# What Accent do you like?



## Mike (Oct 16, 2015)

British Airways surveyed 1,000 Americans and
1,000 Brits and asked them which accent they 
liked best from the opposite country?

Americans about British accents.

Brits about American accents.

What accent do you like from the opposite
country?

B.A. Survey Result Here.

Mike.


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## RadishRose (Oct 16, 2015)

I'm attracted to about any accent that sounds different than what I am used to.


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## AZ Jim (Oct 16, 2015)

French


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## Warrigal (Oct 16, 2015)

I like the musicality of the accent of Northern Ireland.


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## RadishRose (Oct 16, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> French



Reminds me; once a few of us girls went out to dinner. Our waiter had a very heavy French accent and we all fell in love with him immediately!


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## hollydolly (Oct 16, 2015)

I really love the soft lilt of Southern Irish! Northern Irish like Glaswegian, is much too harsh 

I like American accents but of course they are all so diverse .


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## Falcon (Oct 16, 2015)

In my travels, I've heard many kinds.  So, I'd have to say that my favorites would be anything that I could understand.

I have a friend who came from Scotland and I have to frequently ask him to repeat something in a way I can understand.

And he's been living here for many years now.


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## RadishRose (Oct 16, 2015)

But then, there is Antonio Banderas with his Spanish accent; so sexy.


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## hollydolly (Oct 16, 2015)

Falcon said:


> In my travels, I've heard many kinds.  So, I'd have to say that my favorites would be anything that I could understand.
> 
> I have a friend who came from Scotland and I have to frequently ask him to repeat something in a way I can understand.
> 
> And he's been living here for many years now.



Yes but like Americans and all other countries it depends on which part of Scotland he comes from John. I am Scottish born and raised in a city in which has a very harsh and hard to understand accent..but I was raised in the West in quite an upmarket  area  where the accent was and is less slang related and with a  softer dialect than the rest of the city ..similar I would imagine to the different accents in New York for example ..some are much more slang orientated and harsher than other parts! No-one has trouble understanding me anywhere in the world..yet many people raised in the east or south side of the city have trouble being understood. 

Further north in Scotland there are accents even I as a Scot struggle sometimes to understand!!.. There's quite a diverse range of accents for such a tiny country in Scotland alone...never mind the whole of the UK


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## QuickSilver (Oct 16, 2015)

I like the Scottish accent the best...  the Irish brogue a close 2nd..    Not particularly fond of the accent of the British Royals.. whatever that one is called.   

In the States...  I really do prefer MY accent...  Solid Midwest.   then I suppose the Southern accent.... I really have a hard time with the Boston/New England accents..  Please learn to say your "R's"   lol!!     Just kidding..


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## hollydolly (Oct 16, 2015)

RadishRose said:


> But then, there is Antonio Banderas with his Spanish accent; so sexy.



I am so used to the Spanish accent now Rose having lived there for so many years.. ..I don't even notice it..


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## QuickSilver (Oct 16, 2015)

The Italian accent beats Spanish any day.. IMO..


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## tnthomas (Oct 16, 2015)

I like American Southern accents, mainly North/South Carolina and Georgia, which are the areas most of my East Coast relatives reside .

My wife's birth family members live in PA., VT and NH; I find myself picking up that fairly lightweight accent, while visiting.


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## Linda (Oct 16, 2015)

I like all accents.  My neighbor for 7 or 8 years was from England and I really loved to listen to her.   I hear Spanish all the time here where I live.  The closest town to me is 11 miles away and it's a small farming town 98% Spanish speaking.  My youngest son tells me all Spanish is not the same.  But he manages to communicate well with any of them.  His 2nd wife was from the Dominiquin Republic and I could understand her accent pretty well.  She had been here about 6 years.  His 3rd wife is from the Philippines and I'd have to go in the other room to look up where I wrote down what she speaks.  I think it starts with a T. I have a harder time understanding her but he told me she understands what we say better than his 2nd wife did.  I love them both.  The one from DR was the best cook ever and really beautiful and sweet.  The newest one is sweet, loving and helpful.  I don't know if she's a good cook but whenever we visit she takes us to a nice restaurant so that's OK too.   I have another daughter-in-law who is Swedish and oddly enough she speaks English almost perfectly with no accent.  Our son, who has lived over there for about 30 years sometimes forgets what the American word is for this or that and it takes him awhile to think of it.  That makes me feel very sad.


