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Original poster

Will my children lose their accent

56 replies

PeaceInThis · 28/12/2022 20:42

Moving to Glasgow with my 2 children who are 8 and 4. They currently speak with southern English accents. Will their accents stay the same or change? I'm not bothered either way really but fun to know other people's thoughts/experiences :-)

OP posts:
Seymour5 · 17/09/2023 09:29

PuttingDownRoots · 28/12/2022 20:50

My mother is Scottish by birth but lived in England for 40 years now. She sounds Scottish to English people and English to Scottish people.

That could be me! 2/3 of my life in England, but my accent still lingers. DH moved to Scotland as a child, learnt the accent quickly. Mainly to stop getting bullied and hit! Rough area, once he moved to a different school it was ok.

His Scots accent went quite quickly after we moved, although he can still switch.

SspDp · 17/09/2023 09:41

Thanks everyone, you are all lovely in putting my heart and mind at ease. Yes indeed, children are resilient and adapt. We are the “go with the flow” family and would love to learn and adapt along with the kids. Glasgow is indeed a beautiful city and love the mix of green spaces and the buildings! Not like The Birmingham city definitely, although work wise Birmingham was our hub. Taking this big shift for the children to grow up and experience the best of both. I grew up in the between of a village and city . Fondest memories being running with the calves, lambs and chickens, feeding them etc. There wasn’t a concept of having best friends as we were a lot of humans and animals around. Just living the life. I do miss that life for my kids, being said you don’t find it now anymore. At least they get to go for walks, cycle in the open green and get that countryside feel! Fingers crossed for our big shift!

shivawn · 17/09/2023 10:04

I moved to Ireland from London when I was 8. People have a hard time guessing where I'm from, sometimes people pick up on the hint of English but mostly I'm told I have a very neutral accent.

Puffypuffin · 17/09/2023 10:06

PeaceInThis · 28/12/2022 20:42

Moving to Glasgow with my 2 children who are 8 and 4. They currently speak with southern English accents. Will their accents stay the same or change? I'm not bothered either way really but fun to know other people's thoughts/experiences :-)

The youngest will most likely lose theirs and the oldest may retain a 'twang' but prob lose most of it.

AngeloMysterioso · 17/09/2023 10:16

I moved from the south east to stoke when I was 10 and kept my accent. My brother was 13 and he lost his.

MissDollyMix · 17/09/2023 10:19

I think it depends (to an extent) on how introverted or extroverted your DC are. A lot is down to the accent your parents speak with at home. My eldest is a teenager, born and bred in Yorkshire but speaks with the same southern English accent his father has. DC2 is the more outgoing and sociable one and has a more pronounced regional accent (but it’s still quite gentle) I am one of those people who’s accent changes according to who I’m speaking to! I try really hard not to but I end up mirroring accents - chatting to my friend from Newcastle I sound like a Geordie, chatting to my Glaswegian family I sound like a proper Wegie, when I’m in London I go all cockney etc. It’s slightly embarrassing!

Nevermind31 · 17/09/2023 10:22

It usually depends on the age when children move. The younger they are the less they are set in their language.

AngeloMysterioso · 17/09/2023 13:21

AngeloMysterioso · 17/09/2023 10:16

I moved from the south east to stoke when I was 10 and kept my accent. My brother was 13 and he lost his.

That being said, I have this “thing” where my accent changes quite a lot depending on where I am and who I’m with. It’s not a conscious thing, it just happens. If I’m with my Dad’s family a few hours I start sounding like I’m from the Irish backwater (like they are) and if I watch a few episodes of Downton I sound extremely posh! My resting accent is generic RP/Home Counties. I did pick up the Stoke twang for a little while but it didn’t last very long.

expat3 · 22/04/2024 20:18

Hi ,
My son will turn 5 in October and currently we are posted in Delhi. we might move to Singapore for three - four years. My worry is will he pick up the Singlish accent in coming years. I know people there don't use complete sentences and lot of times not even use TH sound ... although we will be sending him to British /IB school .. but these schools have dual language system and have one mandarin teacher in the class almost whole day. Mandarin is a plus of course. But not sure about my child's accent .. what it's going to be like after 3-4 years

Any similar expat experiences

Please share views.

