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Cunning linguists
Original poster

Has your accent changed?

53 replies

MardyBra · 18/02/2015 11:43

I grew up with a fairly strong regional accent. I went to university in my own region but it faded there, mainly because I was mixing with students from another region. Eventually in my twenties I ended up working in London with an accent that was all over the place ( short and long As galore) before returning to my home region with RP with a hint of my original accent.

Hope that makes sense. (I try not to give locational details to keep anonymity).

None of this was ever conscious. Just wondered how others' speech has evolved.

OP posts:
threepiecesuite · 18/02/2015 11:47

Yes, my scouse accent has diminished although it comes back with a vengeance when I'm halfway down the M62 Grin

My dd doesn't speak like me and I'm a little sad about that but I do like her accent.

CliveCussler · 18/02/2015 11:50

I also grew up in Liverpool. Then moved (25 yrs ago) to Yorkshire.

The people I know here in Yorkshire say I have a scouse accent, but when I go home, my family say I have a Yorkshire accent.

Interestingly, 1 of my children has developed elements of a Liverpool twang while the other doesn't appear to have any accent whatsoever.

Original poster
MardyBra · 18/02/2015 11:51

I heard dd talking with some of her (private school) friends the other day. She sounded well posh. Wink

OP posts:
funnyossity · 18/02/2015 11:53

Yes but even speaking about home brings it to the fore again!

Notrevealingmyidentity · 18/02/2015 11:53

Oh god yes. I come from somewhere with a very strong (hideous) regional accent but moved down South in my teens. Thankfully I've lost the accent entirely now, no longer sound like I'm thick (IMO) and people can actually understand me.

INeedSomeHelp · 18/02/2015 11:53

I'm from the North of Scotland but moved to the Central Belt about 20 odd years ago. I definitely still sound Scottish but have lost my specific accent.
People from my home area can still pick up on it though - there are certain words that seem to bring it out.

funnyossity · 18/02/2015 11:56

Like your use of "people" Notrevealing! Grin

SconeRhymesWithGone · 18/02/2015 11:57

Mine has. I grew up in Georgia (the one in the US). I have lived in other places most of my adult life; I still have a Georgia accent (there are many different Southern accents) but it is considerably milder than the accents of friends and family who stayed close to home.

Original poster
MardyBra · 18/02/2015 11:59

I'm guessing Brummy or West Country NotRevealing

OP posts:
holmessweetholmes · 18/02/2015 12:01

I'm from the SE but my accent has varied in 'poshness' over the years, depending on where I've been working, the people I've spent most time with, etc. It was at its poshest when I was at university (Oxford) and hanging out with lots of public school types!

It's pretty nondescript atm but I've just moved up north (Cumbria ) so I'm very conscious of sounding very different from the locals. Wondering if I might eventually pick up a hint of a local accent - and if the dc will go full-on Cumbrian!

Notrevealingmyidentity · 18/02/2015 12:02

People ?

I'm not saying where I am from..mainly to stop others being offended. It's just my opinion and because I am from xxx I feel I am entitled to it.

sherbetpips · 18/02/2015 12:05

I used to sound very posh very cheshire accent but not any more. I recently met an old friend I went to school with and she commented on my very northern accent.

Original poster
MardyBra · 18/02/2015 12:05

That's no problem. I was just working on the erroneous stereotype that a lot of people have about which accents sound "thick".

OP posts:
PeteCampbellsRecedingHairline · 18/02/2015 12:06

I was quite well spoken when I was younger but have toned it down quite a lot due to where I now live.

Notrevealingmyidentity · 18/02/2015 12:08

To be honest it's more of a dialect and it's such poor grammar it certainly doesn't make you sound particularly intelligent.

funnyossity · 18/02/2015 12:08

Now "people" can understand you, whereas how would one categorise the inhabitants of xxx...

FWIW I had to change my way of speaking to be understood elsewhere so I know what you mean.

I was not trying to be mean, it did make me laugh to read it!

I also notice I referred to "home" when the home I had is 25 years away and even more miles!

Notrevealingmyidentity · 18/02/2015 12:09

I know it's not really an indicator of intelligence ofcourse.

Notrevealingmyidentity · 18/02/2015 12:10

Grin Also as people. Just people from outside of that area can also understand me too instead of just locals being able to understand me.

YNK · 18/02/2015 12:12

I'm 57 and moved from West Scotland to England when I was 14.
My accent has never changed. I can't even do a pretend English accent.
My brothers the same and he was 7 when we moved!

meandmymuffintop · 18/02/2015 12:13

I 'm Midlands born and bred but randomly developed a bit of a Liverpudlian twang in my teens Confused. I seem to have got posher sounding as I've got older, but am not sure why, it's certainly not intentional.

Now I'd say I'm broadly RP, but I have just started doing some audio and video work for a client and I notice I sound much posher on playback than I do inside my head.

Original poster
MardyBra · 18/02/2015 12:15

If you're broadly RP now, shouldn't your username be mymuffintopandi. Wink

OP posts:
Original poster
MardyBra · 18/02/2015 12:18

That's interesting YNK. I know a few Scots down South who have retained their accent. However, I also know more people who have moved within England (like me) who have chopped and changed. It's purely anecdotal of course, but are Scottish accents more ingrained?

OP posts:
WestEast · 18/02/2015 12:26

Yeah mine has. I've moved from Hull (born and bread, lived there 27 years) and moved to West Yorkshire.
I've had to town down when I say words like 'five' as I would pronounce it 'faaaarve' and people just didn't seem to understand what I was saying sometimes!
I do find that when I go back to Hull for a weekend I come back with my accent beefed up. But I get asked on probably a twice weekly basis where I'm from :)

DopeyDawg · 18/02/2015 12:27

Oh Yes!

Grew up in North Kent.
People went 'up Cha'ham' for a day's shopping, especially if they hailed from 'Fannet' (where I believe Mr Farage is doing well?).

I moved to London. Worked Mayfair and lived Knightsbridge. 'Corner shop' was Harrods. I started to speak of my 'Hice' and how many 'pyends' a taxi fare might cost. A right Eliza Dolittle!

Then I moved to Scotland where that sort of thing was thoroughly sniggered at (not Edinburgh where there is lots of it, but countryside where there is less). I have picked up quite a bit of Scots now and
my children now have a 'shot on the chute' not a 'turn on the slide' which confuses their Kentish gran.

I now think I sound about the way I did when I started (having dropped the Knightsbridge stuff) but when I listen to my voice if it is recorded it still sounds quite RP.

H is from Midlands and has taught the kids phrases like: riffy wammel (?) and 'so hungry I could eat a scabby horse'. He didn't grow up in the Black Country but he does it to annoy me (and it does!).

Accent is a funny thing.

Who was it said: 'An Englishman can offend many other Englishmen simply by opening his mouth'?

TywysogesGymraeg · 18/02/2015 12:35

I think my kids sound well posh too. They don't have my faded Welsh accent.
My accent varies depending on who I'm talking to. I pick up accents easily, though there's always a bit of Welsh underlying everything.

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