I'm currently in America (so I have an American accent) but when I'm older (I'm almost 14 right now) I'm planing on moving to London, so would it be possible for me to get s British accent? Just curious!
Yes, you could. If you spend enough time with people who have an accent, or speak a foreign language with the correct accent, it will eventually come through without even trying. You won't lose your previous accent altogether, though; it will just become less pronounced.
For example, my dad has a friend who comes from Indiana. To me, a Brit, he sounds very much American, yet to an American, he has a British accent.
If you're asking on how you can get an English accent without moving to Britain, it depends what type of accent you're going for. I'll use the Queen's English and Cockney British as examples.
First and foremost, the 't's, 'd's and 'g's in the Queen's English (what our stereotypical accent is) are VERY harsh, and often the focus, if you will, of the word. In Cockney British, however, the 't's are often omitted entirely, leaving a slight pause in the middle of the word.
i.e. BiTish; Bri'ish.
The 'a' sounds differ too:
Queen's English: gr-ah-ss.
Cockney British: gra-ss.
The 'th' sounds in a word are slightly different too. In the Queen's English, they kind of slide off roof of your mouth and roll slightly, I suppose? It's hard to explain. Anyway, it's generally the next syllable after the 'th' or the one after that that is emphasised most. In Cockney British, the 'th' sounds become 'f's or even 'v's.
i.e. "One would have thOUghT thAT ...."
"I would've fought va'..."
You won't actually find a British person using 'one' as way of saying 'I' or 'you' or whatever very often unless they're mimicking someone or acting ridiculous, but we're kind of throwing the boundaries of realism out here.
Finally, we use a lot more long, meandering sentences with lots of clauses and commas in our speech and writing. Sort of like that sentence, for example. In my limited interaction with Americans, and having read American books and such, they tend to use shorter sentences with fewer clauses than the British, unless we happen to be in a conversation, in which case we can be very brief.
I hope I've answered your question in the way you were hoping!
As the others have said "British accent" can mean a huge variety of accents. I assume you mean the sort of accents you see on Hollywood films.
Look at YouTube for Geordie accent (Newcastle) and Scouse accent (Liverpool)., Glaswegian (Glasgow). Londonderry (Northern Ireland and Cardiff (Wales). It might surprise you.
The older you are, the harder it is to change your accent naturally. The Bricklayer is right. There are Americans and Canadians who have lived here for many years and they still have strong traces of their original accents.
Yes.
I have gone through 3 accents due to being immersed in different culture.
When you are surrounded 24/7 by people that speaks a certain way you start sounding like them.
We have hundreds of accents here,there is no such thing as a "British Accent"
I know Americans that have been living here for years,I know one chap who stayed here at the end of WW2,so he had been here for 70 years.
They all still have American accents,even if it is a trace.
Which accent? the UK has many accents and regional dialects-
London has more than one kind of accent too
Are you aware that one just cannot Move to another country? there are Strict Laws & Rules.
To live/go to school or work in the UK you >>Must>> Qualify for a Visa and have the Funds to move
suggest you go to the UK Immigration & Visa site and learn the Rules/ Laws about it
https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigrat...
Your US accent will probably get diluted, but you'll never sound British to a UK person.
The Accent in the UK can change in a few miles
No.
What exactly is a 'British accent' anyway?
yes because i have 13