LutonBeds · 22/04/2024 20:20

My friend has lived in the US for 20-ish years (were mid-40s). She has a US accent but the odd word still slips out in our regional accent (NW).

Kitkat1523 · 22/04/2024 20:23

We moved north from south coast when mine were 6.5 and 8.5 years…..at 32 and 30 both sound like they were born in the northern town we live in ….took about 3 years to completely lose their southern accent

feelingalittlehorse · 22/04/2024 20:24

Moved from Glasgow to the north west when I was 3 and my sibling was 1. I spoke with a strong Scottish accent until mid primary school and then it sort of phased out. Now have strong local accent, sibling has always had strong local accent.

Parents both have Glaswegian accents, no change.

RubyWinehouse · 22/04/2024 20:29

My son was 7 when we moved, he never lost his cockney/Essex accent. My friend and her daughter moved from the same area to the north, her daughter was 11 or 12 and lost her accent within a year.

Implosion85 · 22/04/2024 20:38

Interesting. We are moving to Wales from Southern England and not sure if the kids will gain a Welsh accent or not. They're 9 and 10.

ThisNoisyTealLurker · 22/04/2024 22:23

my kids and I moved from the south to Yorkshire (where I’m from) about 8 years ago. They’re now 18 and 13 and STILL have quite southern accents. I was hoping they’d get a bit northern but no! They still sound quite posh and there’s no sign of it changing!

MargaretThursday · 22/04/2024 22:32

It depends.
My parents are from midlands. They've lived up North for 50 years. They still don't sound northern.
I decided to change my accent to fit in when I went to secondary. So I gained a northern accent, but my siblings didn't.
I now live down south, and sound mostly southern, but do occasionally get asked where I'm from. When I go back up north, I pick up the accent, as does one of my dc, although we lose it again quickly.
My siblings have stayed up North and still have not a trace of a northern accent. One of them has dc who sound far more southern than my dc, terribly posh at times. The other children have a slight northern accent.

justasoul · 22/04/2024 22:41

Implosion85 · 22/04/2024 20:38

Interesting. We are moving to Wales from Southern England and not sure if the kids will gain a Welsh accent or not. They're 9 and 10.

DD was 8 when made the same move, she’s 15 now and still has a Home Counties accent, though she can put on a cracking Welsh accent when she wants to Grin

hangingonfordearlife1 · 22/04/2024 22:51

i moved away from home at 18 am
now 40 and still have a black country accent. My girls when speaking english also speak black country but never actually lived there and have grown up in middle east where everyone's english accent is american.

Seymour5 · 23/04/2024 07:54

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Mymiddlenameiscynic · 23/04/2024 08:35

Being brought up in the military I moved every couple of years, my accent changed - as did certain words and phrases - so I would fit in.

Now in my 60s and having lived in the same area for 40 odd years I have a mild twang of the local accent, but really have a generic accent.

LoreleiG · 23/04/2024 08:43

AngeloMysterioso · 17/09/2023 13:21

That being said, I have this “thing” where my accent changes quite a lot depending on where I am and who I’m with. It’s not a conscious thing, it just happens. If I’m with my Dad’s family a few hours I start sounding like I’m from the Irish backwater (like they are) and if I watch a few episodes of Downton I sound extremely posh! My resting accent is generic RP/Home Counties. I did pick up the Stoke twang for a little while but it didn’t last very long.

Show quote history

Same 😂 I have picked up accents from whereever I have moved eg for Uni for work or even friends I hung around with a lot. I picked up accents on holiday in Wales as a child. I think it depends on the child though. My friend moved to the UK from Canada with two young children and they still sounded Canadian four years later. My parents were not from where I grew up so I never had a strong local accent which may have made me more prone to being an accent chameleon.

mjf981 · 23/04/2024 08:48

I think the cut off is around the age of 10. Younger - will likely lose it. Older - will likely retain it.

NOTANUM · 23/04/2024 08:53

10 is supposed to be the theoretical cusp moment so it’s borderline between 8-12 according to article I once read.

Wolfpa · 23/04/2024 08:57

I would expect them to gain a Scottish accent I would also expect your accent to change maybe not as much as theirs. I moved from the north of England to the east in my 20s and I no longer sound like my family.

Janetime · 23/04/2024 08:58

The 4 year old will have a Glaswegian accent, the 8 year olds accent will change, but not as much.