Americans like British accents

[_digital_angel]

Norther and Southern Irish accents are difficult to tell the difference between... I kind of can, because a lot of my family are Irish. Northern Irish accents are a lot harsher.

A London accent is pretty much standard English, I think. It's just... plain. Seeing as I live about half an hour away from London, that's pretty much my accent.

You see, I would have no idea how to go about telling the difference between a Californian accent and any other State, let alone different areas of California o_0

[fangirljen]

I think I can tell a N. Ireland accent if Liam Neeson is any indication. I heard another actor who sounded like him, too, who I think was N. Irish. But that's really all I can tell. *L*

How would you qualify Ewan McGregor's accent? Purely Scottish? I just saw him in a movie alongside Christopher Ecclestone. My God was that hot. I want more of that.

There are some great links to accents on the Tenth Doctor's wiki page. Disecting languages is fun for me, but I need a soundbite to actually follow what the text means.

I have a friend who says she can tell an LA accent from an Orange County accent, from a San Bernardino (the county I live in) accent, from a Beverly Hills accent, but I think she's just being pretentious. It isn't -that- noticable.

The Valley accent has a very destinct sound. If you have ever seen the movie Clueless, you have heard the Valley accent.

[_digital_angel]

=O Ahh I'm so sorry! I was just looking through my entries - I hadn't realised I hadn't replied to you! You must think I'm so rude - sorry hun! :X

Anyway, I would say... yeah, purely Scottish. Although he does a darned good English accent. He's hawt whatever accent he speaks in, IMO. Hell yeah. ;)

Hehe, do you remember how much dispute there was over what accent the Doctor was gonna speak in? 'Will it be English or Scottish?' Ahh, good times.

LOL. Well y'know, I wouldn't have a clue. I suppose if you're like, a dialect specialist, it'd be easy to tell. There are some people who can narrow accents down to a town, which I think is crazy o_0 genius, but crazy.

Ohh, yeah I think I saw it ages ago. Can't remember it well enough for the accents, though. I'll be sure to keep an ear out if I see it again, and I'll think of you! XD