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Do Brits dislike American accents?

Sorry for the random question but I am planning on attending uni and I'm nervous about how other students will perceive me because of how I speak. I have a typical American accent (no southern draw or intense city slang), the ones seen in most American movies and TV shows (Grey's anatomy etc, sorry if you don't know what the hell I'm talking about). I live near Philadelphia now but I will be leaving for London to attend uni in the future. I'm just super nervous about how people will perceive me because I'm American and have a different accent than them. Will my accent make me less likely to make friends, and will it annoy people? (if this changes anything, Im a girl, don't think it will though)

I would hate to show up to school and be seen as the weird foreign kid and feel like a outsider so any insight anyone has would be so helpful!
(edited 6 years ago)

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Reply 1
I don't think so; at least not across the board. It'll be a bit of a novelty for most people but that's about it.
"american accent" be more specific lol. some accents are ok but i really hate that "so like totally" dumb girl accent. drives me nuts.
No.

People will obviously recognise that you're not from here and probably find that interesting.

People will also find it funny when you try to pronounce Bicester or Loughborough or Birmingham, but you'll get over it.
Reply 4
Original post by loner4life125
"american accent" be more specific lol. some accents are ok but i really hate that "so like totally" dumb girl accent. drives me nuts.


Definitely not a dumb girl accent, at least I don't think because those annoy the hell out of me too. Im from Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, if that gives you any idea, I sound like any generic American accent you would hear on TV. I definitely do not sound southern at all though. Thanks
I think they more dislike the arrogant people rather than the accent
Original post by alex20116
Definitely not a dumb girl accent, at least I don't think because those annoy the hell out of me too. Im from Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, if that gives you any idea, I sound like any generic American accent you would hear on TV. I definitely do not sound southern at all though. Thanks


I used to live next door to a family from Pennsylvania when I was young... that's a pretty generic accent that I don't think anyone will have trouble understanding.

Mostly people will be friendly but you'll probably eventually run into some implacable anti-Americans belonging to fringe political or religious sects on a typical Brit campus TBH
Reply 7
Original post by Joinedup
I used to live next door to a family from Pennsylvania when I was young... that's a pretty generic accent that I don't think anyone will have trouble understanding.

Mostly people will be friendly but you'll probably eventually run into some implacable anti-Americans belonging to fringe political or religious sects on a typical Brit campus TBH


Thanks soooo much seriously. One more thing, will my accent/heritage make me stand out in a way that I become an outsider to all the students who are from Britain and all speak the same. I don't want to be the foreign exchange student that everyone is friendly with but doesn't nececarily want to be friends with. I really want to be certain before I move across a ocean for up to 5 years of my life lol. Thanks, and sorry for sounding like a crazy paranoid person.
Reply 8
Original post by alex20116
Thanks soooo much seriously. One more thing, will my accent/heritage make me stand out in a way that I become an outsider to all the students who are from Britain and all speak the same. I don't want to be the foreign exchange student that everyone is friendly with but doesn't nececarily want to be friends with. I really want to be certain before I move across a ocean for up to 5 years of my life lol. Thanks, and sorry for sounding like a crazy paranoid person.


Haha, we don't all speak the same -some of our accents are more odd than yours will be!
I was having a conversation with a Scottish friend and got "****ing American" from a guy behind me on a bus in Nottingham.

What are you studying? I did politics and encountered quite a few people who were openly hostile towards me based purely on my accent.
Reply 10
Original post by Sabertooth
I was having a conversation with a Scottish friend and got "****ing American" from a guy behind me on a bus in Nottingham.

What are you studying? I did politics and encountered quite a few people who were openly hostile towards me based purely on my accent.


I totally understand that, and thats what makes me so nervous. Im planning to study undergraduate at Kings for medicine (but things can always change) but I travel to London periodically. Every time I would get on the underground and have a conversation with someone I could practically feel people judging me harshly and even received a glare or two. I love London and its people but I don't exactly feel like thats reciprocated lol.
Original post by alex20116
I totally understand that, and thats what makes me so nervous. Im planning to study undergraduate at Kings for medicine (but things can always change) but I travel to London periodically. Every time I would get on the underground and have a conversation with someone I could practically feel people judging me harshly and even received a glare or two. I love London and its people but I don't exactly feel like thats reciprocated lol.


