Why do so many people think there's a British accent?

Question

I see questions on here every day, asking about British accents. Questions such as 'How can I do a British accent?', 'What is the best accent, British or Australian?' etc.

Or I open a question titled 'For British people', and find that, even though I'm British I can't answer it as it's not actually for British people, it's only relates to people from a certain country.

If you are actually one of these people that thinks British people all share the same accent, laws etc, then where did you learn this from? I've heard that some people were actually taught this in school (in the US), is this true?

Answer 1

The myth of a British accent could come from a colonial myth that Queen's English was the correctly spoke English, a bit like 'BBc English.' A clipped accent with an emphasis on pronouncing every letter, with the 'correct' sounds, etc. It is a kind of lingistic imperialism based on snobbery, ignorance and chronic insecurity. It has evolved over the years and become (more or less) one thing - ignorance.



The kind of person that believes in a uniform British accent is also the kind of person that believes Shakespeare walks the streets of Britain and we all have tea at 4 o'clock in the afternoon with the queen. London is the only city in the country and anywhere else simply doesn't exist.



Unfortunately this kind of ignorance seems to be fairly prevalent on forums such as this because the people that believe it seem to have the biggest mouths probably from them being open most of the day in order to catch flies!

Answer 2

Some Americans are quite good about it and actually can tell the difference between different accents. Then once in a while you bump into one who is beyond bad at it. When I first moved to the US I had someone ask me "What part of London are you from?" when they heard me speak. If that isn't quite bad enough, I'm NORWEGIAN. How anyone could confuse that sing-song cadence and rather distinct accent with anything else, I've no clue.



In all fairness, I can't even understand some people from the Southern US and I've been here for years now. Forget about being able to tell what *type* of regional dialect it may be - it doesn't even sound like English to me.



I honestly believe everyone has an accent to everyone else if they're from different regions. It's just kind of the way things work.

Answer 3

It comes from (a) exposure to BBC programmes and Hollywood movies and (b) not actually talking to any real British people in real life. It's understandable in a sense - in the same way, most British people don't know any Americans or Australians in real life but they do watch an awful lot of movies and TV featuring "American" and "Australian" accents.



In Hollywood movies, most "British" accents you hear are what the film critic M J Simpson termed "Britoid" accents, that is they can vaguely be defined as "British" but don't sound like any specific accent that's spoken by real people in Britain today. Obvious examples are Dick van Dyke's cockney in Mary Poppins, or Mike Myer's laughable attempt at a Scottish accent in Austin Powers and Shrek.

Answer 4

I have no idea, I think it's a bit odd. There's so many varied accents in England alone, never mind Britain. I've noticed that "British accent" is mostly understood to be just London accents from various American TV programs.



I always say I'm from England. I hardly ever refer to Britain, just whichever country I'm talking about. To me, Britain isn't a country, it's an island of three separate and unique ones.



What annoys me is when people get Britain mixed up with the UK.

Answer 5

well there is a different accents if you go all over Britain like Welsh and some Scottish speak Gallic and if you listen you know that there is different between English and Scottish and also if I ask you can you think of something to do with Britian people are going to think off England the most but they wont think of Scotland or Wales because to them Scotland and Wales does not matter when Scotland brings in half of the money that England use to build with because England gets all the money that Scotland and Wales make and never share and that is true that is why David Cameron didn't want Scotland independent because he new that England would loose out on the money because david Cameron doesn't give a tose about te Scottish or the welsh and to say that England wouldn't last 10 years without Scotland or Wales

Answer 6

Well, in the same way it works with other countries. If you do not live there and/or come into regular contact with people from other area's, you will not know what their accent is.



I am sure people who live in certain recesses of africa know the english language from those who help them. So they will attribute the accent to what they hear most. If they even care at all.



I for instance, couldn't tell you the difference between an Ohio accent, and a Washington D.C. accent.



That said, when most people ask for the 'Brittish accent', I would assume they mean the whole "Tally ho, what what. One does think this cup of tea is spiffing!" etc etc.

Answer 7

Oh man, I was just thinking about this! My friend is from Wales, and people always say, "Oh, what a cute British accent!" The ignorance makes both of us mad (I'm half-Scottish and I have a UK citizenship, although I live in the US) because an English accent is not the same as, say, an Irish one. It's like a southern (US) accent compared to a New York one.



What the mentioned people think a British accent is like:



Woi, 'ello guvna! Gonna go fuh a roid on tha trams? Uh peuh-haps knock offa bobbay's hemmet? 'Sha, thaehz a gammy lodd we kidd deh, wot wot?



E.G., Australian meets Canadian meets drunk Londoner accent.

Answer 8

They don't realise that UK is just a collective name for Scotland ,Wales ,Northern Ireland ,they don't know the geography of the country.

So they think the accent is the same as the Queens,like Hugh Grant,Dame Helen Mirren or Dame Judy Dench.

Because many countries don't know to much about England they only have the film stars to compare.

But we were taught about other countries at school and know that a New Yorker sounds different from a Floridan.

Answer 9

Its the American filmaking industries that only show a certain British accent, which is an old fashioned way of speaking that nobody seems to have anymore. In England there are many different modern time accents but you never see them in American films.

