How much do you notice people's accents?

Question

This is really just out of interest, but it relates to some research I'm doing.

How much do you find that you notice another person's accent? If it's different from your own, do you notice this immediately? Are you generally good at telling where a person's from based on their accent? How about other information (such as class, or age)? Do you find you just don't hear accents?

Please also tell me where you're from and what accent you consider yourself to have. Thanks!

Answer 1

I'm from the North East of Scotland, but I spent a lot of my childhood travelling as my father was in the forces. People can identify me as Scottish, but can't pin down where I'm from as it's not a particularly strong accent. Currently I live in Brunei in South East Asia in an extremely multicultural environment. I can now tell the difference between Canadians and Americans, and Australians and New Zealanders, which I always found difficult before. I'm reasonably good at identifying UK accents, but not great at identifying where in the US people are from, unless they have a particularly easy accent, like New York, or a Southern accent. I don't think I could tell a person's age by their accent at all, but I am as guilty as the next person for ascribing characteristics to certain accents, which is something I wish I didn't do, and something I would always try to hide!

Answer 2

I have a big interest in accents and I have to say I find some of them very sexy. Although Ireland where I am from has become more multicultural now, the best place to hear different accents would be the internet, I think I actually subconsiously at this stage, study every single person I type or talk to online. by listening to a persons accent I can tell generally where they are from and their class. (although just from the way people type it is possible to find out a lot about them, most type as they would speak and I watch their grammer.)

Generally the accent would not help me to guess a persons age, this I can figure out by the what they say, their outlook on life.

In my opinion everyone has an accent, its just that some people have a stronger accent than others. mild accents would be the mid atlantic type of accents (dj types) and the stronger ones would be a texan accent etc. I find a lot of americans insist they do not have an accent and feel it is an insult that someone might think that they do. I have an american friend I have chatted to for years and as time goes on we notice our accents less we would both say.

Every country seems to have many different accents, in dublin alone where I live there are a few different accents in one city, I have a south dublin accent myself.

I really love listening to people speak from all countries of the world, my favourite accents would be the snotty english accent and the florida accent, all in all accents are simply a pleasure to hear.

Answer 3

Last thing first: I'm American, an Ohioan, and have an accent that changes depending on who I spend most time with. Normally it is soft and somewhat Irish or Hispanic...or so I've been told. I have a slight "r" and "l" speech thingy going on....



First thing last: I always notice a person's accent and sometimes I do not know where they are from but will wonder if they're from someplace like Romania or Germany or whatnot. I have been embarrassed to ask anyone where they have gotten their lovely accent from ever since asking a Filipino man where he was from after recognizing his language and he got a little tense talking about where he was from. I didn't realize it might embarrass people to have someone wonder where they're from. But yes, I always hear the accents...but do not always know what the accent can tell me about the person.

Answer 4

I notice any hint of accent immediately.

I can tell certain accents better than others just because I have friends in New York, New Jersey,England, and family back in Virginia.

I usually ask the person where they are from; if they are visiting or recently moved here I welcome them to California. I have grown up here in California and there are people from all over the world have lived here since I was little. So hearing an accent everyday isn't unusual.



I suppose I have a California accent. Although, I don't hear it.

Answer 5

I love accents I listen to that before I hear what the person is saying I'm good at pinpointing where people are from because I used to travel a lot up and down the map too as for class and age I can get the jist but not very well on the phone

Answer 6

I "love" listening to accents!



Its the first thing I notice about a person...

To me, a persons color, weight, height or anything else is unimportant and generally doesnt make an impression on me, but, you give me someone with an unusual accent and I will remember them for LIFE!



Aussie accents are the BEST! I could listen to them all day long!



Some English accents rub me the wrong way, like a burr under my saddle..they "grate" on my nerves, especially the corkney accent.



I can immediately tell if someone is not from this Country by thier accent.



I love a good "texas drawl"... It pleases me to no end to hear a woman with it.



Some accents, like those who are "backwoods" in Kentucky, you can barely understand them, and would think they were from a foreign Country!



I am from Ohio, with a Mid-Western accent.

Though, I say "wash" instead of "warsh", and I say "soda" instead of "pop", thats about the only thing that differentiates me from most Ohioans.



I wish you well...



Jesse

Answer 7

Hi,

I am from Suffolk, UK, so I have a slight Suffolk/Norfolk accent. It has 'weakened' through the generations though, so I don't have a broad accent like my parents.