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## jujube (Oct 16, 2015)

It's so hard to say what an American accent actually is.  

Is it "pahk your cah in Hahvahd Yahd"?  

Is it "fuggedaboudit"?  

Is it "waal, bless yoah sweet lil heart, darlin'"?  

Is it "I'm gone warsh the car terday"?

Do the words "elm" and "film" have one syllable or two?

Is the "ou" in house, couch and mouse pronounced like a cross between oo, ew and ow?

Valley Girl?  Fargo-ese?  Drawled Texan?  

Really.....what IS an American accent?


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## fureverywhere (Oct 16, 2015)

See Glasgow and I think of the late Alex Harvey...much stage patter that to American ears sounds like Oot lorry n' das dingo...we luv you. At work my favorite is Jamaican and surrounding islands. One gentleman I work with often, has Creole as a first language...my French is laughable so I sort of read his lips. Aussie will win my heart no matter the source.

Not dissing Scotland...if you ever heard me at work..." Heyhowyadoin'?KinIhelpyaohyeah rightovahheahyeahnahtheycomeinginourmousoryakintrythesizeovahheah" Got that? Broken down-I'm happy to help the customer and they are looking for a bug spray. The great big size is on one shelf then the smaller ones are right above the big bottles.


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## Ameriscot (Oct 17, 2015)

I like a Scottish accent that is not a thick Glasgwegian or a thick Edinburgh (not a Sean Connery one).  My husband was raised in Glasgow but he says his accent was never thick. He hasn't lived in Glasgow since he was 19 and he also spent 18 years in London, so I find his accent very soft.  My relatives understand him although some that he doesn't spend much time with like nieces and nephews and their spouses have a bit of trouble understanding him sometimes. But I think often it's the word he used, not the accent.  It took me a while to get attuned the accent around where I live but I have no problem now unless I run into a Glasgwegian who sounds like they are speaking at 100 mph.

I love the southern Ireland accents and find the Northern Irish one a bit annoying.  

As for the US, on our recent trip I really enjoyed listening to the Massachusetts accents of the tour guides, etc. 

I recently discovered I like a Geordie accent like the young guy in this clip of the series George Gently:

I can't find a clip of the actor Lee Ingleby speaking so had to link an entire episode.  Good show though.






And I love the highland accent of this character in the series Outlander: a wee bit of Gaelic, oh and some nudity in the last two minutes






Here's a clip demonstrating different Scottish accents:


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## Ameriscot (Oct 17, 2015)

A clip of a woman doing a fair imitation of 17 accents from the UK.  She missed out on a lot of the Scottish ones.


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## Ameriscot (Oct 17, 2015)

How to do a general Scottish accent:


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## hollydolly (Oct 17, 2015)

That lady voice coach in the video  has the different Scottish accents down pat  perfectly...

As for Geordie Annie...similar to Glasgow...the majority of Geordie is quite strong, like in this clip with Jimmy Nail..usually if it's a soft version they're from further North like Northumberland or a little further south


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## boozercruiser (Oct 17, 2015)

RadishRose said:


> Reminds me; once a few of us girls went out to dinner. Our waiter had a very heavy French accent and we all fell in love with him immediately!




That reminds me of a chat up line a lovely lady once used on me, and it gave me something to remember always.

I come from Liverpool, and of course we Liverpool people have a Scouse Accent 
(Think Beatles).

I was in a pub (bar) one evening, and the lady said to me (This is True)...

'Ooohhh, you look nice, and I just LOVE your Scouse accent.
I could just lay there and listen to it all night!
So make my day'!

I thought that was really lovely, so I granted her that wish!


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## hollydolly (Oct 17, 2015)

OMG I couldn't believe when she said she was  19 ..I thought she was about 10 years old.. mg1:


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## boozercruiser (Oct 17, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> OMG I couldn't believe when she said she was  19 ..I thought she was about 10 years old.. mg1:



We grow up fast in Liverpool Hollidolly! layful:

Beware...
Some bad language in this...


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## hollydolly (Oct 17, 2015)

Not that little girl BC...she's verrrry young for her age!!


Have to say...the scouse (liverpool)  and the brummy accent (Birmingham) in England are the accents I dislike most. The Glaswegian ( my home city) and the Dundonian (Dundee) accent ( my mothers' city are the ones I dislike most in Scotland...the Belfast accent in Northern Ireland...and the Swansea accent in Wales...errrk!!

