Communication Solutions for Global Business

Hi everyone!

Well, after SO many requests to do an Accent Tag video, I’ve finally done it! Here you go!

I’m originally from Modesto, California, the birthplace of filmmaker George Lucas and Gallo Wineries. I haven’t lived in California since 2002, so my accent has definitely changed and I’ve started incorporating some Global English pronunciations in my speech. I’ll try to explain the differences in this video.

I would LOVE to see you make one of these videos so I can hear YOUR accent!! Please post your Accent Tag video as a reply to this one so I’m sure to see it! 🙂

Here’s the list.

The Words:
Aunt, Roof, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught, Naturally, Aluminum, Envelope

The Questions:
1. What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
2. What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
3. What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
4. What do you call gym shoes?
5. What do you say to address a group of people?
6. What do you call the kind of spider (or spider-like creature) that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
7. What do you call your grandparents?
8. What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
9. What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
10. What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Looking forward to seeing your videos!

Heather Hansen
Clear Speech Specialist
English Pronunciation Lab

If you’d like to learn more about clear speech and pronunciation, please visit me at http://bit.ly/free8-partproncourse and sign up for my free, 8-part pronunciation short course.

I’ll see you there!

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http://facebook.com/globalspeechacademy

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. alahollywood

    Hi Heather, great video, as a hispanic-american living in the states for a
    couple of decades this is still very helpful. thanks!!
    BTW the answer in 7:00 is rainbow.

  9. Paul J. Morton

    Hi Heather! I’ve been doing some videos about me trying to develop my
    English speaking skills and I was inspired you to make my own accent tag
    video. My native language is Finnish and I’m hoping to achieve native level
    some day, so I’ll take a deeper look at your videos. Thanks! My tag video
    is here: watch?v=Yx0oPGXc954

  13. Denise Clements

    I’m happy to have found these very interesting videos. My sister teases me
    all the time because I speak with an accent. I’m not sure where I picked it
    up from .I sound differently than people I live around. I don’t know.

  15. Maxben L

    I’ve been told that Canadians pronounce things clearer and broader, so
    that’s probably what that’s about. I do feel that they do (I lived much of
    my life in Toronto) based on my experiences going “down south”, but as a
    non-native speaker I can’t be sure if that’s actually a thing.

  16. roflmows

    there’s something sexy about a woman with a nice voice who uses proper
    grammar. it’s sad that this vid only has 10k views, while celebrity news bs
    gets millions x.x

    good job heather, excelsior….

  17. Daniel Devan

    Dear Madam, please let me know what accent are you on, whether British or
    American and what is the different between both accent please teach me ,
    from Sri Lanka, Daniel

    • Heather Hansen

      Hi Daniel. That's a harder question to answer than you'd think. I was born and raised in California, but have lived and worked in Asia and Europe since 2002. Over time, my accent has changed. I would still classify it as North American, but depending on the situation (for example, if I'm teaching, or speaking to large international audiences) I add elements of global English pronunciation (most notably, a crisp intervocalic 't' in words like 'water' instead of a 'flapped' American 't' because linguistic studies show that that sound is understood more easily. This is probably why I am regularly told that I am very easy to understand and speak very clearly. In my courses, I choose to focus on intelligibility, not accent. I believe an accent doesn't matter as long as you articulate your consonant sounds correctly, know how long to hold vowel sounds and understand the patterning of the English language.

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