To be ashamed of my brummie accent?

[Ionlylikeitwhenitrains]

I hate it. It makes me sound like a droning thicko and I'm not !

Well, not a thicko. I'm definitely a droner.

[picnicbasketcase]

I like the Birmingham accent. I don't know what to suggest if you hate it though. Elocution lessons?

[lovebunny]

not at all. get some 'speech and drama' lessons. elocution.

[LadyMaryCreepyCrawley]

You are who you are, don't be ashamed of this. It helps if you speak slowly and clearly (I'm a Brum) A Birmingham accent doesn't make you sound 'thick' at all.

[TomsBentPinky]

My Manc accent is very strong, like an extra from Shameless.

But I quite like it, though I do conciously try to reign it in when I'm with someone not from Manchester!

[PuppyMonkey]

Yabu

[SoleSource]

Yabu I am a Brummie albeit a softish accented one. The Brummie accent is always wrongly mimicked.

[LFCisTarkaDahl]

There's no point in being ashamed, your accent is really naturally funny and entertaining to me.

I'm a scot and I do sound abrupt and a bit dour (also very forthright) - I try to tone it down at work by speaking softer and slower, see if that helps.

[MrsMiniversCharlady]

Weelll, it depends. My dh is from Birmingham (although you probably couldn't tell now as he's pretty much lost it, except when with his family!) His mum and dad's accents are very, very strong and I find my MIL almost impossible to understand a fair bit of the time His brother and sister have much more 'normal' Brummie accents and they're absolutely fine

[Iamsparklyknickers]

I'm from brum too, I don't mind having a hint of an accent but like you would rather not sound full on Black Country. I sometimes hear people on the tv and cringe - sorry but even after living here all my life I still think the broader versions of the accent are difficult to carry off.

I would rather sound like cat dealey (and have the same dress size!) than adrian chiles.

If it bothers you, you can work on it. If you can work through the numbers 5-9 and iron out the 'foive' and 'noine' sounds it carries over to other words which will help your accent sound less broad.

[Bilbobagginstummy]

Move somewhere whose accent you like and adopt it?

Not necessary to move, of course, just makes the adoption easier.

[Bue]

Ah, it's not so bad OP! It's only the thickest versions which are really not palatable. When I moved to the Midlands I had some carpet fitters come from west of Brum. Had to ask them to repeat everything three times. Honestly had no idea it was possible to speak like that. (I am not from the UK.)

Then last year at the Bullring:

Non-Brummie man in front of me at Debenhams: Have you got this in a small?
Woman behind till: It's not in stock but it's aviiiiiiiiiiiiilable ter oirduuuuuuur.
Man: ... Sorry?
Me:

One of the proudest moments of my life

[Iamsparklyknickers]

Bue, dp's sil is from Ireland and had been over to Birmingham a few times over the years but never had reason to venture over to merry hill (shopping complex in Dudley).

She point blank refused to believe that people spoke like that and it was all one big prank . Although I have to say it's a bit of a cheek considering she's from western Ireland and some of those accents are so thick it's like listening to someone talking through a sock - I can't catch a bloody word and end up just nodding and smiling dumbly.

[redexpat]

I rather like a Brummie accent. It always sounds quite gentle.

[musicmadness]

I've got a black country accent, I quite like it :) It's not that strong though so I can translate full on black country or Brummie for other people who can't understand .

[Fluffycloudland77]

Im from Sutton, I spoke posh till I met dh whose mum has vestiges if brummy now people say " your from brum aren't you?".

It's what you say not how you say it.

I used to like being called bab. No

[Fluffycloudland77]

One says bab round here

[MsAverage]

I do not distinguish dialects and accents in English (well, I do not hear any difference between "sheet" and "shit", that amuses my British BF enormously), but just have to tell you that everything is possible, provided loads of very boring work applied. Something like you try to control one sound for a week, pronouncing it in a desirable way all the time. Then another sound and another. I am dreading even thinking about that.

[GhostShip]

I absolutely hate the brummie accent, but i'm a wiganer so can't call anyone! Dont worry about it, as long as what you're saying isn't thick

[AlwaysBizzy]

Hasn't done Cat Deeley any harm

[midseasonsale]

I love a good brummie accent

[Sneepy]

DH is brum but has lived in London so long he's lost it. But I think it always sounds so friendly! He comes from a very cheerful family, maybe that's why.

[Somebodysomewhere]

I hated mine. Thick black country. Took me years to loose it. People cant tell where im from now thank god.

[Convert]

I'm a bit brummie but having moved around a lot it has been softened out a little. I do call DH bab though. I don't ever feel like I should be ashamed of where I am from or how I speak, if people want to judge me on something so petty then fuck them.
I don't really give a toss what other people think, maybe that and your self confidence would be a better thing to work on, rather than worrying about your accent.

[Convert]

Hi fluffy, are you alright bab?

[oldraver]

I love the Brummie accent