Do you think you have an accent?

[erikao1o]

I agree that everyone has some kind of accent. After living abroad for awhile, I realized that everyone has an accent even if they don't realize it! I speak with a Canadian accent that I didn't notice until I was chatting with a group of Americans and they all spoke a different way than I did. They would always point out my accent and make fun of me for it, but it was all in good fun.

[13vinylinfants]

I'm from the West Coast of Canada so my English accent could pass as being from almost any urban area in North America. It's really really generic. But obviously to a Brit I sound American.

In my second language, Japanese, I definitely have an accent! I think it's much better than most foreign Japanese speakers, but if I listen to a recording of myself I can totally tell... people say it's cute though, so there is that

[Ella]

In my native language, I don't think I have an accent, but people from other regions do say I have an accent. To people from other regions, you'll always have an accent.

In English, I definitely have an accent no one can ever place my accent, since it's such a mixture of accents from places where I've lived.

No one can tell I'm from Belgium, everyone says I sound a bit European but with a Scottish twist (I dated a Scotsman for 2,5 years and lived in Scotland for half a year). Now I'm dating a South African, I can already tell that the pronunciation of my vowels is changing.

[Esperahol]

I personally don't think I have an accent, but apparently I do - and depending on who I happen to be talking to... it's rather thick? Also it may or may not sound Caribbean or Southern or Californian or Creole or some ungodly mixture of all of the above. It honestly is rather hilarious to be asked where I happen to be from as soon as I open my mouth.

[basmae]

I think my English accent is a mix of different accents combined together over the years as a result of living in multiple places where people spoke in different dialects.

[khillis]

I am also Canadian, and never thought I had an accent. Last year, I moved to England for five months. It wasn't until I moved there that I really picked up on words in which apparently add to my 'Canadian accent'. My pronunciation of 'about' is apparently expressed as 'aboot' more often than I would like it admit.

[RobynB]

I have been told that I have a Scottish accent or a British accent bit I believe that I have neither. Lol I have even been told that I have an American accent but I am a South African and I have never set foot out of the country.

[Mafdet]

I think everybody has an accent. This is because every language has its own pronunciation rules and when you get used to pronouncing letters in a certain way, it tends to stick with you when trying to learn a new language that uses different pronunciation rules. But I don't think this is something that one can not overcome through practice. 

[kate23]

Everyone has an accent, it's just that some people might have a more generic accent. With some Americans for instance, they might have a generic east coast accent, but it's an accent all the same.

I'm a Floridian but I don't have a really strong southern sounding accent. I'm sure people would be able to guess that I live somewhere in the south based on how I say certain words but it's not obvious, at least as far as I know.

[Whoknowsme]

There aren't really any accents in The Netherlands that aren't really obvious. Mine isn't really obvious so I suppose I don't have one.

[Lin]

I always wonder if people who are foreign think that I have an accent when I speak English. I'm Canadian and there is an obvious English accent when I think of people in other countries speaking it such as in Australia and in Britain. However, I do not think I have an accent when I speak at all. I wonder if Australians or British people for example think us Canadians/Americans carry an accent as well. Or better yet, if they themselves (Australians and the Brits) think they have an accent when speaking.

I understand clearly what you're saying Jaxter. I get it. To our own natives and our own minds, we sound normal. But to others, we sound strange. I even think I have my own personal accent among my own people. I speak different from them. I guess it's a mind thing.

[Lin]

There aren't really any accents in The Netherlands that aren't really obvious. Mine isn't really obvious so I suppose I don't have one.

But if I hear you, to me it may sound like you have an accent. It's just the strangeness of the sounds of your words, your pronunciations, that will give me (a foreigner) the impression that you have an accent.

[Hanaseru]

I have mostly a general american accent, but I've picked up a few bits and pieces of the Staten Island accent (new york city / jersey accent)

[IndianapolisJones]

I like to think that I don't have an accent, but having been born and raised in Minnesota, it's impossible for me to not have a Minnesotan accent. I know it's not nearly as pronounced as some Minnesotans I know, but at the same time I'm sure I have traces of it laced throughout. For example, I definitely know the way I say "oh yea" is super Minnesotan, and the way I just read super in my head was incredibly Minnesotan haha.

[emilyrose93]

I know I do! I'm Australian. However, I think my accent is less obvious than a lot of Australians. I have kind of a "newsreader" voice - clear, without any regional accent. I used to get made fun of at school for sounding "posh"! Australians don't usually sound like they do in the movies, with that ridiculous country accent. But when I'm talking to someone foreign, especially someone American or English, I can definitely hear my accent a lot more. It's still not over the top, but it's there. I would love it if we could all upload some voice clips and tell each-other if we can hear an accent!

[wander_n_wonder]

Yes, people will always have a unique accent, no matter how fluent they are.  Accents are greatly influenced by the people around you.  For example, if you are an American, but you live in Australia for a long time, there is a strong likelihood that your American English is somewhat mixed with a few Australian accents.  You may be using typical American sentences, but the way your pronounce a few words will be Australian.

[tintiano]

I certainly have an accent, although it doesn't always act up! I am a South Indian and my mother tongue is Tamil. Tamil words are pronounced very differently from English words. As a result, a few laughs can be generated I think most Indians have an accent, although some never seem to accept it!

[Hispoiema]

I am American and I cannot always detect a Canadian accent until they say a word like "about" and then I hear it. The light suddenly turns on in my head and I realize "They're Canadian!" lol

I was in England a few years back talking to some people and made mention of their accent. They looked at me funny and said "This is our country, *you're* the one with the accent".  That thought had not occurred to me!

[jfab]

I am an American. And I'm from Los Angeles. I definitely have the usual LA accent. ;-)

[skywatcher]

I'm born in the Philippines, and I guess I have a normal accent like other Filipinos. My English accent isn't that bad, but I wouldn't say it's appropriate enough for me to be able to use it in other countries, so I guess I need to brush up on my English - especially since I can't speak the letter "R" correctly (either comes off silent, or as "W").

[Blackbagel]

I think I have a slight accent because of the fact that my parents are not native and taught me things that stuck on. I came to Canada when I was 2 yet I started to learn English from my parent who had an accent and I also started to Speak Korean too. This probably caused my accent but it isn't too thick or anything but some people point it out at times.

[harpy]

I definitely have an accent when I speak German. A lot of folks I've talked to have told me I sound like a British person attempting to speak French but German words are coming out of my mouth. Simply put, I am near-unintelligible when I speak German, and probably more unintelligible when I speak Dutch. I have been trying to eliminate my accent by listening to songs in German and I tend to watch German movies without English subtitles. I also practice German phonemes on a regular basis; native German speakers situate their tongue in their mouth differently as they speak so I am trying to imitate their mouth movements with phonetics lessons. I know I won't be able to get rid of my distinct accent, but here's hoping I sound more 'normal' the next time I try to explain a thing or two to native German speakers.

[pipps]

I think that most people tend to think they don't have an accent, unless their accent is obviously very strong. I'm british and I don't think I have an accent but I bet that other people would think I do.

I think that Canadians and Americans have accents. So they must think I have an accent.

[lizbeth19hph]

I don't have an American nor  British accent but mine is a neutralized accent which is easily understood by foreigners. I have worked in 2 call centers before where we had this accent training to neutralize our accents and I'm currently teaching English to Koreans online.

[babyleans]

everybody has an accent. so if you're canadian then you have a canadian accent. british people have many different accents from different regions. my accent is learned because i'm not a native speaker so i speak somewhat like an english person.