What do you sound like ?

No Paddy it was a sassenach?. I can do a braw Fife accent when required.......

was it a Fifer who said you sound like Princess Anne Marmight? Depending where in Fife you go sometimes even us Scots need an interpreter..lol

I'm amazed at the diversity of our accents. Despite living in Fife for 37 years I still, apparently, have a 'posh' southern accent. I was once told I sound like Princess Anne which was a bit of a shock..... I can, when the occasion demands, change my accent to suit .

London. I used to sound quite cockney in my younger days but I think that's moderated to a sort of Janet Street-Porter now. I read recently that she was born in my original neck of the woods so that explains it. I tend to revert naturally to the cockney if I meet up with old friends, though, me ol' cock sparrer.

Northumbrian born and bred (Alnwick) however I have lived in Yorkshire for the last 20 years.
Recently I recorded an (Ansaphone) message for our new house phone . When I played it back I was surprised how broad my accent is. Thought it might have watered down since we moved to Yorkshire. No way.!

Both Nina Conti's parents are Scottish so she certainly should have a better accent. I remember her mother, Kara Wilson, who is Glaswegian and was at Glasgow University in the early 60s. She was a leading light in the Dramatic Society and also became an actor.

I've been told I sound like Katie Price

Varian even Billy Connelly doesn't sound Glaswegian nowadays ...lol.And dont get me started on Lulu.she turns on a version of Glaswegian to suit herself when she deems it necessary.I am also born and raised ,until I was 12 in Glasgow ,we never had strong Glaswegian acccents and no one we knew did either .When we moved the new school refused to believe we were weegies.Shame really I've very proud of my roots

I've lived in Essex all my life but have never been accused of having an Essex accent whatever that is. When abroad and other English people ask where I come from and I tell them they invariably reply that I don't sound like it - it seems that a certain programme has a lot to answer for. ?

I love all the different accents we hear around us whilst hubby hates them. However, after reading this thread, I did have a bit of a chuckle when my DIL and I were discussing my DGS's speech which is a bit lacking. She is a Yorkshire lass who moved down south to be with my son and her family say she sounds like a southerner when she goes home. To us she sounds very northern. Anyway, I was saying about how DGS seemed not to hear certain sounds when we were trying to get us to emulate us. She fell about laughing and then said the same words...sounding exactly like her son!

Does anyone else associate particular accents with personalities? or is it just me?

Without upsetting anyone, I can hear a particular accent and my mind immediately imagines their personality.

I'm Devonshire and sound it. I don't like my voice at all.
I enjoy other accents, but not my own.

I'd never really analysed my voice. Of late I've being taking short video clips of the grandchildren on my phone often I'm talking to them in the background, it's always a bit of a shock to hear your own voice I think. I was born and brought up in Surrey, two of my closest friends have Irish parents, we went to school together, they both have cut glass English accents, not put on, they always talked that way. I don't perceive my accent to be the same as theirs, I think I had the influence of my father's London vowels , who grew up in Wimbledon, that London accent came through in a perculiar way in my heavily accented paternal grandfather who came to this country as an adult. My mother was also in London in early childhood, then her family moved to Kent, her accent was imo quite classless, she was a mixture of English, Irish and French so maybe she escaped the over riding London accent. A friend recently told me I sounded like Jenny Bond, I don't necessarily agree with that.

We recently came back from Northumberland, I like the accent up there it's very attractive, other favourties southern Irish and Welsh. I like a lot of regional accents. I'm not keen on Cockney, Glasgow Scottish, or the Scouse accent, but I like the Liverpudlian accent of the Beatles.

What you sound like .. sounds more like .. Where do you come from

katek I've had the same experience. Being told I sound as if I come from Edinburgh and not Dundee is apparently a compliment.
You'll probably agree with me that there is no definitive Scottish accent and the attempts by some actors to achieve that are dreadful.
Listening to a R4E programme recently I heard an appallingly awful 'Scottish' accent which really grated.
I was surprised to hear the actor was Nina Conti who, although born and brought up in the south, is the daughter of the lovely Scottish Tom!
Should've asked dad for advice.

Well, today I am working on my 'No bulls***t sounding voice, ready to take on the world of inadequate mental health care again.

There are several distinct differences in accent within our city and I can generally pinpoint where they live by listening.

That's so true Greandma2213. It's possible to identify which town in Lancashire/gtr Manchester the speaker comes from. I also agree with GG that the very strong local accents and sayings we heard regularly in childhood are slowly disappearing. I still love , pop my clogs, well I'll go to't'foot o our stairs and trouble at mill.

All I can say is that I have a 'Northern' accent having been born in Northern Ireland, lived in Cumbria, Geordie family, then lived in North Wales and different parts of Lancashire,and spent time in Essex and the Midlands. Accents fascinate me and I am amazed by the differences between even two nearby places. I can now identify the accents of different towns in Lancashire. I'm sure the same is true of every part of Britain.

Katek, computer changed name!

Kate's, can read it, understand it, but can't speak it without sounding stupid lol. I have trouble nowadays understanding my grandchildren sometimes lol!

I sound like me. Someone, comparatively recently, said I sound like Jenny Agutter but as I think she sounds like Theresa May I would rather I didn't. There is a short video tutorial I made which is on my blog but I had the end of a cold - just a sore throat - and I have just listened to it, but again, I think it just sounds like me.

I do use the odd Yorkshireism after living here for 45 years but haven't acquired any accent and don't think you hear such strong accents these days. My father had a slight Norfolk accent and mum had a slight Wiltshire one but they seemed to disappear over time and you could only hear them just a little on the phone.

Although I moved away from Glasgow many years ago, I don't think my accent has ever changed. I don't have a musical ear and so don't seem to pick up other accents. Some folk seem to have picked up a different accent after a week's holiday.

My accent is not broad Glaswegian, but it never was. I probably sound more like Kirsty Wark than Billy Connolly.

Sometimes people are surprised when I tell them I grew up in Glasgow and say they thought I came from Edinburgh. I can tell I'm supposed to take that as a compliment. I don't!

Still a proud Scouser although I have'nt lived in-Liverpool since 1964(I married into the sevices so have moved aroud a lot)Most people can detect I am from the north but hesitate to say Liverpool,sometimes I wonder if they are reluctant to say Liverpool in case they upset me or do they expect me to "duff " them up for daring to say I sound Scouse.I now live in Norfolk.Hmmm!!

Born and raised in Nor'n Arland, lived in england for the last 20 years though, so sadly I've really lost the accent. Everyone thinks I'm Scottish now. I love it when I hear a good strong Northern Irish accent, it reminds me of my roots and childhood.