As an American who's never met someone from the U.K., and I've been having trouble lately deciding whether to refer to it as an english accent or a british accent. Which one do you tend to say?
Poll: English/ British?
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as an american i'd say English since it has Scottish English Welsh and N. Irish accents in the UK and they are different from each other.
Neither are particularly preferred. Most people prefer the specific locality they're from, from what I've seen. You want to know who really hates British people? British people. Not in a particularly malicious, nasty sort of way[footnote]Most of the time.[/footnote], but Mancunians don't want to be associated with Liverpudlians and no one really cares for the Welsh[footnote]This is just a joke for demonstrative purposes, I swear.[/footnote]. And people from Leeds just sound silly.
British covers more area, so you're less likely to piss off the Welsh or Scots if you muck up. However, people tend not to take well to being "put into boxes" by others, it's better to let people self identify.
British covers more area, so you're less likely to piss off the Welsh or Scots if you muck up. However, people tend not to take well to being "put into boxes" by others, it's better to let people self identify.
I believe the general consensus all British people can agree on though is fuck the welsh.
Not being from the Britain area I do know from speaking from various peoples from the aforementioned area that they prefer their accents to be referred to depending on there local region.
Not being from the Britain area I do know from speaking from various peoples from the aforementioned area that they prefer their accents to be referred to depending on there local region.
Yeah, I'm British (English) and I wouldn't even want to be associated by accent with the scum and villainy that live on the other side of my city!... So uncivilised...
English accent, not that it makes much more sense considering the broad range of accents within England.
The best way to generalise is to say Southern/Northern English accent, but even that isn't perfect.
The best way to generalise is to say Southern/Northern English accent, but even that isn't perfect.
I'm Scottish, and whenever I talk to people from outwith the UK they make sure to note my Scottish accent, not British. If someone mentions you've got a British accent, chances are you're from the south of England, which is only a quarter of the UK roughly. I was talking to an American friend with another friend from the outskirts of London, and it annoyed me to no end that she kept referring to him as British but me as Scottish. It's like calling someone from Alabama American, but some one from Texas Texan and implying he is therefore not American. That's not the best example but it proves my point.
So I'd go for the more geographically accurate English accent.
So I'd go for the more geographically accurate English accent.
Its best to refer to the accent relevant to the country. Like English for England, Scottish for Scotland, Irish for Ireland and Devil speak for the Welsh (Just kidding 
). Most people in England like to be referred for the local dialect however this is about as close as your getting without offending anyone.
Just, for the love of God don't call an Irishman Scottish, a Scottish man Irish or someone from the North of England either of those... It won't end well...
). Most people in England like to be referred for the local dialect however this is about as close as your getting without offending anyone.Just, for the love of God don't call an Irishman Scottish, a Scottish man Irish or someone from the North of England either of those... It won't end well...
Well, it's probably like saying "American Accent," since both the Brits and the American are dialects with so many different dialects. TV makes it sound like every American speaks the same exact way, however, that's mainly the North Eastern sub-Dialect. Considering you're culturaly ignorant of their dialects, and they ours... Perhaps just say British, and they American? Isn't it kinda hard to recognize the dialects from other countries if you've never been, let alone been all over them.
Not necessarily, least if you pay attention to T.V and listen to some of the accents, you can tell the difference between the dialects. Specially when it comes to Briton, probably the worse place for dialects given how you can drive 12 mile up the road and hear a completely different accent all together. However for those that aren't too savvy, its not too hard to tell the difference between a southern accent and a northern accent.Link Kadeshi said:
Well if this helps.
Brittan refers to the British Isles. This includes the countries within the UK and those separate from it. So when you say British you are referring to quite a number of countries and at least one has large areas where English isn?t even the first language.
Your best bet is to refer to the specific country.
Brittan refers to the British Isles. This includes the countries within the UK and those separate from it. So when you say British you are referring to quite a number of countries and at least one has large areas where English isn?t even the first language.
Your best bet is to refer to the specific country.
British if you've never been there/here (whatever) and don't know the accents.