I have a really good ear for accents...and I love most people's dialects but those all grate on my nerves..including my own home city LOL 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...ts-worse-than-staying-silent-study-shows.html


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## Mike (Oct 17, 2015)

I have a strong Scottish accent of no particular area,
I have smoothed the rough edges in order to be understood
as I have lived out of Scotland for a very long time, yet,
when I am in Scotland I am called an English man!

In the early days of the telephone, when you had to call an
operator to connect your call, it was rumoured that anybody
with an accent from Inverness or its surrounding area were
paid more than those from anywhere else in the UK because
they had the best accent that could be understood in all
areas of the UK. I don't know if this is true though.

Mike.


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## hollydolly (Oct 17, 2015)

Exactly the same as me Mike...Scottish born and raised but lived in england  with a few sojourns living in other countries..Germany Italy and Spain...for the best part of 40 years, no-one here in England believes I'm Scottish when  I tell them, and in Scotland when I visit everyone thinks I'm English..!! (that's a bit sad)..because I do love my own home country accent overall.. 

Funny thing tho' is if I hear myself on playback..the Scottish accent to me is very clear..although very soft...but no-one else can hear it!!


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## Ameriscot (Oct 17, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> That lady voice coach in the video  has the different Scottish accents down pat  perfectly...
> 
> As for Geordie Annie...similar to Glasgow...the majority of Geordie is quite strong, like in this clip with Jimmy Nail..usually if it's a soft version they're from further North like Northumberland or a little further south



So this clip is Newcastle only, which is distinct from the accents nearby right?  This doesn't sound like the guy who plays in George Gently - the young one - Lee Ingleby (who is actually from Lancashire).  Are you familiar with his accent in the programme?  That's the one I like.


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## Ameriscot (Oct 17, 2015)

boozercruiser said:


> That reminds me of a chat up line a lovely lady once used on me, and it gave me something to remember always.
> 
> I come from Liverpool, and of course we Liverpool people have a Scouse Accent
> (Think Beatles).
> ...



I like that accent.


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## hollydolly (Oct 17, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> So this clip is Newcastle only, which is distinct from the accents nearby right?  This doesn't sound like the guy who plays in George Gently - the young one - Lee Ingleby (who is actually from Lancashire).  Are you familiar with his accent in the programme?  That's the one I like.



This one is Jimmy Nail..who speaks with a strong  Geordie accent ...not the guy who you're talking about who is in george gently...this clip I posted was from Auf Wierdersehen pet  which starred a couple of Geordie actors with broads Newcastle accents! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auf_Wiedersehen,_Pet


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## Ameriscot (Oct 17, 2015)

Apparently younger Scots are not rolling their 'r's any more.  My dh still rolls his 'r's.  

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...s-drop-their-rs-say-researchers-10399661.html

After 15 years I still can't do the guttural 'ch' like in loch or Arrochar.


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## Ameriscot (Oct 17, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> This one is Jimmy Nail..who speaks with a strong  Geordie accent ...not the guy who you're talking about who is in george gently...this clip I posted was from Auf Wierdersehen pet  which starred a couple of Geordie actors with broads Newcastle accents! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auf_Wiedersehen,_Pet



No, I meant the accent wasn't the same as the one I posted which I thought was Geordie.  Is the guy in Gently speaking with a Geordie or other accent?


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## hollydolly (Oct 17, 2015)

Yes ..although not a genuine Geordie accent, a good imitation..


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## Ameriscot (Oct 17, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> Yes ..although not a genuine Geordie accent, a good imitation..



I enjoy listening to him.  Which reminds, it's time to catch up on the series....


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## RadishRose (Oct 17, 2015)

Tharrrr's a moose loose in the hoose!


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## hollydolly (Oct 17, 2015)

Thar would be a Northern English word Rose.. not Scottish...  but good try..better than I'd be able to do with any American dialect.. 

In  the highlands of Scotland   that phrase would be said Thaurs a moose loose aboot this hoose (in Glasgow and the lowlands  they would say ''rerrs' a moose loose aboot etc.. if they're speaking in dialect.)..otherwise we'd usually  say _There's_ a moose loose aboot this hoose  etc..


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## hollydolly (Oct 17, 2015)

Here's a hole list (not definitive) of English- Scottish words and phrases...