I am very aware of accents, and think I'm good at knowing where people are from. I'm sure I would pick up a different accent very quickly if I moved to another area/country. For example, when spending a lot of time with an American friend, I'm sure I started to sound ever so slightly American! This wasn't intentional.

My friend, however, said she no longer differentiated between an English & American accent?!?!

Good luck with your project!

Answer 8

Yes, I notice accents immediately. I am somewhat good at knowing where the accent is from. I work in the medical field in a metropolitan area so I get people from all over the world. I've learned to identify them because I just ask the patient where they are from. Class? uh...somewhat, but I've learned looks can be very deceiving. Age... pretty much can tell a person's age (even from their writing).



Where am I from? Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. I don't have an accent......yinz do. Now I gotta go dantan and git some pants n' nat. LOLOL

Answer 9

I do notice accents immediately, and find them interesting. I enjoy listening to people with accents other than mine. It's funny, because when we moved from Minnesota to Texas many years ago we had a hard time understanding people here....and some of them had a hard time understanding us. Not only due to heavy accents, but also due to some different terminology -- such as Minnesota's "stocking caps" are Texan's "tobagans". Minnesota's "kitty corner" is Texan's "katty corner." Minnesota's "pop" is Texan's "coke". (All soda pops are Coke's to many Texan's. My neighbor would ask me if I wanted a coke, then ask what kind. We one time went to a grocery store looking for the pop, and they didn't know what we were talking about until we said coke.)



We loved listening to Texans talk. Now, we don't notice Texas accents......unless they are the real heavy, deep Texas drawls. But.............we do notice the Minnesota accents! Funny how that changes after time. We no longer have the sharp Minnesota accent, but we have enough of it left that Texans can detect it. When we go back to Minnesota on visits people hear our Texas accent.



I can't really pin point the origins of different accents except those that I am very familiar with............like Minnesota and Texas. But I can usually determine the general US region an accent is from. Some foreign accents.....such as Mexico, France, Italy, England, Australia, Africa.....are somewhat familiar to me, and I can usually make a good guess as to where they originate, but I'm rather limited on that.



I'm not sure what you mean by class or age............if you mean in relation to accents, or if we notice different classes or ages. If it's in relation to accents, I guess I somewhat detect a difference in some people as to what social class they may be in, but not often. And age...........no, I don't notice a difference there as far as accent.



If you mean do we notice different classes or ages, I do notice somewhat, but not really. It's not something I look for or that really stands out to me unless it is very evident. Actually, I do notice the elderly because I enjoy them and really have a heart for them, but other than the very young, or the very old I don't differentiate or group people.



I was born and raised in Minnesota, moved to Texas when I was 30, and we have been here in Texas for 23 years. I consider myself to have an accent that doesn't really belong anywhere because it is now Minnesota Texan.



Interesting subject. :)

Answer 10

I generally notice foreign accents, except Canadians. For Americans, I notice Bostonian accents (I grew up there, but have lost my accent after years of not living there) and Southern accents. I can pick out someone from the South by just one word, but I couldn't tell you where in the South they come from. Most other accents, I don't even notice unless I can't understand them (had that problem in W. Texas).

Answer 11

I can tell most British accents apart...Scouse, Brummie, Scottish (can sometimes tell if they're from Glasgow), Welsh etc... Not a fan of southern English accents, Northern is nicer, but much prefer the Welsh accent.



I'm Irish and can't stand the Louth or Monaghan accents...they sound like inbred farmers!Haha I know they're not (I have friends from Monaghan) but I still can't stand the accent. It's very easy (I find) in Ireland to tell where a person comes from. There's no mistaking a Dublin accent with a Cork accent!



I can't stand American accents. My neighbour is from California and I can only have a conversation with her for a few mins because it drills through my head!It tends to be louder and in your face - don't like that!



Can tell most European accents apart, although when it comes to Eastern Europe I couldn't tell a Polish person apart from say a Latvian. Russian is usually more distinctive though



I myself have a Dublin accent. It's not that strong though (although apparently when I get excited or am arguing with someone it's pure Dub!)

