AIBU to ask how "well" you speak?

[buggerthebotox]

Saw and article in the Mail (sorry!!) about "declining standards of spoken English" and I am wondering how you all speak and whether you consider yourselves to be "well spoken"?

Not me! I'm a Northerner living in East Anglia, married to an uber-poshly spoken man from an uber-posh family.

My Northern relatives tell me I speak like a "southerner" and my local colleagues take the mickey out of my accent too!

I write the Queens English, but am very aware I don't speak it.

Oh i'm a right scruffy old slothbag, but am able to string a sentence together and dare I say it, quite well spoken.

I speak naicely, the DDs speak fairly naicely, my parents are rather RP. It's sort of getting watered down IMO. The DDs are ever so slightly picking up the local accent, which is a lovely, gentle rural accent.

I'm happy about that.

I speak reasonably well. I am not british though.

I thinknu speak well. No double negatives or 'ain'ts'.

Terrible! When I hear DD say wa'er instead of waTer - I cringe and know its my fault. DH hates it too as he speaks English as a second language. Have to just keep correcting her...

Its a good question, Bugger. When on the radio I tend to speak in proper sentences. Some would say a bit posher than normal. (But I am hardly an establishment geezer.) Not as posh as Gabby Logan, but similar to Richard Bacon who like me is a Midlkander. Accents still carry a lot of weight in England... too much really. It is content of speeachhich matters

Reasonably well I suppose...with some lapses

I speak well good

I jest....am a Londoner so speak like all speak in the Saaaarf

I have an Irish accent so when I utter my first sentence to someone they're always a bit as I speak far too fast and I don't think they expect the country bumpkinness Also I have about 400,000 sayings that no one understands, I say yo-gurt instead of yog -urt, my "t" sounds like "sh", my "th" sounds like "t" and I have an extremely flat "a." So, basically about as far from RP as you can get!

That said, my grammar is impeccable and I use a lot of long words that amuse people greatly. I'm told that my accent is lovely so I don't worry too much.

I speak well but with a broad northern accent.

I;m a cockney, moved to Hampshire. I can speak well when it suits, but I don't generally put on heirs and graces.

scousy - the article's journalist was making a point about Dave and SamCam's use of Estuary English in what he saw as a deliberate attempt to "dumb down", and to therefore be seen as more accessible. I love to hear a "posh" voice on the radio - think Ed Stourton - but I don't think that you have to be "posh" to be well-spoken. I also love to hear:

John Humphrys
Huw Edwards

I hate to hear:

Jamie Oliver
Jonathan Ross etc.

I adjust my speech to the person - work in sw so deal with folks from all walks of life and try to make people comfortable by speaking 'their language' if that makes sense. I speak well, albeit with a Scottish accent. DD says I am posh - she is 3, so is currently experimenting

I'm always shocked when I hear a recording of my voice because the voice on the tape sounds like Bianca Butcher, but huskier! I know I have a common sounding accent, but I didn't think it sounded that bad!

I think I have well spoken English most of the time, but have noticed that when around people with particular accents and dialects (Aussies/Kiwis/Saffas mainly, though Northerners too) I will pick up the dialects and accents very quickly, it drives my parents mad as I come home with a different accent/dialect every couple of months

Though I've always been happy of the fact that I've never spoken like my peers at school (proper Essex accents and dialect!) I was considered the 'posh' one!

Impeccable grammar - usually; but a definite northern accent.

It depends on who I'm with. Generally day to day, I'm fairly well spoken with a hint of scouse. When I go back to the Wirral, the scouse comes out more. When i visit DH's family, I speak with no accent.

I speak excellent English, but much better Glaswegian.

I am perfectly capable of speaking 'Queen's English'- and usually write in it (I slack a bit on MN and via text) - but i am a proper Lodnoner and certainly don't speak it

More fool anyone who thinks because I am a cockney I am thick.

I'm a brummie and speak with an accent.

I still speak the queens English though :)

I am quite well-spoken for the area I come from, but compared to Southerners I sound like a veloceraptor on speed.

I speak fairly well and have been accused of having a "cut glass"??? accent by some of the locals here (south west) However I've also had people ask me if I'm from Australia! I did watch a lot of Australian soaps while growing up but I'm pretty certain I don't sound Australian!