Accents from around the world

bbloke · Jun 14, 2006

Following on from a recent thread about dialects around the world, I've come across a site which has sound clips about different accents (for the English language) from around the world. People can sound very different even when speaking the same language, and I found this site had a good variety of accents.

http://www.ku.edu/~idea/

A few examples from the UK...

England

1) Probably what some people think the English stereotypically sound like:
http://www.ku.edu/~idea/europe/england/england1.mp3

2) Norfolk
http://www.ku.edu/~idea/europe/england/england11.mp3

3) Liverpool
http://www.ku.edu/~idea/europe/england/england17.mp3

4) Devon
http://www.ku.edu/~idea/europe/england/england32.mp3

5) Newcastle
http://www.ku.edu/~idea/europe/england/england19.mp3

6) Yorkshire
http://www.ku.edu/~idea/europe/england/england57.mp3

7) Cockney (-ish) (not Dick Van Dyke's version.......

Rhisiart · Jun 16, 2006

Not speaking a word of German, I toured Germany with my wife several years ago and was struck by the clear difference between the accent in München and the Rhine Valley.

Well, ‘vive la différence.

What a great world we live in to have different languages, dialects, body morphology, culture and customs (with the notable exception of extremist religious knob heads).

bbloke · Jun 17, 2006

rhisiart said:
Not speaking a word of German, I toured Germany with my wife several years ago and was struck by the clear difference between the accent in München and the Rhine Valley.

Well, vive la différence.

What a great world we live in to have different languages, dialects, body morphology, culture and customs

Indeed!

I've lived in more than one country and have travelled to a few different places, and my work constantly involves me working with people from a range of nationalities and cultural backgrounds. I've really come to appreciate the differences between people and find it makes things more interesting. It's great to be made to think about a different way of doing things and be introduced to new ideas. It helps to challenge our default ways.

When I was at school, many years ago, I remember a teacher telling us it would be dull if everyone was like us (one individual) and each student, individually, disagreed and would have liked to see the rest of the world be just like them. Now I see how wrong we were at the time!

(with the notable exception of extremist religious knob heads).

I was going to have to disagree here, but noticed you've now changed it to "extremist," and I'm more inclined to agree now. I think religions can get a bad press, particularly as people tend to see extremists and equate all people of a faith with just their associated extremists (who are a minority). There is actually quite a broad spectrum of beliefs and attitudes within any religion.

As for accents, I've been slowly improving at picking up on which European country people come from, judging just from their accents when they speak in English to me. The Dutch, Italians, and French are possibly some of the most distinctive for me. Some say they can instantly tell where someone is from, judging only by the person's facial structure and their haircut. I'm nowhere near that good yet!

ora · Jun 17, 2006

Some additions:

The nrofolk accent is amusing (i lived in the area for some time), but interestingly the accent from Norwich, the only big city in the area, is markedly different. For instance they pronounce the name of the city closer to "Narj" (with a long a sound).

The first mp2 is great, though no-one outside the BBC radio 4 studio speaks like that

. The cockney is weird though, sounds more south east to me, but ah well.

I live in Geneva, which abound with accents, and as expected among Brits it tends to be the Geordies who have problems, many of the francophone just can't understand a word they say.

Rhisiart · Jun 19, 2006

ora said:
I live in Geneva, which abound with accents, and as expected among Brits it tends to be the Geordies who have problems, many of the francophone just can't understand a word they say.

Call me biased, but Geordie for me is the best accent in the UK. However, if the indiginous population in Geneva struggle with the Geordie accent, how on earth do they get on with a Glasgow accent?

bbloke said:
I was going to have to disagree here, but noticed you've now changed it to "extremist," and I'm more inclined to agree now.

No, the original text included the word "extremist". I am not anti-religious in any form, but I am a knob head at times.

ora · Jun 19, 2006

Don't get me wrong, I love the Geordie accent, many mates from that area, but it does prove difficult. I think the difference is that if you're scottish the Genevois don't expect to understand you.

On an aside, I was taught french as a little'un by a Glaswegian woman, now THAT was an accent. It took me years to pronounce French properly afterwards.

reed · Jun 19, 2006

Nice sites for the different accents in the UK/Ireland.
I remember sharing a room with a Glaswegian lorry driver in a B&B in Aberdeen many years ago. To start the conversation, he asked me at least five times the same question before I understood what he was asking: "ahh oh ah yu?"
"How old are you?"
Great guy and full of chat. However I only caught maybe 2rds of what he was saying....but like any foreign land one always finds a way to communicate. He had to get on the road at 5 in the morning so I didn't chance to say: "catch ya guy." Would he have understood?

