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

Questions and advice about everyday life, from post office opening times to eBay queries or what to buy your loved one for their birthday.

Announcements Posted on
Enter our travel-writing competition for the chance to win a Nikon 1 J3 camera 21-05-2013
Sign in to Reply
  1. lafeeverte05's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Location: London
    • Posts: 6
    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??
  2. Chengis's Avatar
    • Benevolent Member
    • Location: London, UK
    • Posts: 672
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    Any chance you could upload a link to a recording of your voice?
  3. TheSownRose's Avatar
    • PS Helper
    • TSR Royalty
    • Location: Alone up on the hills and snow
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    Just accept you're posh and stay down here where it's safe.
  4. lafeeverte05's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Location: London
    • Posts: 6
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    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.
  5. Chengis's Avatar
    • Benevolent Member
    • Location: London, UK
    • Posts: 672
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    (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?
  6. TheSownRose's Avatar
    • PS Helper
    • TSR Royalty
    • Location: Alone up on the hills and snow
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    (Original post by Chengis)
    lol! Safe from those sub-human savage beasts that dare to mock your accent?
    Indeed. :haughty:
  7. RamocitoMorales's Avatar
    • TSR Demigod
    • Posts: 5,627
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    The Great Wall of England,



    It can be seen from space.
  8. rajandkwameali's Avatar
    • Banned
    • Posts: 6,593
    • Warning points: 1000
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    Accept your own accent, and don't let what others think dissuade you.
  9. Bunkd's Avatar
    • Peer Of The TSR Realm
    • Location: South Kensington
    • Posts: 1,926
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    (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
  10. TheSownRose's Avatar
    • PS Helper
    • TSR Royalty
    • Location: Alone up on the hills and snow
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    (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.
  11. Ultimate_Geek's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    • Location: 'Murica
    • Posts: 2,406
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    Don't :love:.
  12. Sakura-Chan's Avatar
    • Section Leader
    • Scallywag Supermoderator
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    Don't change your accent. It sounds like it's quite nice from what you've said 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:
  13. Scubar's Avatar
    • Scubar is Batman now
    • Posts: 2,650
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    don't talk with plums in your mouth?

    talking with your mouth full is kind of rude anyway
  14. Hooovan*'s Avatar
    • Banned
    • Posts: 880
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    Take the opposite of elocution lessons?
  15. jjarvis's Avatar
    • PS Helper
    • Vengeful, Imperial Overlord of The Student Room
    • Location: London
    • Posts: 4,125
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    (Original post by TheSownRose)
    I'll give most of Cambridgeshire ... but Peterborough is definitely above The Great Divide.
    Lincolnshire, too.
  16. rajandkwameali's Avatar
    • Banned
    • Posts: 6,593
    • Warning points: 1000
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    lol.. OP is a fool who lacks confidence.
  17. Barden's Avatar
    • TSR Idol
    • Location: Bangor (Term-time)
    • Posts: 7,771
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    (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...
  18. Mittalmar's Avatar
    • Adored and Respected Member
    • Location: Thimphu
    • Posts: 577
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    Watch Lee nelson + Ally G... Learn

    Or just watch your prefered accent on YouTube and practice loads.
  19. HEJ92's Avatar
    • Exalted and Worshipped Member
    • Location: England
    • Posts: 1,236
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    (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..
  20. catrinaribena's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Location: Edinburgh
    • Posts: 67
    Re: How to get rid of my "plummy" accent??
    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.
    Last edited by catrinaribena; 10-01-2011 at 01:28.
Sign in to Reply
Share this discussion:  
Useful resources

Quick Link:

Advice on everyday issues unanswered threads

Groups associated with this forum:

View associated groups
Article updates
Moderators

We have a brilliant team of more than 60 volunteers looking after discussions on The Student Room, helping to make it a fun, safe and useful place to hang out.

Reputation gems:
The Reputation gems seen here indicate how well reputed the user is, red gem indicate negative reputation and green indicates a good rep.
Post rating score:
These scores show if a post has been positively or negatively rated by our members.