Different English accents around the world
Like all languages, English is spoken with different accents*in different parts of the world. That's why we have American, British, Australian and other English accents. But as much as you would like to order an "American English voice over" or a "British English voice over" etc., it's not that easy. Each of these countries hasa lot ofsubaccents used in different regions (regional accents). For example, a British English accent can be Received Pronunciation, London co*ckney, Kettering, etc. and an American accent can be New York, Midland, Southern, etc.
Click on the links below and listen to some examples of how words are pronounced with different accents:
As you can hear, there are big differences in accent, even within the same province.
When do you need a regional accent?
When ordering a voice-over, you sometimes want to select oneregional accent. If your audience only belongs to a certain area, choosing the accent used in that area can help your audience connect with your message. For example, you are a car dealership based only in Texas and your customers are exclusively from there. Using a Texan accent can make your audience feel an affinity for your company. Also, if your message is aimed at a general audience, but your product is related to a specific area, you may want to use the emphasis of that area. For example, if you sell holiday offers in France, you may want to use a French accent to convey authenticity or just the feel of France.
Usually, however, your message is aimed at a general audience and your product is not tied to a specific location. In this case,you don't want your audience to focus on the accent. You want them to focus on your message.In other words, you want the accent to be transparent, unobtrusive, or neutral.
What is a neutral accent?
INneutral emphasisis an accent that cannot be distinguished as coming from a particular region. Currently, there IS no neutral accent worldwide. That is, English accents are still divided into British, American, Australian, etc. However, within some of these accents there are sub-accents that are considered "neutral".
What is a neutral American accent?
In American English, there is a neutral accent called General American. Wikipedia reports this"General American is seen by most Americans as 'accentless,' meaning that a person speaking in such a manner seems to be coming from nowhere."
Where is the neutral American accent spoken?
While General American is not limited to any region of the United States, it is most widely spoken in the Midland region. As such, the terms Midland accent and General American are often used synonymously. The Midland region includes parts of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio.
The desirability of the neutral accent
When Americans attend an accent reduction class in an effort to eradicate their regional accents, they are learning the common American accent. This accent is commonly used by newsreaders and actors and is often considered, according to Wikipedia"preferable to other regional accents."
Also, General American is commonly used in the teaching of English as a second language in schools around the world (especially in Asia). It is the most widely used English accent in the world today, and some linguists have argued that it will eventually become General Americanglobalneutral English accent.
Finally
The next time you order a voice-over, think carefully about which accent you choose. While there are instances where a regional accent is fine, most of the time a neutral accent will bethe best way to get your message across to a global audience.
Born and raised in Manhattan, Kansas - the Midland region - Victoria Feinerman has a Midland/General American/Neutral accent.
*For the purposes of this article, we will not distinguish between accents and dialects, mainly because linguists do not agree on their definitions.
Article by Victoria Feinerman
