It’s likely that many individuals have remarked, “Oh, they speak with a British accent!” or something similar.
The truth is that depending on where someone is speaking, their British accent varies greatly. They occasionally might even differ from town to town.
There is no such thing as a single British accent; you can hear accents from people who are English, Welsh, Northern Irish, or Scottish.
One of the hardest talents to master is pronunciation. However, we’ll show you how to adopt a genuine London accent in this article!
What Type Of British Accent Do Londoners Have?
The cockney accent, which is typically heard in East London, is also used to describe anyone from London.
You must modify the ‘th’ sound in words like think and thank you to a ‘f’ sound if you want to sound cockney.
You will therefore utter “fink” and “fank you.” It will make you sound more cockney if you omit the ‘h’ sound from words like happy, hotel, and holiday.
Thus, you would say “oliday,” “otel,” and “appy.” Here is a well-known Cockney accent sample.
What Are Some Of The Best Ways To Speak With A London Accent?
The phrase “London accent” is more accurately referred to as “received pronunciation”.
It is “The standard accent of the English language” and is used in this sentence, which is common in many areas of London.
Whatever name you give it, you can definitely master this accent. How exactly is an English accent, particularly one from London, pronounced?
Consider the following ideas:
- Pay Attention To How People Are Speaking
Your best bet is to watch BBC programming if you want to start sounding more like a Londoner.
Try to watch how their speakers move their lips and how they use their tongues and mouths.
There are regional shows as well, so you might pick up a northern, southern, or Geordie accent in the process!
You should focus on trying to understand how these noises are coming out of their mouth in addition to paying attention to the sounds that are coming from their mouth.
How much of their mouth do they use to produce them? Try to mimic their speech patterns.
Alternatively, you might record yourself reciting the same phrases and contrast them with the original. Don’t worry if you seem silly, because this approach will definitely work.
- Pay More Attention To Consonants
Consonants should be pronounced slightly more precisely in a Standard London accent than they should in an American one.
The “t” sound is most affected by this alteration. For instance, the word battle is pronounced “bat-ul” as opposed to “ba-dul.”
Be careful not to push this too far. Consonants should be pronounced softly and slowly to avoid sounding choppy and unnatural.
- Drop Your Jaw
This is the cornerstone of speaking with a decent Standard London accent, so prepare to drop your jaw.
In comparison to when you’re doing a general American accent, you’ll need to lower your jaw about twice as much.
It will initially feel strange because it is a brand-new movement, in part. It doesn’t help that many of us have a lot of strain on our jaws.
We would unquestionably advise including jaw-loosening activities in your dialect practice regimen.
- Lip Corners Should Be Brought Forward
Similar to the third tip, this strategy will seem odd. In contrast to other accents, which tend to be wider and shallower, the London accent is typically narrower and lengthier.
Your mouth makes different shapes for each accent, which reflects this
The form you need to produce for this sound is nearly like a kissing face if you’re not sure how to make it in the most basic sense.
This will make it easier to pronounce words with the “aw” sound, such as saw, draw, more, and floor.
- American And British Pronunciations Of Certain Words
The UK and US have quite distinct pronunciations of some words. Therefore, learning these words by heart will help you sound more British and Londoner, and prevent you from pronouncing them incorrectly.
Here are some words you can practice speaking out loud to get you started.
- Mobile: In the UK (MOH-bye-ul) and in the US (MOH-buhl).
- Water: In the UK (WAH-ta) and in the US (wodder).
- Advertisement: In the UK (uhd-VER-tis-ment) and in the US (AD-ver-ties-ment).
- Herb: In the UK (hERB) and in the US (HURB).
- Niche: In the UK (neesh) and in the US (nitch).
- Neither: In the UK (NIGH-thuh) and in the US (NEE-thuh).
- Take Out The Rs
Even if this one might not make sense, do bear with us. The majority of British accents replace “ah,” “eh,” or “uh” for the “r” sound in words.
The preceding vowel affects this before the letter “r.” The rule only applies at the endings of words or syllables when the beginning of the following word or syllable is a consonant.
For example, the “r” in scarcely would be altered to an “ah” and pronounced “hah-dly,” but the “r” in Harry would be pronounced “Ha-ry.”
However, it is pronounced When the “r” sound occurs at the end of a word or syllable and is followed by one that starts with a vowel, the words are connected by the “r” sound.
The words are almost interchangeable. “Where are you?” would be an illustration of this. Which form of “wheh-rah-you” is proper?
- With Native Speakers, Work On Your London Accent
Practicing your accent on native speakers is the best method to improve it.
For instance, you may use language exchange to meet a companion from England, or you could look around your neighborhood for a British bar or cultural organization!
- Take It Slow
Learning a new accent can be challenging. Use a memorized passage from your preferred movie, TV program, or play to practice steadily yet consistently.
Practice your accent in ordinary conversation until it sounds more natural once you are comfortable with these sound modifications.
Since you won’t likely see them again, have a conversation with a barista or waiter in your new accent so you can use it without feeling awkward.