The English accent compared to an American accent.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
Oi loike a cuppa when moi shreemp is ahn the bahbee.

You're from southern Oregon, right?

a reply to: schuyler

For Americans who don't know, Jeremy Kyle is equivalent to Jerry Springer in the kind of "talent" invited on the show.

If you want to see the real low life dregs of UK society than Jezza is where its at...i really shouldn't encourage other countries to watch though ts bad enough that crap gets air time here in the UK i dread to think what other countries view us like if they get to see this sh*te.

But yes the accents on there are like no American would understand as English... they are what we in the UK would refer to as common, ruff or a chav.

a reply to: schuyler

What's really funny to me is an English actor putting on an American accent. They are often very good, but there's something obvious about it. I would call it "flat." It's almost another accent in itself.

The other way round too, of course. Dick Van Dyke's Cockney has become notorious.

Understanding British shall we say is to understand that in the medieval times you needed permission to leave the land unless it was a pilgrimage, so there was many local accents that developed and even down to places where they could tell you lived within a small area as everyone pretty much worked, lived and did everything in a small area.

Local accents can and do change even over a few miles in the UK, now i'm a Stoke-on-Trent lad born thre and if you speak to certain people it gets 'fun'

If thay canst kik a bo against a wo till yer bost it is a common training tool for people who come in around here...if you're bored theres plenty of "ow'd grandad piggot" stuff on youtube and it'll be an adventure in several ways.

What about a little bit of Norfolk. Haya gotta loight, boy?

Americans can't speak English.

a reply to: Maxatoria

Local accents can and do change even over a few miles in the UK, now i'm a Stoke-on-Trent lad born thre and if you speak to certain people it gets 'fun'

Haha i hear you... I'm from Northwest up near Manchester and Liverpool and when people out of the area hear me speak they think I'm from the 1880's and spend my days down the pits or on canal barges

a reply to: jafo1973

I've never figured out why people have trouble with this. To me, it's like audio pariedolia. If it sounds like something I'm familiar with, my brain just fills in the rest.

a reply to: nickovthenorth

After 20+ years with the missus I still have to at times do translations, she can speak lord knows how many languages but when it comes to the local pottery dialects theres always something missing.

If you read "me an mar lady" and listen to "ow'd grandad piggot" you'll not be surprised, tales of piggots were done at 8:50 and lasted for 5 mins so given my location as a kid i'd know that when he finished it was time to walk to school.

a reply to: jafo1973

Which "English" accent, and which "American" accent? There are several of each.

Born and raised Louisiana.

THIS is actually English, but youd never know it...

Don't care all I know is when I go over there I am told "gee you have a cute accent"....according to those US persons of a a female persuasion.

Over here, apparently, folks from London have difficulty understanding me because of my Scottish accent........despite having a Yorkshire accent but a Scottish postcode. I was biting my tongue since I had no problem understanding her stupid London accent with the incorrect pronunciation on soooo many words.

originally posted by: Advantage
Born and raised Louisiana.

THIS is actually English, but youd never know it...

I learned to talk there. They actually made me go to ESL because the teachers here couldn't understand me. Now I have a totally neutral northwestern accent.

originally posted by: DISRAELI
a reply to: schuyler

What's really funny to me is an English actor putting on an American accent. They are often very good, but there's something obvious about it. I would call it "flat." It's almost another accent in itself.

The other way round too, of course. Dick Van Dyke's Cockney has become notorious.

Haven't heard it. Was he attempting to be serious, or was he attempting to be funny? Serious question. I really don't know the answer.

One really funny exchange is on the Big Bang Theory where Raj makes fun of an American accent and Howard makes fun of an Indian English accent. They are both really good and their "competition" is a hoot.

a reply to: DISRAELI

Actually, I tend to hear CAYR - i - bee - uhn around this area. cuh - RIB - ee - uhn is from other part of the country.

I love accents, fush n chups n-eeee won. I think the Australian accent is so harsh as it imitates the bird life, the new zealand accent is a bit more bubbley like our bird the Tui.

I can understand every dialect in the Mainland UK , and most American people no problem but i cannot understand a lot of people from Ireland

a reply to: jafo1973

There are just as many different accents in England as there are in the USA. It all depends on which part of the country you are from. The only time I have problems with English from either side of the pond is when I don't understand the regional slang terms.

The main difference I find is that many of the accents from England omit the beginning consonants, while many of the accents in the USA omit the ending consonants.

When I was in the Navy, one of the funniest things I ever heard was a Filipino cook and a Puerto Rican machinist trying to understand each other's English.

a reply to: jafo1973

First of all, shut that damned silly waste of celluloid and or drive space off. OMFG was that just a horrible waste of time.

Second....you're comparing english accents to american accents. But, what I think you're having a hard time with (other than that god awful travesty of a "film") is the vernacular of the period, not necessarily the accent.