Answer 12

I'm from hickville, Indiana and don't really notice any accents from myself. It's weird that I don't notice an accent in northern or western states, but I do from eastern and southern states. And of course, I can usually tell accents from other countries, but I admit I can't always tell which country. I do know other people can hear an accent from me because I was told once on the phone from an Australian guy (at work) that he liked my accent. I just told him I wasn't aware I even had one.

Answer 13

I always notice another person's accent and that it's different from my own. I can't always pinpoint where that person is from, though, especially middle-eastern accents. I can give an estimate.



I am from northern Virginia and do not consider myself to have an accent. My parents were raised in New York and they have slight NY accents which my sister and I do not have. Natives of Virginia have southern accents, which we also do not have.

Answer 14

easily there are a super style of accents in the U. S.. some are ethnic, others are community. i've got been advised that a lot of human beings not from the U. S. won't be able to hearken to the transformations. all of us sound Mid-Western to something of the international. I did a pass over Scarlet (deep South) impact at artwork at some point. the different individuals all cracked-up however the guy from Wales could not determine it out. What i became asserting wasn't humorous. It became the accessory i became utilising that made it humorous. He could not hear it.

Answer 15

ya I notice accents all the time. I can usually tell what country or part of the world someone is from, based on their accents... though I can't pin it down to different accents within a country, except for my own country of course.



I am South African and I have an english South African accent...





where are u from?

Answer 16

I love accents and speech patterns, they are charming. Yes I can pinpoint where people are from from their accent. I can tell sometimes by people's grammar if they have a college education or something like that. Also, yes, older people's way of saying things is interesting, I mean 70 years old and older. I just love the way people speak, how they express themselves.



I was born in Mississippi, grew up in Miami, FL, married a New Yorker and lived in NY for 9 years, moved back to Mississippi, then to New Orleans, then back to Mississippi. So my accent is quite unique, with some aspects of NY, New Orleans, etc mixed with a Southern accent, variety central Florida. USA!

Answer 17

I notice them a little more than others do because I was raised in the military and have lived in so many different parts of the USA and the world, and I travel most of the USA in my business. I can "hear" the difference in Appalachia and the Tidewater, East and South Texas, California and the Intermountain, Michigan and Minnesota, Chicago and Cleveland, NYC and NY State, North Florida anf Caribbean Florida, etc.



I have a modified "Broad Plains-South Texas-Appalachia-California" accent. Too many places for one moniker.

Answer 18

Well I grew up in Connecticut., so here in Michigan almost everyone has a different accent. I usually do notice different accents, but I'm pretty good at understanding them, so it doesn't bother me much, unless I'm calling customer support and I'm not sure if they're even speaking English.

Answer 19

I am welsh and have a south wales valleys accent but my father was polish so i am aware of foreign accents.There are so many different accents in Britain that it is difficult to determine the difference between some west country accents,

Answer 20

im no good at telling where someones from! but i almost always notice a different accent straightaway. im from somerset and apparantly i have a strong accent (like a farmers lol) but ive also been told i sound irish! In somerset, the older you are usually the stronger the accent but that cant be true because im 15!

Answer 21

I notice accents a lot but that's possibly because I'm a linguistics graduate. I'm from Yorkshire originally and I changed my accent when I moved to London but you can still hear a trace of the northerness when I say bath and glass.

Answer 22

I notice accents very quickly and most of the time i can tell where people are from... maybe not always the exact country but at least the region. i mean also looking at the person themselves and hearing their accent you can tell.

Answer 23

I pick up accents.. Am I any good at telling where a persons from? Definatley not I suck and end up saying something far off the mark..



I'm from Australia but I don't talk the way the television perceives aussies to talk.. It's not as nasal LOL

Answer 24

I notice people's accents almost straight away, however i do get mixed up with Scottish, Irish and Welsh accents and i can't tell wether someone is from America or Canada.



Im from NW London, but i have a more standard English accent rather than a 'ghetto' one due to my upbringing. (My mum hates me talking slang!)

Answer 25

I'm from Coventry which doesn't have the best of accents, like most of the East Midlands.



I can usually spot where someone's from by their accent.



Not keen on the Stoke on Trent accent either - sorry folks from Stoke !

Answer 26

I notice peoples accents. My accent is a mix of cockney/essex . I find people can be snobby on accent. They also think its ok to take piss out of other English accents but its considered racist to mimic a foreign accent. I love the Scottish accent, and French is nice too.