If you do, specify and if you wish to live (in certain cases) get it right. I think there's an accent for every regional cluster of counties (Anglian, East-end, West-end, Southeast, South Coast, West Country, Brummie, Manc, Liverpudlian, Geordie etc.). Like in the States, pretty much every state (or group of states) has their own accent/dialect.
Anyway, can anyone tell the difference between a Highland and Lowland accent at all?
EDIT: Forgot to mention, a lot of people get pissed off about this issue, but 'English accent' usually refers to people who speak the so-called 'Queen's English' whatever the hell that is...
If you do, specify and if you wish to live (in certain cases) get it right. I think there's an accent for every regional cluster of counties (Anglian, East-end, West-end, Southeast, South Coast, West Country, Brummie, Manc, Liverpudlian, Geordie etc.). Like in the States, pretty much every state (or group of states) has their own accent/dialect.
Anyway, can anyone tell the difference between a Highland and Lowland accent at all?
EDIT: Forgot to mention, a lot of people get pissed off about this issue, but 'English accent' usually refers to people who speak the so-called 'Queen's English' whatever the hell that is...
Too many accents really, though maybe people don't recognize the difference if they're not from the UK?
In most things though, all parts of britain don't want anything to do with england.. so I'd just refer to the specific country.
In most things though, all parts of britain don't want anything to do with england.. so I'd just refer to the specific country.
English people when talking amongst other English people, tend to be categorized in accent according to their locality. I'm from Manchester, therefore Mancunian in terms of accent. Liverpool has their own accent, so does Leeds, London blah blah blah. Even people from Wigan do. But I dont expect foreigners to learn all the towns and cities in England and their local accents. So use either generalisation, British or English. Noone's really going to be offended by it, unless they're those really patriotic Scots or Welsh which btw make up roughly 0.5% of their countries population these days.
I can attest to that, i once made that mistake (calling scots english in this case) while on holiday and i had to step very lightly for the next couple of weeks.Sovvolf said:
I just wish people would realise the same thing applies to my country. If one more person says im from Holland instead of the Netherlands im going to hurt someone.
Either could be acceptable, it depends on the way in which you mean it. I spent my summer with a number of Americans and the topic of accents came up frequently (mainly because they pronounce twat as twot instead of the way it's spelt, to rhyme with cat, and my way of saying it was "cute") and I tried to identify exactly what they meant by me having a British accent.
In my head, I was imagining it as "he has an accent that is from Britain" and so technically making it a British accent. They didn't. They meant my specific accent, which you may have guessed is a Home Counties accent. Everyone else has already pointed out that this isn't right.
It also relies on how we identify ourselves. Yes, we are all British (but don't tell Norn Iron) but there's been surveys conducted that tell you that the majority in each country would refer to themselves as English/Scottish/Welsh before calling themselves British.
So yeah, English over British. The more specific you can get the better.
Oh, and never European. Never.
Also we get a lot of your television and you get very little of ours so we tend to be better at it.
In my head, I was imagining it as "he has an accent that is from Britain" and so technically making it a British accent. They didn't. They meant my specific accent, which you may have guessed is a Home Counties accent. Everyone else has already pointed out that this isn't right.
It also relies on how we identify ourselves. Yes, we are all British (but don't tell Norn Iron) but there's been surveys conducted that tell you that the majority in each country would refer to themselves as English/Scottish/Welsh before calling themselves British.
So yeah, English over British. The more specific you can get the better.
Oh, and never European. Never.
There is a difference in that though. You're all from the same country. We aren't. Here's the wonderfully confusing difference: the US is a country made up of states, the UK is a state made up of countries.Link Kadeshi said:
Also we get a lot of your television and you get very little of ours so we tend to be better at it.
As mentioned Britain covers Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland as well as England...thus a British accent doesn't exist. However if you want to be really pedantic then technically an "English" accent doesn't exist either, due to diversity as you get more northern.
I come from a town near Bristol, which means we get a lot o'folks with thar West Country accents or Bristolian accents.
I come from a town near Bristol, which means we get a lot o'folks with thar West Country accents or Bristolian accents.