I grew up with a thick Australian accent with a drawl I dislike, and have been consciously trying to change it for a while. The problem is I tried to make it sound more American at first but keep getting drawn to speaking “Britishly”. Now it’s a Frankenstein of all 3 accents and I don’t know what to go with.
Some points for both:
▪︎ American accent sounds “cooler”
▪︎ British accent sounds more “proper and elegant”
- Australian accent sounds more “relaxed” (but I dislike this for myself, personally).
You could try a transatlantic accent!
No serious linguist would advise you to change your accent like this. It’s artificial and unlikely to succeed entirely, as you’ve noticed - accents are a reflexive, instinctive thing, difficult to rewire. The characteristics of the accents you mention (what you’re referring to are probably General American accent and British “Received Pronunciation”, which are far from univesal American or British accents) are shaped purely by (pop) culture. That includes the judgment on how good an accent sounds. Is it really a coincidence that the British royalty uses an accent that sounds “elegant”?
You don’t appear to have any external reason to change your accent. If you live in Australia and talk with Australians, why would you want to sound like a non-Australian? Why do you want to sound non-relaxed?
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There are a lot of different British and American accents, depending on which part of the country they’re from. Some sound much better than others. I don’t know much about Australian accents. Is there just one, or many different ones depending on their location?
I remember trying to watch Mad Max a long time ago. I didn’t make it very far in the movie because I couldn’t understand what they were saying most of the time. I find most American and British accents easier to understand, although there are a few that are harder.
It feels a bit like OP thinks all Brits sound like the inbred upper class fox hunters we see on tv. They have so many accents and variants of which many are far from elegant and proper.
I’ve worked as a professional actor (alongside other things) and I learned how to diagram an accent in drama school using IPA, and then matched up with a bunch of other voice paradigms - Rodenberg, Berry, Linklater…
I know a few people who changed their accents in their lives, and some who only change it for roles.
I’m British, but live in America. If I audition for an American role, I speak with the appropriate accent (usually GenAm) in all communications until I’m cast, but I don’t change my every day voice to talk to my wife or whatever, because it’s just a job and I’m me and everyone knows me as me.
My rural upbringing is a strength, my culture makes me feel unique. So many people (especially white people) have trouble feeling like they have a shared history to celebrate that’s not problematic. Knowing I have the Straw Bear, the Green Man, Hereward the Wake, Boudica and the Iceni - even Morris and Maypole dancing - in my childhood rituals makes me feel less homesick. And my accent is unique, being between the East Midlands and London commuter belt. I can round it out to RP when I need to but it’s also part of me.
I like the New Zealander accent, myself.
Trans Atlantic accent or contemporary American accent? I think accents are really cute. My heart melts slightly when my SO’s family speaks because they have a pronounced Canadian accent.
Australian accents are my all-time favorite though. Cheerful, relaxed, lovely. :)
It’s relatively infrequent, every once in awhile, I’ll hear certain pronunciations in American southern accents or Australian accents that reveals age-old British accent roots. It’s rather interesting.
I met this dude who could speak fluent Spanish with a thick Scottish accent. It was the funniest thing.
I think to have this settled once and for all: The German accent is the best of them all.
Yes of course we are ze best at everysing
Girls speaking German are rarely sexy sounding, although better than Portuguese.
Man I recently met a beautiful Tanzanian woman who had an amazingly beautiful accent when she spoke English. It sounded regal and dignified. I had a huge crush. Kenyan accents are great too. I think we focus too much on western accents
I agree that African accents can be awesome. I’m pretty ignorant of regional accent or if they are more of a national accent but growing up I had a buddy from Zimbabwe who’s parents had an amazing accent when speaking English.
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Germans.
I’m liking the Belgian accent these days.
Laughs in Appalachian American
https://youtu.be/03iwAY4KlIU?si=zGGq9lnFc2pSDgqY
I’m pretty sure you’re specifically intending the mimic the generic corporate/West Coast/Midwestern non-accent American accents. That’s like the way Americans talk on purpose when they want to avoid social judgment from other Americans. The way we talk when home with our families is rarely that.
They both suck, try Scottish or Irish. They are the shit.
Maybe I’m biased because I have a Kiwi accent, but I choose American.
I love Kiwi accents. What’s your favorite American accent?
Western. It almost feels cinematic. British accents just sound like someone is trying to speak tightly.
I thought being in America long enough would change my accent, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
I’ve been raising my kid in England since about 3 years old and he sounds more American than me.
I think my favorite Anglophone accent might be the Canadian ones in Letterkenny. Distinctive but subtle.
Just throwing out a random opinion that doesn’t mean much but…I’m an American and I actually find the Australian accent to be the sexiest of all native English-speaking areas. I’m just some random on the Internet but yeah.
I’m from the US and honestly I find just about any accent that different from mine really sexy. Aside from a few standouts. I’m not a fan of the Liverpool accent, whatever that’s called.
Aussies this is our chance
;)
Oi cant
Actually, i fancy the Irish accent the most
The answer is of course that neither is better really. As a Brit, there are plenty of British and American accents that I find annoying or unpleasant to listen to, but that’s all subjective. Just go with whatever you want, and remember that any native speaker’s accent is valid.
