How can i have a British accent?

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Rainier

For a start, you'd have to change a lot of vocabulary. It amazes me how British people are completely au fait with American vocabulary like 'sidewalk', 'pants' and 'egg plant', but when a British person mentions 'the pavement', 'trousers' or 'aubergine' then it's blank faces time.

Another aspect of British English is that there are so many variations and accents. If i were to speak with a Yorkshire accent, in some cases it could almost be unintelligable to a Londoner.

It would be almost impossible to 'learn' an accent, just to pick up bits of it.

I'd guess some main starting points would be not drawling vowels and opening them. (as in 'darling' not 'dahling'). Also, the word 'like' is only used as a comparative adjective, not as a word that is put in a sentance wherever you feel like putting it!

english guy 1985

what do you mean a British accent? If you mean the way Hugh Grant and the Queen speak , probably less than 10% of the population actually speak like that - it's a cultivated, geographically neutral accent associated with the elite and the establishment.

There are dozens if not hundreds of accents and dialect that change by country (England/Scotland/Wales), region and area and of course social class.

andrew_is_mean

there is already enough people who aren't British that have horrible accents so just talk the way you always have talked for everyone so we don't have to hear your bad try at a British accent

dinodino

Watch Monty Pthyon reruns and old english movies over and over. And practice talking like the people in the movies an d on TV.

Also, FYI there are dozens of regional accents in England that are quite distinct. For example if you listen to the Bealtles in interviews and their movies they have a "scouse" or Liverpool accent - especially George and Ringo.

Dr.Jellyfish

Good evening, I recommend drinking with the Earl of Grey every morning (no milk, with a slice of lemon).

Strudders67

There's no such thing as a British accent - we all talk differently, depending on which area we come from (and, to a lesser degree, where our parents come from).

Adacadus

Watch some monty python (there's loads on YouTube), and interviews with british stars. Also, you could listen/watch some BBC programmes.

thespoonmachine

Actually we do use 'like' in the wrong places a lot, especially in slang. There is no such thing as a 'British' accent because Britain is such a general term and there are many accents within it. A Scottish accent is hardly the same as a Cockney one, etc. But if you mean a general English accent I would watch a lot of English tv programs. If you want slang watch soaps and if you want posh watch something like Jeeves and Wooster. If you just take it a bit at a time then you can mimic how the words are being said then get the general gist of how it goes.
Ive tried to explain some differences I don't know if they help:
Posh: Put stress on the beginnings of sentences and break the words down: "well actually" becomes "Well ACT-u-a-lly". Try to hum rather than drawl.
Slang: Speak really fast? Shorten vowel sounds or miss them out altogether. Again break the words into syllables. If it's Cockney drop the 't's off then ends of words. "Thats a great picture" to "Tha's a greyt pic-cha"
Geordie (Newcastle accent) "I don't think so" to "A dinnit think sa"

maricris

u should be taking up a speech class. and after that, try practising it.

NOLA guy

People usually "learn" accents from their friends and school mates. It is an unconscious process most of the time.

However, you can consciously learn to speak with a specific accent if you work at it. Professional coaching is best, but you can also copy the speech patterns of British actors in popular films.

However, actually impersonating someone from the UK will be VERY difficult unless you can live there for a long time. As another answer pointed out, there are vocabulary differences (gas/petrol, cookie/biscuit, etc.) and not all British accents are the same. There is also the curious phenomenon of "rhyming slang" that is made fun of in the Austin Powers movie "Goldmember" (scene with Michael Caine). I don't know how you could possibly learn that without living it.

Albert

The best way is to actually live in England for a long period of time. If that is not possible, try watching British TV programs particularly news coverages where you can start being influenced by how the British speak.

Holly s

why on EARTH would you want a british accent. im from london and frankly the accent sucks, its just my opinion but id die for an american accent i just go all soppy when i hear an american talk <3 To talk like us just talk real deep, slow and posh <<< see we all sound like men in my eye's =].

Michael B

Watch all recent Madonna interviews and do what she does.

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