I grew up with a thick Australian accent with a drawl I dislike, and have been consciously trying to change it for a while. The problem is I tried to make it sound more American at first but keep getting drawn to speaking “Britishly”. Now it’s a Frankenstein of all 3 accents and I don’t know what to go with.

Some points for both:

▪︎ American accent sounds “cooler”

▪︎ British accent sounds more “proper and elegant”

  • Australian accent sounds more “relaxed” (but I dislike this for myself, personally).
  • funkless_eck
    6·
    1 year ago

    I’ve worked as a professional actor (alongside other things) and I learned how to diagram an accent in drama school using IPA, and then matched up with a bunch of other voice paradigms - Rodenberg, Berry, Linklater…

    I know a few people who changed their accents in their lives, and some who only change it for roles.

    I’m British, but live in America. If I audition for an American role, I speak with the appropriate accent (usually GenAm) in all communications until I’m cast, but I don’t change my every day voice to talk to my wife or whatever, because it’s just a job and I’m me and everyone knows me as me.

    My rural upbringing is a strength, my culture makes me feel unique. So many people (especially white people) have trouble feeling like they have a shared history to celebrate that’s not problematic. Knowing I have the Straw Bear, the Green Man, Hereward the Wake, Boudica and the Iceni - even Morris and Maypole dancing - in my childhood rituals makes me feel less homesick. And my accent is unique, being between the East Midlands and London commuter belt. I can round it out to RP when I need to but it’s also part of me.