Question about accents......???????

Question

I am an American, but I have many British relatives, thus I have an almost perfect Liverpool accent. (My Liverpool is considered "fake" because I was not raised in Liverpool) I do it quite often, but then, when I switch back to my natural American accent, it feels really weird and out of place. I don't really know how to describe it. It is like the British accent is my natural, and the American is the one I am faking. But I don't even feel like I'm faking the Liverpool, I feel like I'm faking the American. I even use all the British slang and what not, even in my American accent, which sometimes sounds really funny! So here is my question, is this weird? I use the Liverpool accent so often, and people ask me where I'm from, so I tell them Arizona, and they don't believe me. But My Liverpool accent feels more natural to me, and I feel like I have to force the American so I rarely ever do it. Am I a complete twit, or am I making a bit of sense to you? Which accent should I stick with?

Answer 1

poor u id ravver have an american acent

sounds like they got spit in der mouth all the time

Answer 2

Influence is a powerful thing and people usually attract to that which they feel closest so no I wouldn't call what you are doing to be fake, I would say that it suits you better. Water takes the path of least resistance. that's the law of nature.

Answer 3

i have a very similar situation actually, my mum is from texas and my dad is from liverpool. but we live in london...how messed up is that??

they both have very strong accents but i have a london accent due to my friends and most of the other people i am around.

i often drop the odd word into what i am saying that are from either my mum or dad and it sounds crazy! because i have been brought up with both i dont notice that anything is wrong until someone else points it out to me.

i would say stick to whatever accent comes out of your mouth to be honest but probably seeing as you live in the USA (im guessing?) that one would probably be better and more accepted by the people around you.

but then again if its a good liverpudlian accent go for it!

hmm... i dont really think i helped at all there... maybe just made your dilemma harder. sorry...

Answer 4

Don't worry about it-- some people (I'm one, too) just tend to pick up other's speech habits and such.  Just go with what feels natural.  You speech habits will change over time, too, so you may loose your British accent eventually, too....  

Or not-- I've never lived in Germany, and I never spoke German much at all with my Dad, who was born and raised near Frankfurt.  Imagine my suprise a few years ago when I went on a trip over there, and everyone assumed I was German.  Apparently, even though my English has the midwestern "non-accent" accent,  I have a very noticeable "Frankfurter" accent when I speak German and sound like I've lived there for years.  Go figure...