How to Lose Your Southern Accent
When I tell people that I was raised in Alabama, the first comment I generally get is "What happened to your accent?" I explain that I got rid of it, because I'd grown tired of jokes about outhouses and inbreeding.
I remember when my sister came to visit, she was in a shop on Hollywood and Highland and she was trying not to speak so that her accent wouldn't give her away as being a Southerner. The clerk said, "You sure are quiet." And she replied "I'm just tired." With a smile, he immediately asked, "Where are you from?"
You see, changing your accent begins with vowel sounds. My sister's pronunciation of the word "tired" sounded more like "tarred." The vowel sound should have been closer to "eye" that "ah". Another word that gives southerners away immediately (if they say it rather than HAY) is "hi." The trick is to add a slight y at the end. Another word I had to start pronouncing differently is "boil." It sounded more like bowl than boil. The trick is to sound slightly yankey and say "boyell" really quickly. Oh and cement. It's not pronounced "see-ment". You get laughed at if you say it that way. "You" is not pronounced "yew" so much as "yoo." You get the picture.
It also helps to watch a lot of tv. That way you can begin to mimic accents you hear. This does not apply to movies such as Forrest Gump or Walk the Line.
So if wanna lose that accent, watch your vowels and watch a lot of tv. I'd also like to add that I am not encouraging you to lose your southern accent. It's part of your roots, so embrace it, rather than selling out like me. I was actually annoyed when my sister felt like she had to stay quiet or get mocked. Southerners aren't stupid. Many are kind, loving people who will be nice to you for no reason. And come now, can you really say a New York accent sounds any more educated? I didn't think so.
When I tell people that I was raised in Alabama, the first comment I generally get is "What happened to your accent?" I explain that I got rid of it, because I'd grown tired of jokes about outhouses and inbreeding.
I remember when my sister came to visit, she was in a shop on Hollywood and Highland and she was trying not to speak so that her accent wouldn't give her away as being a Southerner. The clerk said, "You sure are quiet." And she replied "I'm just tired." With a smile, he immediately asked, "Where are you from?"
You see, changing your accent begins with vowel sounds. My sister's pronunciation of the word "tired" sounded more like "tarred." The vowel sound should have been closer to "eye" that "ah". Another word that gives southerners away immediately (if they say it rather than HAY) is "hi." The trick is to add a slight y at the end. Another word I had to start pronouncing differently is "boil." It sounded more like bowl than boil. The trick is to sound slightly yankey and say "boyell" really quickly. Oh and cement. It's not pronounced "see-ment". You get laughed at if you say it that way. "You" is not pronounced "yew" so much as "yoo." You get the picture.
It also helps to watch a lot of tv. That way you can begin to mimic accents you hear. This does not apply to movies such as Forrest Gump or Walk the Line.
So if wanna lose that accent, watch your vowels and watch a lot of tv. I'd also like to add that I am not encouraging you to lose your southern accent. It's part of your roots, so embrace it, rather than selling out like me. I was actually annoyed when my sister felt like she had to stay quiet or get mocked. Southerners aren't stupid. Many are kind, loving people who will be nice to you for no reason. And come now, can you really say a New York accent sounds any more educated? I didn't think so.
