How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??

I didn't realise that I had a "plummy" accent until I was on my gap year in America and met several Brits generally from the Northern side of the UK. Living in the South, the people that I'm around pretty much sound like how I sound in my ears. But I've dreams of going to Liverpool for university, and my newly-made friends(from the North) are telling me that I will get "mugged" or taken the piss out of all the time. I don't really believe that's true, but I didn't realise that my "accent" could be such a bother/noticeable to some people. I personally find Northern accents and the North in general beautiful and fascinating, but apparently I'm better off just studying in Oxford.. as stereotype puts it. Some people even think that my accent is "put on" or think that I'm "trying to be posh" because apparently "your accent is just too posh to be genuine". I didn't really notice this, or heard this until I came across people with "regional accents". (Sorry for the overusage of inverted commas. I'm getting a bit carried away lol). Anyway to make a long story a bit shorter, my friend recorded my voice and made me listen to it, and I have to admit that it really does sound quite ridiculous. I sound just awful, like the snootiest voice you could ever hear. If that's how I sound to other people, I really would like to change it. I mean if it was someone else talking, I'd think they were looking for a serious beating. That's how bad it is. Problem is, I'm not really good at immitating accents. I can't even do an American one properly, and that's supposed to be the easiest accent there is!! Any advice??

Reply 1

Chengis

13

Any chance you could upload a link to a recording of your voice?

Reply 2

TheSownRose

16

Just accept you're posh and stay down here where it's safe.

Reply 3

lafeeverte05

OP

Well the one I recorded with my friend is on her mobile so I don't know how I could get that up here. And I could record it on my iPhone but again, I don't know how to translate it from a file to a link. I'm not really technilogically advanced haha.

Reply 4

Chengis

13

Original post by TheSownRose

Just accept you're posh and stay down here where it's safe.

lol! Safe from those sub-human savage beasts that dare to mock your accent?

Reply 5

TheSownRose

16

Original post by Chengis

lol! Safe from those sub-human savage beasts that dare to mock your accent?

Indeed.

Reply 6

RamocitoMorales

21

The Great Wall of England,

It can be seen from space.

Reply 7

rajandkwameali

2

Accept your own accent, and don't let what others think dissuade you.

Reply 8

Bunkd

1

Original post by RamocitoMorales

The Great Wall of England,

It can be seen from space.

Birmingham lies solidly on the other side of that sacred line :yep:

Pretty much anything above Cambridge is a no-go area

Reply 9

TheSownRose

16

Original post by Bunkd

Birmingham lies solidly on the other side of that sacred line :yep:

Pretty much anything above Cambridge is a no-go area

I'll give most of Cambridgeshire ... but Peterborough is definitely above The Great Divide.

Reply 10

Ultimate_Geek

15

Don't

.

Reply 11

Sakura-Chan

20

Don't change your accent. It sounds like it's quite nice from what you've said :h:

If you go to uni up north, it will be fine! If you try and fake one, then that's where people will think you're a weirdo.

And after a year or so you'll probably get a bit of a northern accent mashed in with your own anyway :awesome:

Reply 12

Scubar

don't talk with plums in your mouth?

talking with your mouth full is kind of rude anyway

Reply 13

Hooovan*

3

Take the opposite of elocution lessons?

Reply 14

jjarvis

14

Original post by TheSownRose

I'll give most of Cambridgeshire ... but Peterborough is definitely above The Great Divide.

Lincolnshire, too.

Reply 15

rajandkwameali

2

lol.. OP is a fool who lacks confidence.

Reply 16

username133326

16

Original post by Bunkd

Birmingham lies solidly on the other side of that sacred line :yep:

Pretty much anything above Cambridge is a no-go area

indeed, the north-south divide is officially a line drawn from the Severn to The Wash...

Reply 17

Mittalmar

10

Watch Lee nelson + Ally G... Learn

Or just watch your prefered accent on YouTube and practice loads.

Reply 18

HEJ92

12

Original post by lafeeverte05

I didn't realise that I had a "plummy" accent until I was on my gap year in America and met several Brits generally from the Northern side of the UK. Living in the South, the people that I'm around pretty much sound like how I sound in my ears. But I've dreams of going to Liverpool for university, and my newly-made friends(from the North) are telling me that I will get "mugged" or taken the piss out of all the time. I don't really believe that's true, but I didn't realise that my "accent" could be such a bother/noticeable to some people. I personally find Northern accents and the North in general beautiful and fascinating, but apparently I'm better off just studying in Oxford.. as stereotype puts it. Some people even think that my accent is "put on" or think that I'm "trying to be posh" because apparently "your accent is just too posh to be genuine". I didn't really notice this, or heard this until I came across people with "regional accents". (Sorry for the overusage of inverted commas. I'm getting a bit carried away lol). Anyway to make a long story a bit shorter, my friend recorded my voice and made me listen to it, and I have to admit that it really does sound quite ridiculous. I sound just awful, like the snootiest voice you could ever hear. If that's how I sound to other people, I really would like to change it. I mean if it was someone else talking, I'd think they were looking for a serious beating. That's how bad it is. Problem is, I'm not really good at immitating accents. I can't even do an American one properly, and that's supposed to be the easiest accent there is!! Any advice??

Honestly, the people who have told you that you'll be mugged or mocked are being really immature.

At uni, people have a bit of banter about accents, but tbh no one is immature enough to mock someone for having an accent. People don't go to uni to pick on people they go to get a degree, make new friends (regardless of accent) and have fun..

Reply 19

catrinaribena

I'm from Scotland, but having two very English parents meant I grew up with a bit of a "plummy" accent that used to get called posh when I was younger. However, over time and spending time with more Scottish people it's really not like that anymore. I dunno what it is, a bit of both :L and I used to have a proper Leith accent when I was a toddler. I get told I sound Scottish when I go to England, and that I sound a bit English when I'm in Scotland, can't win.

Anyways, my point is that if you go to uni in the north, it'll probably naturally subside a bit anyway. Don't worry about it :L and don't try and change it for the sake of it. Anyone taking the piss is clearly a bit of a prat.

(edited 13 years ago)

How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??

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