Answer 10

British people do have accents. Some of us know that the ones from London are different than a welch brogue, but there are characteristics of the way that all brits speak that are common.



For example they pronounce the US president's name O-BAM-A, where the BAM rhymes with HAM instead of BOMB. Nearly all brits do this regardless of where in the Isles they are from. In most other english speaking countries, notibly the US, we pronounce his name so the middle syllable rhymes with BOMB.



When you pronounce a name differently than the person who owns it, then that's a good sign you have an accent.



Of course there are differences people from London or Cardiff will differ greatly in the way they say "I have to go to work".



And people with London accents tend to use an F sound for words that have TH in them.

Answer 11

British accent can be anything, after all any one can be british now dosnt matter where your from.



An English accent how ever can be a number of diffrent things i think most people think of an English acent to be from the London area, as the queen lives there and is known all over the world.

Answer 12

The amount of english accents is quite substantial; south west accents, south east/ queens english, west midland or brummy, manchester, liverpool, newcastle, yorkshire and then theres the welsh and scottish.



I think americans do not realise that the united kingdom is just that a united country consisting of various countries just like the united states, there aren't that many countries that exist as unions esp. not ones as small as britain, but there is a lot variation in britain.

Answer 13

There is no such thing as a "British" accent. There is RP English and all other British accents are regional variations. Only Americans foolishly think there is a British accent.

Answer 14

I don't know about your last question,but i am from england and there isnt such thing as a certain accent,i mean there are lots of accents depending on where abouts you live and nobody can just say'i wanna learn british accent' because you have to be spercific and say what accent,where abouts in brition do you want to do a accent for. So i agree with you.

Answer 15

There are hundreds of different accents within the United Kingdom, so categorising them all as British accent is rather incorrect. I agree with you all the way.

Answer 16

For the same reason that people think there's an American accent (sort of Bronx with a bit of John Wayne), a Scots accent (Glasgow drunk) or an Australian accent (Dame Edna). Accents change from town to town and from street to street.



So altogether with Dick Van Dyke: Chim chiminey, chim chiminey - gor blimey missus it makes you want to weep.

Answer 17

If you listen to the likes of Terry Thomas that is what was considered a british accent,like plum in the mouth

Answer 18

I'm from England, I was born in manchester, 'mum' moved me and my older sister to cumbria when I was about 2 1/2. Are you talking about the U.K.? (enland/eire/wales/scotland?) My accent changes with whomever I'm talking to/with. I'd love to had my mcr accent back!

You cant just say, americans speak good english. Obviously they cant, cos' they aren't english!

And it makes me lol wen people think/say that 'the english' sound australian!

Id say english is a bit universally spoken around the globe! Maybe? (taught very much so!)

i not so gud mesen like lol!

Answer 19

Im a british person and i tottally agree with you...

But dont we think that all american people speak with same accents and say whatever or are hillbillys ?

Answer 20

There's not even an English accent as Geordies and Scousers and Brummies and Londoners and everyone else all have their own accent

Answer 21

this is noted as an English accessory, there's no such ingredient as a "British" accessory. plus this is totally dissimilar I dont get techniques to generalise it? individuals seems to think of all and sundry talk with a complex Oxfordshire accessory.

Answer 22

the thing what bugs me is when they say "hey I'm American i'm ganna do a British accent" they always do a English one. but when they do one from Scotland they say "Scottish". it bugs me to hell!. you never see one of them start speaking Welsh when they go to do a accent

Answer 23

Who are these 'many people' - and how many have you counted? You are clearly not British or you would know there are so many regional dialects. Have you heard some information about those people who had to wear formal dress to broadcast in the early days, from the radio station called 2LO ?

Answer 24

I'am Italian and i Study English at school.

When i listen my teacher or i heard some videos in english(britain) i can assert that u have a particul accent ;)

Answer 25

Queen style:

"Lar-de-daa Darling, one would like to think our GRRRREAT Britain all talk as one, in this manner of speaking. Etiquite dear. One should know also know how to pesent one's self in her Majesty's presence."





Or, for the Northern England experience:



"Reet mate? Goin tu pub layta,comin? Or we got pastie shop round corner? Yu wanna puta donk on that !"



Don't ask where that came from :s

Answer 26

There are actually two English accents. However, I was not taught this in school. And even though I'm American, I have kind of a "Scottish" accent.

Answer 27

I guess the same reason people think all Americans have the same accents, laws, etc? Pure ignorance. It was probably learned from the moves and tv shows they watch.

Answer 28

1

Answer 29

Because to some people we do all sound the same.

Answer 30

u don't LEARN an accent.... it comes naturally becoz of ur surroundings. the important thing is the language. if the basic grammar is right, then u can survive in any 'english' speaking country.

Answer 31

by british foreign people usually mean english, they forget about the hangers on like scotland etc. and you'll usually find that they cant see a huge difference between the different english accents.

Answer 32

How do English people have English accents if they're speaking English?



I mean, you never say a Spanish person has a Spanish accent, whilst speaking Spanish.

Answer 33

Lol, there are a lot of English Accents:

Geordie

Scouse

Lancashire

Southern

Irish

and many more

Answer 34

ff

Answer 35

idk i hate the fact that usa think we all speak posh this is all the queens fault!