When you say you had a conversation with someone on the tube I hope you don't mean a stranger! :tongue:

I don't even have a very strong accent, it's kind of a British-US hybrid due to living in each for a number of years but yeah definitely get looks sometimes comments. A nurse once congratulated me on my "very good English", I'm just like, it's my first language. :lolwut:

You'll probably not encounter a lot of prejudiced people doing medicine, whereas with politics US foreign policy is always a thorny issue. Just don't criticize the NHS (especially as an American), it's like British people's holy grail. :no: But I guess you'll be working in it so....:beard:
Original post by alex20116
I totally understand that, and thats what makes me so nervous. Im planning to study undergraduate at Kings for medicine (but things can always change) but I travel to London periodically. Every time I would get on the underground and have a conversation with someone I could practically feel people judging me harshly and even received a glare or two. I love London and its people but I don't exactly feel like thats reciprocated lol.


you'll have broken the unwritten rules of the underground... But it'll be different around campus when it's students everywhere.
Reply 13
Original post by Joinedup
you'll have broken the unwritten rules of the underground... But it'll be different around campus when it's students everywhere.


Honestly, I probably did, I'm a quiet by nature normally but the person I was traveling with always speaks insanely loud (almost yelling occasionally) without realizing it so thats probably where it came from. But thanks for the advice it makes me feel better about it!
Reply 14
Original post by Sabertooth
When you say you had a conversation with someone on the tube I hope you don't mean a stranger! :tongue:

I don't even have a very strong accent, it's kind of a British-US hybrid due to living in each for a number of years but yeah definitely get looks sometimes comments. A nurse once congratulated me on my "very good English", I'm just like, it's my first language. :lolwut:

You'll probably not encounter a lot of prejudiced people doing medicine, whereas with politics US foreign policy is always a thorny issue. Just don't criticize the NHS (especially as an American), it's like British people's holy grail. :no: But I guess you'll be working in it so....:beard:


hahahah, not a stranger thankfully. Oh God, have you ever gotten good comments about it, I feel so ugly with my accent compared to British ones. I can't stand the idea of prejudice, do you really think in a field like medicine there will be much of that?
You get your fair share of idiots as you would anywhere but I wouldn't worry too much about it. London especially is a melting pot anyway so I doubt anyone would even bat an eyelid.

The average xenophobic person here doesn't class people from Anglophone countries as proper(for lack of a better word) foreigners.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by alex20116
Sorry for the random question but I am planning on attending uni and I'm nervous about how other students will perceive me because of how I speak. I have a typical American accent (no southern draw or intense city slang), the ones seen in most American movies and TV shows (Grey's anatomy etc, sorry if you don't know what the hell I'm talking about). I live near Philadelphia now but I will be leaving for London to attend uni in the future. I'm just super nervous about how people will perceive me because I'm American and have a different accent than them. Will my accent make me less likely to make friends, and will it annoy people? (if this changes anything, Im a girl, don't think it will though)

I would hate to show up to school and be seen as the weird foreign kid and feel like a outsider so any insight anyone has would be so helpful!


I'm going to sound like a right proper a**hole for saying this but yes, I do find some parts of the accent very annoying much like I find my very own Norfolk accent very annoying. Most other people love the American accent and some try to emulate it (Mainly young kids who watch far too much American tv) but I just find it so bloody annoying to listen to at times. For example, instead of saying "Care" like an Englishman would, they say "Carerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr". But maybe they only do that in California, I don't know. But you're worrying a bit too much here because contrary to what you might think, your accent will help a lot when it comes to making friends over here; your accent and where you come from will be a great conversation starter :smile:
(edited 6 years ago)
It's not the accent that can be an issue it is the way that you behave. Talking and acting like a spoilt brat will not go down well, for example. Being polite and not overbearing should cause no issues.
Just prepare for sarcastic remarks about the presidency
Original post by alex20116
Sorry for the random question but I am planning on attending uni and I'm nervous about how other students will perceive me because of how I speak. I have a typical American accent (no southern draw or intense city slang), the ones seen in most American movies and TV shows (Grey's anatomy etc, sorry if you don't know what the hell I'm talking about). I live near Philadelphia now but I will be leaving for London to attend uni in the future. I'm just super nervous about how people will perceive me because I'm American and have a different accent than them. Will my accent make me less likely to make friends, and will it annoy people? (if this changes anything, Im a girl, don't think it will though)

I would hate to show up to school and be seen as the weird foreign kid and feel like a outsider so any insight anyone has would be so helpful!


personally I hate it, it's border line racism but I cant help it. I dont know if it's because when I was younger my mum always corrected how I speak such as "it's isnt it! not innit!" then when I hear americans speaking, I just think "it's duty, not doody!" and sometimes I cant watch american shows because the accent annoys me. But the funny thing is I dont speak perfectly anyway, like I could say "woh you doin?" instead of "what are you doing?", but I still just dont like the sound of the american accent. It's the turning the letter t into d and turning the U into ooh that I dislike like the most. But, I'm a weird person, I think most people wont mind as much. Also, I try to be tolerant so I'd be nice to an american person even if I dont like their accent. Also if youre a girl if you're good looking then all the guys will like you (and maybe all the girls will hate you I dont know about girl stuff)

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