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The Best English Accent

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J. Baker, 3 yr 53 days ago

Why is that?

JB

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Anonymous, 3 yr 39 days ago
For me, the best English accent is undoubtedly the British accent.
Related discussions
Englishuser  +  282769 Wed, 18 Oct 06 08:49 PM

Hi Anon,

What makes you think English English accents are better than other accents of English? Do you find them easier to understand, or is it just that you find them more aesthetically pleasing?

Englishuser
Englishuser
Joined on Thu, Mar 30 2006
Regular Member 717
Tam Sadek  +  282817 Wed, 18 Oct 06 10:53 PM

What exactly is a British accent?

Geordie? Glaswegian? Scouse? Cockney? Brummie? Northern? Southern? RP? Estuary? Welsh? Irish?

According to an online BBC article from 2005:

"Sean Connery's Scottish lilt is the nation's favourite accent, a survey of people for a BBC project suggests. Sir Sean (Scottish) and the broadcasters Sir Trevor McDonald (English, but with a tinge of Caribbean) and Terry Wogan (Irish) have the most pleasant voices, according to 5,000 people questioned.  It is part of a project to create an online "accent map" of the UK.

The least popular accents were those from Birmingham, Liverpool and Glasgow and the most unpopular voice was that of DUP leader Ian Paisley.

The Queen and Scottish comedian Billy Connolly appeared in both the 10 most and 10 least pleasant lists.

 

The BBC Voices project is recording interviews with 1,000 people from around the UK and is inviting others to participate through its website. The project's director Mick Ord said there had not been a "mapping" project for at least 30 years, so information about regional accents and dialects was out of date."

Here's a link to the BBC Voices project so you can decide what a British accent is yourselves, as it's fairly clear that we (from the UK) don't know (or is that care?) Indifferent [:|]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/

Personally I'm from the North West of England and I like my accent, even though it's definitely not RP! Then again, I wouldn't want it any other way Wink [;)] 
Tam Sadek
Joined on Wed, Oct 4 2006
Full Member 265
The more you see, the less you know...
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Englishuser  +  282823 Wed, 18 Oct 06 11:48 PM

Hi Tam Sadek,

You're making some very good points in your post. I'm also happy to hear that you're happy with your accent. I wish each one of us would share the feeling with you!

Englishuser
Englishuser
Tam Sadek  +  282851 Thu, 19 Oct 06 01:49 AM

Thanks Englishuser Smile [:)]

I hope that everyone remembers that their accent is one of their defining attributes and therefore should not be something to be ashamed of, try to hide, or mask.

As a kid, I remember thinking that Brigitte Bardot's French-English accent sounded really sexy when I saw and heard her in the film Shalako (also starring Sean Connery) on TV. I'm glad she never tried to change it Wink [;)]

On a more contemporay note, would Penelope Cruz or Salma Hayek sound 'better' without their Spanish-English accents?

I don't think so...
Tam Sadek
Englishuser  +  283022 Thu, 19 Oct 06 02:35 PM

Hi Tam Sadek,

I personally wouldn't force anyone to change their accent. However, I understand those who really don't want to sound foreign every time they speak a word of English. Questions such as "Where are you from?" and "How come you speak such excellent English?" might be taken as compliments at first, but if you live in an English-speaking country for several decades it becomes a bit tiresome to deal with such inquisitive questions every single day.

When you speak of French-English and Spanish-English accents, are you referring to foreign accents or mixed accents? (When I say 'foreign accent' I mean an accent that people can place as Spanish or French, whereas a 'mixed accent' is a foreign-tinged native-sounding accent which would be almost impossible to place.)

Englishuser
Englishuser
Tam Sadek  +  283289 Fri, 20 Oct 06 01:05 AM
Hi Englishuser,

I guess I mean a foreign accent, but not a 'heavy' accent.

I think this may be what you call a mixed accent (?)

I understand what you mean about people not wanting to be questioned as to their national status, but then again I think because of all the widespread political correctness in many English-speaking countries it's far less likely that people will ask 'foreigners' where they are from as it's just not polite!

And then again in places like London, New York and Sydney there are so many foreign residents now that it's sometimes strange to hear a 'real' English accent... And I don't think people in those cosmopolitan cities really think about it anymore...

Just being you is much more important!
Tam Sadek
Englishuser  +  283496 Fri, 20 Oct 06 01:36 PM

Hi Tam Sadek,

I guess I mean a foreign accent, but not a 'heavy' accent. I think this may be what you call a mixed accent (?)

When I say mixed accent, I mean an accent which is very close to a native accent. For instance, a Japanese or Yoruban person might speak 'Cockney', and Americans and Australians would think that Cockney is the speaker's native accent. However, Cockneys (and most other Londoners) would perceive the accent as Cockney with a foreign tinge without being able to guess at the speaker's nationality/original accent. Is this what you thought I meant?

Englishuser
Englishuser
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