Do I Have An Accent??

[carlcarlcarl]

I've been speaking mostly English for five years now after moving to the UK when I was 15 but before then I did stay on and off in the summer months with my auntie in Wiltshire since I was nine. For almost three years now until a week ago nobody would say that I have an accent. My native English-speaking friends who don't have an accent always say that I don't (but is it because they're just used to it?). Recently the people I meet in the North and South Essex area (the ones that do have a noticeable South London accent) started asking me where I'm from because I have a slight accent. Why is it? Is that because I don't have a local or South London accent, or do I sound actually foreign? It bothers me because I want to know how I come across! XD

Thank you very much!

[Baldric]

Say something that might give us a clue CCC

[bainbrig]

We’ve ALL got accents, carl. Makes us interesting!

[Calicogirl]

Without hearing you no-one could say but don't worry about it if you have you'll just be a bit more dark and mysterious. Post a sound clip link and let's have a listen to you x

[The Builder]

Carl, don't worry about people from Essex.
They're just jealous because you sound better than they do ;o)

[choux]

Some people who have lived for a while in Wiltshire can speak with quite a burr. Such as Carl Tyler:

[carlcarlcarl]

Thank you so much guys, I totally agree with you! ;) I would attach a recording but I'm not sure if it's possible here...
It does make one sound very mysterious but I just wouldn't want to be discriminated or make anyone feel out of depth because I speak another language... It happens!

[Peter Pedant]

I asked someone if he were australian
and he said naa - essex . . . . oops
and then said people asked that quite a lot

[Tilly2]

Where are you from?

[-SharonA-]

I've been likened to a proper cockney!! Wotcher cock!

[retrocop]

Please don't fret yourself. Accents,I find, are intriguing and I always try to guess the origin.What pees me off are English/British people who adopt a phoney accent and various idioms from the country they have adopted.
My late sister emigrated and worked as a High School teacher in Canada in the 60's.She was a real English Rose and soon picked up the drawl of the Americas.It sounded phoney and crass.
Strange really because the Canadians,according to her,despised the water grabbing yanks but were happy to follow their diet,choice of cars and sayings.???
Please be happy and proud of your roots and don't let it worry you in this country.xx

[THECORBYLOON]

Everyone has an accent and it would be nothing to worry about if your native accent comes through now and again.

Some folk think a former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, is English yet it's obvious to me he's Scots.

[KARL]

Bainbrig is correct, within English there is a wide variation in the audible differences because there are distinct geographical pronunciation differences across the world. Moreover, there is a widespread interest in the quirky aspect to this but in Britain there is enormous interest in attaching various labels to individual based on their accent. These are not only regional/locality labels but, often more importantly, also to do with class. Non-British native English speaker are far less interested, it is enough for them to discover from which country the individual is and beyond that they just try to understand him/her.

[Baldric]

Berkshire,where proper English is spoken, although a few years back my bit was moved into Oxfordshire. Has it made a difference? Dunno, hardly been back since and have no plans to revisit tbh.

[Old_Geezer]

One doesn't attach recordings here. One posts a link to where the sound file is on the Net.