Answer 27

i get confused as to where the different accents are from, but i do notice them almost straight away. i'm english and don't really consider myself to have an accent, tho someone from a different place would probably say i have an english accent. one of my teachers at school has a scottish accent, which to me and my friends is so funny when she pronounces push as 'poosh'. i dont mean this in an offensive way, it just sounds funny to us coz its different.

Answer 28

I do notice it, but it's not that much of a big deal unless it sounds like an accent I haven't heard before and I can't place someone. I have a London accent and I can usually tell when someone is from the area (or sounds like they are ). Thing is, sometimes you can get things so wrong with accents, someone will sound like they are one from place but they are from somewhere else!

Answer 29

I have a Midwest USA accent,and I love the various UK accents,esp. northern England...so charming.I notice accents very much so,even among my fellow Americans.The NYC/NJ gets on my nerves,but I enjoy the way that the folks from Maine speak.

Answer 30

Yes, I tend to notice someones accent straight away - it is hard not to - as when someone talks you can hear whether they speak differently to yourself - wnd if so where they are from.



Class can come into it - especially with chav talk - and origin is easy you can hear cockney, south/East/North London, Yorkshire..etc...



I am from London - but many people tell me - to my puzzlement - that I have no accent - and ask me where I come from!

Answer 31

i love accents. mine is cockney and i'm a londoner but i don't always believe it can determine someone's roots. some girls i know are fake posh wannabes and some change their accent to suit the situation; odd, very odd. i do notice it even when i try not to but i do look beyond it even though i can't help but notice it (if that makes sense!) good luck with your research :)

Answer 32

A lot!!!!



but thats okay, as I LOVE accents.



I can emulate almost every accent I hear :) thats ow much I notice and like accents.

Answer 33

I am from N. Central part of Ohio. My late wife was from KY. I notice Southern accents at once. I usually ask them,what part of the south they are from. get some interesting talks at times. Like to talk to older German people ,too.

Answer 34

I notice peoples accents all the time i find it really interesting and find myself guessing where they come from !!

Answer 35

I notice their different accents a lot if I am traveling.The farther north or south you go will definitely let you notice them especially the southern accent.

Answer 36

I never notice accents...really, i'm always surrounded by ppl who have different accents, but i really don't notice it much. I guess some ppl don't give importance to it

Answer 37

i notice immediately...i think most do...i am generally pretty good at determining where an 'accent' originated, age of speaker, and class of same.

i am originally from the boston, ma. area but do not have a boston accent although it is quite pronounced in most from there.

Answer 38

I notice when someone has an accent different to mine but I don't alway's get it right where they are from..

Answer 39

i notice it instantly. im from essex, and even i notice other areas of essex's differences!



i think from watching tv programmes from all around, you learn which accents are from where too, like the difference between all the northern accents in England for example. but obviously you dont know them all!

Answer 40

i notice them very much..can't always tell where a persons from by accent alone...

i'm new york city born & raised...

but am stopped at least once a day..

and asked if i'm from london...

i don't think i have a accent..as i'm a new yorker...

perhaps..

i just speak english properly.

Answer 41

a lot!



But I love hearing different accents so, thats okay

Answer 42

i do notice it a lot but that could be because mine is quite broad and my job is answering phones to customers, i'm from northumberland and i've got a posh geordie accent or so i've been told!

Answer 43

the Liverpool accent drives me crazy i love it!!......i am from Norfolk, and sometimes i just catch my accent and i sound like a farmer!!! lol

Answer 44

I don't like accents. French and German are the worst...

Answer 45

if its a strong accent, i'll notice it, and if its well known.

Answer 46

i duna notice anything in peoples accents

Answer 47

I sometimes get confused from British and Austrilian accents. They sound very similar in my opinion (I may be very wrong).

Answer 48

Instantly. Especially if they are foreign

Answer 49

YES I DO UNDERSTAND VERY EASILY OTHERS ACCENT!

I AM GREEK!!and i have greek accent!!!

Answer 50

i have to say i notice it loads, duno why. i cant tell where from tho.im from swansea

Answer 51

i notice it right away. i come from somewhere in the world i will not disclose

Answer 52

A whole lot.

Answer 53

i really notice

Answer 54

i notice them very well

Answer 55

It seems pretty obvious to me....

Answer 56

HOWDY you figure it out.

Answer 57

hardly at all

Answer 58

u kann erzählen - belive mich u kann erzählen