Bear in mind tho' that not all scots speak in dialect...nor do all of those phrases or words apply all over Scotland...some  of these phrases and words are from the lowlands only..some from the east or  west coast..and some from waaaay up north in the highlands


http://www.linguanaut.com/english_scots.htm


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## Ameriscot (Oct 17, 2015)

Good site, Holly.  Here's the Lallans/Lowlands Scots site:  http://www.lallans.co.uk/


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## RadishRose (Oct 17, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> Thar would be a Northern English word Rose.. not Scottish...  but good try..better than I'd be able to do with any American dialect..
> 
> In  the highlands of Scotland   that phrase would be said Thaurs a moose loose aboot this hoose (in Glasgow and the lowlands  they would say ''rerrs' a moose loose aboot etc.. if they're speaking in dialect.)..otherwise we'd usually  say _There's_ a moose loose aboot this hoose  etc..



Now I know all aboot it!


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## hollydolly (Oct 17, 2015)

In Edinburgh and the East Coast ..that would be pronounced... ''noo ah ken aw aboot it ''


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## RadishRose (Oct 17, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> In Edinburgh and the East Coast ..that would be pronounced... ''noo ah ken aw aboot it ''



 Okay....


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## hollydolly (Oct 17, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> Apparently younger Scots are not rolling their 'r's any more.  My dh still rolls his 'r's.
> 
> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...s-drop-their-rs-say-researchers-10399661.html
> 
> *After 15 years I still can't do the guttural 'ch' like in loch or Arrochar.*



Really?...I'm surprised after so long. I have to say when people say Lock (instead of loch') it irritates the hell out of me...but if you can't say it , then you can't..I know you would have tried hard . You wouldn't be a lot of good with Spanish either then..


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## hollydolly (Oct 17, 2015)

RadishRose said:


> Okay....



Och Aye.. :wiggle:


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## hollydolly (Oct 17, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> Good site, Holly.  Here's the Lallans/Lowlands Scots site:  http://www.lallans.co.uk/




oooh that's a lovely site, I've read that right the way  through it was a joy to read!! My o/h was looking at me cross eyed when I read some out to him...and I could see him thinking what sort of foreign keich is she talkin' _now_''?


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## boozercruiser (Oct 17, 2015)

RadishRose said:


> Now I know all aboot it!




Oooohhhh Aaaayyyy RR.
I have always loved that record.
When I was a little bitty baby, I remember seeing the LR Eleven playing that Live on Oh! Boy !
Lubbly Jubbly!


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## Ameriscot (Oct 17, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> Really?...I'm surprised after so long. I have to say when people say Lock (instead of loch') it irritates the hell out of me...but if you can't say it , then you can't..I know you would have tried hard . You wouldn't be a lot of good with Spanish either then..



Aye. I try to say it correctly although my throat is not used to making that sound.  I don't say lock though just a bad loch.  No I wouldn't do well with Spanish or German.  Oh well. No plans on learning either, just French.


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## Ameriscot (Oct 17, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> oooh that's a lovely site, I've read that right the way  through it was a joy to read!! My o/h was looking at me cross eyed when I read some out to him...and I could see him thinking what sort of foreign keich is she talkin' _now_''?



My hubby can say it or read it easily, nae bother.  But me.  Nope. Just a word here and there.


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## DennisK (Oct 19, 2015)

I had an aortic aneurysm in 2005, and my nurse was from New Zealand.  I would have been content to just listen to her talk all day – wouldn't even matter if I comprehended what she would have been saying.


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## fishfulthinking (Oct 19, 2015)

I would have to say for me, Jamaican.  Just a very easy to listen to accent.


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## Cookie (Oct 19, 2015)

I've got to agree with you fishful, I love the Jamaican and Caribbean Island accent too.  So sweet and melodic.


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## Linda (Oct 19, 2015)

fishfulthinking said:


> I would have to say for me, Jamaican.  Just a very easy to listen to accent.




I used to love listening to that lady we thought was from Jamaica, Miss Cleo.  She was a psychic, till she got in trouble and then I think they claimed she was born and raised in New York.  I had a 30 minute VHS tape of hers many years ago and I enjoyed listening to her accent as she'd read the tarot cards and supposedly teach one how to tell people's fortunes.  Her commercials were all over late night TV for a long time.


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## Ameriscot (Oct 19, 2015)

I also like the Jamaican, NZ, and South African accents.


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