What does English sound like?

don't forget asian ><
There are a lot of subaccents to accents. There are three regular american accents (northern, regular, and southern). There are also different levels of accents, too.

Originally Posted by Varus

You have Irish, Scottish, Australian, Southern American, New Zealand and that's pretty much it. Northern Americans and Canadians sound the same: we have a lack of an accent, basically. Sure they may sound slightly different to an outsider, but the language sounds slightly different from each different person who speaks it.

I never get people who say NA (or whatever the "regular" North American accent is called) lacks an accent. It depends on the perspective from where you live, but everyone has an accent. We have a North American accent.

That said, if you were to count South American as an accent when it's not a native English accent (as in, it's the accent from Spanish or Portuguese), then you'd have to broaden your scope to include the accent of every language and major dialect.

Don't forget South African, Indian, Singaporean, many islands in the Caribbean and other countries where people speak English as a first language too.

This is a bit off-topic but, I noticed that Aussies pronounce words like "dance" with the "air" instead of "ah" sound, and I'm wondering if Kiwis do the same thing.

Originally Posted by Aurora

This is a bit off-topic but, I noticed that Aussies pronounce words like "dance" with the "air" instead of "ah" sound, and I'm wondering if Kiwis do the same thing.

As far as I've noticed, Aussies & Kiwis pronounce it starting with the word "Dan", as in the name; while I seem to recall hearing Americans start it with a "Darn" sound (as in, the replacement word for damn). Similar thing with the word Bath; Aus - Barth. US - Baath. Or the letter Z; Aus - Zed. US - Zee. (and similarly Zehbra and Zeebra respectively)

Originally Posted by Varus

Personally I don't think there would be more than 20 distinctive accents for English.

You have Irish, Scottish, Australian, Southern American, New Zealand and that's pretty much it. Northern Americans and Canadians sound the same: we have a lack of an accent, basically. Sure they may sound slightly different to an outsider, but the language sounds slightly different from each different person who speaks it.

There is more then that...there is the New York accent, Texan accent, Jersey accent, 'regular' and probably more in the U.S.A. alone.

Originally Posted by felix

There is more then that...there is the New York accent, Texan accent, Jersey accent, 'regular' and probably more in the U.S.A. alone.

Don't think you're special. Australia is nearly as big as the US, so logic states that we've therefore got nearly as many different accents as you (or is it dialects? I'm confused)

it sounds like nothing.
i cant really explain it since i speak english.

I don't have an accent.
At least- I don't think I have one.

Here in the US I don't have one- but in different parts of the world?
I can't really say.

Ask Scoria.
He's talked to me on the phone. :3

You have an accent, travel to a different part of the country. You'll notice how different people sound.
And altough Australia is big it really isn't as diverse as America is.

Okay my mom and I had a discusion about this several months ago:
What does english sound like?
We came up with this: psss psstt eetess psespp ssest

Enlish has a lot of e's, s's, and t's. Listen when you talk and you'll here 'psst' a lot.

Oh how I wish I could forget English for an hour and hear what it sounds like if it doesn't have a meaning.

LOL I was forced tolearn it because my brothers that was born here always trick me,like going to the girls bathtroom...lol.

"The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain."

That's what English sounds like.

Here are two regional differences within the US:

1. Do you say "exit" as either "eggsit" or "ecksit"?
2. Measure: Is it pronounced "may-juhr" or "meh-juhr"? (The j is like a French one.)

I really don't think it's possible to discribe how a language sounds you have to hear it yourself to know what it sounds like.

English sounds like this:

"SDKFJSLDFKAJFS"

Originally Posted by squall24

I think he was asking what the tones sounded like to a non-native speaker. For example some think German has a very harsh sound, or others think Chinese might make the speaker sound angry even when they're not. I'm not stereotyping, I'm just saying examples I've heard before. As for English I have no idea, I can't even understand some Southern us dialects and I know the language, same goes with some British idiomatic expressions. Its going to be hard to get an answer considering most people on this forum are native speakers.

I don't understand North US accents too good cuz I'm born and raised in the South. Then my cuzzins lived in AK for 3 years so when they talk to me they sound a bit nerdy, and I understand what you mean, it sounds like they always are in the same mood, whether it be angry, harsh, sad, or whatever.

Originally Posted by Saharah

I don't have an accent.
At least- I don't think I have one.

Here in the US I don't have one- but in different parts of the world?
I can't really say.

Ask Scoria.
He's talked to me on the phone. :3

No offence but American's have the worst accent.

Originally Posted by trinest

No offence but American's have the worst accent.

Depends which part of America; the middle-band is the least ear-destroying accent. the far north and the south sound really bad... it's hard to describe in any more detail than that.

english has no accent whatsoever.

Originally Posted by trinest

No offense but American's have the worst accent.

I could say Australians have the worst accent. Tis all a matter of opinion.