CaptainQuark · Jun 19, 2006

I must stress that the Yorkshireman – from Leeds – has a very un-Yorkshire laugh!

Although I was born in Leeds, I grew up in Rhodesia, so had a Rhodesian accent for the first 20 years of my life and sounded very like this…

http://www.ku.edu/~idea/africa/southafrica/southafrica25.mp3

…eksê! Although I can read aloud a lot better than this ouen.

The Rhodesian accent is very similar to this, although it is not quite as thick.

Nowadays, though, I stick to BBC-ish English, with the occasional tinge of Sheffield.

I speak Swedish with a broad Gothenburg accent (by choice), although I do perfect Rikssvenska and Stockholm, and a passable Skåne too.

When I was living in Rhodesia, I fooled a French girl into believing I was Belgian. She was gorgeous, like a young Catherine Deneuve, but she dumped me when she found out I was "un Rosbif".

reed · Jun 19, 2006

Hey Captain... you're quite a linguist. Love the mishmash. Don't overdo the BBC part though. Stick with the Sheffield tint if you can. Nicer.
Sorry about the Deneuve deal. Goes to show you. Ya gotta be yourself. When I was in the UK I hitched with a gal from Toulon. Her family were nudists. Need I say anymore?
Santé

Esquilinho · Jun 20, 2006

CaptainQuark said:
When I was living in Rhodesia, I fooled a French girl into believing I was Belgian. She was gorgeous, like a young Catherine Deneuve, but she dumped me when she found out I was "un Rosbif".

Aha! I didn't know there were other people other than the Portuguese calling something like "steak" to people from the UK!

We call them "bifes" = steaks

Rhisiart · Jun 20, 2006

CaptainQuark said:
I speak Swedish with a broad Gothenburg accent (by choice), although I do perfect Rikssvenska and Stockholm, and a passable Skåne too.

I knew next to nothing about Sweden (apart from Freddie Ljungberg) until I started reading Henning Mankell's books. Now I seem to know Skåne like the back of my hand (well at least Mankell's version). I also now know that Sweden's regional accents are particularly diverse.

Move over Inspector Morse, Hercule Poirot and Le Commissaire Maigret: Kurt Wallender is definitely the best fictional detective ever invented (see new thead I have just started).

CaptainQuark · Jun 20, 2006

reed said:
Stick with the Sheffield tint if you can. Nicer.

Taking into account the heavy-metal appearance (long hair, beard, black leather, etc) I find it prudent to keep to a BBC-ish accent, Too localised an accent would lead to problems at work, As it, clients know that I am not a thick sh1t Sheffielder (more than I can say about one or two of my colleagues), and that, in spite of the appearance, I am a fairly eductaed kinda feller that will do 'em a good job.

Esquilinho said:
Aha! I didn't know there were other people other than the Portuguese calling something like "steak" to people from the UK!

We call them "bifes" = steaks

They call us "Rosbifs" (roast beef) and we call 'em "Frogs" (for the frogs legs). I like the banter, but don't take it seriously.

rhisiart said:
I knew next to nothing about Sweden (apart from Freddie Ljungberg) until I started reading Henning Mankell's books. Now I seem to know Skåne like the back of my hand (well at least Mankell's version). I also now know that Sweden's regional accents are particularly diverse.

Move over Inspector Morse, Hercule Poirot and Le Commissaire Maigret: Kurt Wallender is definitely the best fictional detective ever invented (see new thead I have just started).

Not a great deal to know about Skåne. I'll keep my opinion to myself, though, lest I offend any Skåningar on the board. Heja Götet!

I forgot to mention that, when I lived in Spain, I got into the habit of speaking Spanish with the accent of a Malagueño. Problem is, I've forgotten nearly all of my Spanish!

reed · Jun 20, 2006

There is (or was) a school in New York for lawyers, businessmen and other professionals (with very heavy Brooklyn, Queens or Bronx accents) to learn how to lose their accents. "skuz me ya ahnor but my client iz innocent. No kidd'en" Just doesn't go over well before a jury.

Accents from around the world

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