[dtle]

I've been binging on many shows lately (haven't we all?), and while watching some UK ones, I noticed that seems to be many different accents (though I can't begin to say which is which).

Is it true that since the UK have all the different accents of English, Irish, and Scottish, there is so many different ones than in America?

Or is it just me being an American, and don't know noticed all the different American accents, because I've been hearing them all my life?

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

The latter?

We definitely have a lot of accents! I suspect there are as many Southern accents here as total accents in England...

 

[KDeFlane]

"The British Isles is made up many, many different accents and dialects - more than 37 dialects at the last count."
versus
~20 regional accents in the USA
(based on slapdash google search)

 

[JohnB1000]

37 seems to be underselling it. In the UK the accents are so different for places so close. Liverpool and Manchester are about 20 miles apart but have totally different accents.

 

[Steveknj]

"The British Isles is made up many, many different accents and dialects - more than 37 dialects at the last count."
versus
~20 regional accents in the USA
(based on slapdash google search)

I think there are more accents than just the regional once in the USA. For example people in NY sound different from people from NJ. Not to mention, there's foreign accents as well. PA sounds different as well. If you have your ear tuned to accents you can tell the difference

 

[pgogborn]

Know the Difference Between a Brooklyn Accent and a Bronx Accent? Here's a Tutorial by Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini | TVWeek

Sometimes when Peter Calpadi was playing Doctor Who he would deliberately replace his generic Scottish accent with a specificly Glaswegian one, turned in audience members could infer a shift in tone of character.

I have always assumed when an actor who is not necessarily from the Bronx emphasizes a Bronx accent I can infer something about the character they are playing.

 

[gweempose]

I recall reading an article years ago that discussed how in England many of the accents are tied to class in a way that they aren't here in the US.

 

[ej42137]

One Woman, 17 British Accents - Anglophenia Ep 5

The first time I watched this I was touched to hear my grandfather's accent again after all these years.

 

[gweempose]

One Woman, 17 British Accents - Anglophenia Ep 5

That was pretty darn impressive!