How To Get Rid of an Accent?

[Lucky Strike]

Ibsens ripsbusker og andre buskvekster.

/Norway

 

[jpeirpont]

Thanks I am going check a few of these links out. I like J's especially. I may post a before and after eventually.

 

[Dakota rube]

I've always found it interesting to see how quickly an accent recurs. My speech has taken on some of the Scandinavian tendencies ridiculed in Fargo, but when I go to visit my kin I find that within a day or so some of the twang that used to dominate my speech has crept back in.

 

[Spilotro]

I'm fighting a battle every day to suppress my hick accent.

 

[Enzo]

Embrace it, it sets you apart from the rest of the masses. Don't worry about offending people, if your sincere when you speak people won't think you're mocking them.

 

[whodini]

Originally Posted by nerdykarim

There's a moose loose in the house.

/Canada
This cracked me up. JP, I agree with a few on here; embrace what you've got.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

I've been told that I have a very "American" accent by people from other countries. Especially Aussies/Kiwis.

I find this highly amusing.

 

[erdawe]

With most accent's I've noticed, it's certain sounds an syllables that stick out and can be noticeably different more than others. Ask some close friends the most obvious inflections stick out when you speek. Maybe start with 2-3 of these and conciously think about the proper pronounciation of these. This may take some weeks of months until you no longer have to conciously correct yourself on these. From here come back and ask the same friends if they notice any other small subtleties in your speech and repeat the process.

Ex.) I have a friend from India seems to have a knack for subbing "z" sounds for "j" sounds, so Enzyme will sound like Enjimes, ect. I know what he's saying, but it you notice it when you stop to think about it.

Habits take a long time to form, so it makes sense that they take a long time to be corrected. All in all, don't worry about it too much, but you could make it a long term deal to work on.

 

[West24]

some people say i sound marsupialed.

 

[HORNS]

The life of the wife is ended by the knife.

- Stewie Griffin

Seriously, though, I think you should absolutely not have an issue with your accent. It is a major part of who you are and I feel that trying to remove it is a betrayal to yourself.

 

[LabelKing]

I have a slightly non-rhotic accent no doubt the result of teachers who spoke with a lockjaw.

 

[modsquad]

Erdawe has a good idea. It's my impression that most dialects of a given language are characterized by just a few sounds, probably vowels, that are pronounced differently than the standard. Don't try and revamp your speech entirely, just concentrate on those. Get a book or two that shows you the position of the lips, tongue and jaw in the dialect and in the standard and do the exercises to alter your pronounciation. It's a physical change, just like any other workout.

i don't have any specific book suggestions, but you might try a book that tells actors how to make various accents and dialects and work backwards.

 

[thoran]

well you can over come this problem easily by watching hollywood films and concentrating on there accent.

 

[rolex]

Originally Posted by Lucky Strike

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.

 

[Britalian]

How To Get Rid of Your Accent