Poll: Do You Think British Accents Are More..."Sophisticated"?

[Sara Fontaine]

I have what is commonly listed as one of the worst English accents; The Black Country accent. Closest accent to Middle English in Britain and almost indistinguishable from the Brummie accent to those not from around here. Famous speakers of these accents include Ozzy Osbourne and the rest of Black Sabbath, Noddy Holder from Slade and Rob Halford from Judas Priest. It has been stated in polls that those two accents are the ones that make a person sound the least intelligent; usually on the premise of 'the broader the accent, the less intelligent the speaker' (mine is quite broad, sadly). A lot of it stems from unique pronounciation of words and phrases, or just coming up with new words altogether. Here are a selection of examples used by both accents that I've pulled from Wikipedia;

Babby = Baby
Donnies = Hands; e.g, 'Go and wash your donnies.'
Saft/Yampy = Mad/Barmy/Silly

Another trait is to pronounce the vowel 'a' as 'o', for example;
'Sond' instead of 'Sand'
'Hond' instead of 'Hand'

We also tend to use 'Thee', 'Thy' and 'Thou' seriously in conversation; "Dids't thou knock?" = "Did you knock?"

When I speak to someone new I try to tone it down enough so that I can be understoood, because if I'm not trying to stop it, the accent allows a person to speak incredibly fast, which is fine around family as they all understand and speak it, but to others then it's easy for things I say to be missed completely.

If you want another glimpse and to hear what it sounds like in practice I would direct you to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrIqSlt9PXg - The Black Country alphabet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqIcbLkY2iY&feature=related - Also this one, where people try to explain what certain phrases mean.

 

[omega 616]

I don't think it, I know it, British > all.

I'm really weird though, I'm Canadian and I have a slightly British accent.

Define British accent 'cos it's like saying "I have an American accent" People from New York don't sound like people from Texas. It's the same for Britain, people from Liverpool sound nothing like the people from Doncaster.

Do you mean you sound like the queen?

 

[FamoFunk]

If were talking Queen kind of British accent.

Then I hate it, it reminds me of snobby middle class Tory toffs.

 

[DEAD34345]

Ha! Anyone who thinks British people sound sophisticated hasn't heard most British accents.

In the area I live we speak relatively posh (though to nowhere near the extent we're portrayed on TV), but due to the influence of my scouse mother I occasionally use words like "youse" (plural of "you"), "sound" (as a term meaning "good" or "cool") and "giz" ("give" or "give us"). Hardly sounds sophisticated, does it? And I honestly think your heads would explode if you ever heard a true scouser speak. Even I have trouble hearing that.

Spoiler: 'The Scousers visit the beach'

This is a worryingly accurate portrayal.​

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

Erm what exactly is a 'British accent' I can think of at least 5 different accents that could come under that banner off the top of my head.

I'm from up north and my friends American fiance says I sound like a servant girl out of a BBC drama lol.

 

[Eddie the head]

Ha! Anyone who thinks British people sound sophisticated hasn't heard most British accents.

Or for that matter seen the movie Pygmalion. Just thought I would point that one out the whole movie(or play rather) is about speech.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Depend which "British" Accents you're talking about. Sure you said British but there are different type if British accents within British.
Overall no I disagree (and I'm British too). In my opinion I find the French accent to be more sophisticated.

 

[Vault101]

theres a wide range of british accents..some of them more sphisticated than others

I theink the "yorkshire" one doesnt sound all that...uhh sophisticated

 

[Soviet Steve]

Whenever I hear an Ork in DoW the first thing that comes to mind is "What a stunningly interllectual fellow, that accent really makes them sound smart." - Also I'm lying.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I don't think it, I know it, British > all.

I'm really weird though, I'm Canadian and I have a slightly British accent.

Define British accent 'cos it's like saying "I have an American accent" People from New York don't sound like people from Texas. It's the same for Britain, people from Liverpool sound nothing like the people from Doncaster.

Do you mean you sound like the queen?

Well, I'm told I have a slightly British accent, despite never having been there.

In that sort of case, well, the people thinking that tend not to be the people aware of subdivisions.

 

[Brad Shepard]

*looks at Jack and Calumon*

Seeing as I talk to him all the time... Hm... I dont know, I never really thought of it. I dont really think of Accents.

 

[Blunderboy]

Have you ever heard a scouser?
Or those Essex twats?

I'm allowed to say that, I'm from Essex and I have to put up with that shit.
"I'm going ta taan." - "I am going to town."

 

[Rastien]

Intresting fact the "pirate" accent of yarrrr etc etc is actually VERY close to the south west somerset/dorset accent but even more close to the cornish accent where they had alot of pirates and smugglers.

If you listen to the wurzels then listen to some pirate accent its pretty similar.

Somerset boy ere scrumping them apples oooh arr

 

[Liberaliter]

I'm British and I sound nowhere near sophisticated. I don't even have a particular accent, it's just... monotone.

 

[Queen Michael]

Compare the accent of Barack Obama to the accent of random cockney individual. 'Nuff said.
Seriously though, you should have defined it more narrowly. Are you talking about the speech of the Artful Dodger or Estella? Or Groundskeeper WIllie?

 

[Dogstile]

I'm British and I sound nowhere near sophisticated. I don't even have a particular accent, it's just... monotone.

You have one. I thought the same thing until my American friends told me my accent was cute.

I have no idea how my accent sounds. I don't think I have the unsophisticated one, but posh? The thought seems rather alien to me.

 

[Gerishnakov]

I'm English and I like to think my accent is every so slightly sophisticated, but I do come from the countyside near Oxford, which is quite a posh part of England. There are some things I'll say though where a hint of rural Northamptonshire will sneak into my voice, making me sound like a total yokel. This tends to happen after drinking.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I'm British and I sound nowhere near sophisticated. I don't even have a particular accent, it's just... monotone.

You have one. I thought the same thing until my American friends told me my accent was cute.

I have no idea how my accent sounds. I don't think I have the unsophisticated one, but posh? The thought seems rather alien to me.

I don't think I have much of an accent either I'm from up north but at the other side from Newcastle so I'm not Geordie.

My friend from Essex doesn't have much of an accent, compared to his friends.