Would you say that the announcer heard in this clip sounds naturally and natively British or recognizably foreign?
Posted by Sure_Distance1@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 26 comments
Clip here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Accents/comments/1t1benx/this_one_should_be_quite_easy_to_deduce/
Separate_Rise_8932@reddit
Why do we get some many of these "does this person sound authentically british" posts ao much lately?
idlesilver@reddit
Absolutely not native British. Recognisable Australian twang.
TumbleweedMaterial53@reddit
Not native British
Fun-Yam2210@reddit
That’s an Asian person with very good English.
WittyMasterpiece@reddit
My guess too. Sounds like someone who learned British English but has an East Asian first language . The vowels give it away.
Could be from Hong Kong, Malaysia, or raised in Australia or New Zealand in a posh school
Fun-Yam2210@reddit
Yeah, the Oz/NZ education is a good shout. Definitely that nuance in there :)
MolassesInevitable53@reddit
I have lived in New Zealand for 16 years. I don't hear any trace of Kiwi or aussie there.
me_version_2@reddit
Agree
Fun-Yam2210@reddit
It’s very noticable in ‘the following programme’. Someone else in the replies caught it too. It’s very noticable to a British ear.
me_version_2@reddit
I don’t think I could pick native country but there’s several elements of a midlands-northern uk accent. Could be someone who moved countries relatively young and has some leftover accent twangs. I’d be surprised if this was someone who’s first language - or one of their first languages was not English
Opening_Succotash_95@reddit
Not at all British. Someone from East Asia who has developed an Australian accent.
Fresh_Relation_7682@reddit
Australian trying to speak ‘posh English’
yesbutnobutokay@reddit
The 'o' sounds are overly posh sounding and not sounding like a native English person.
Global-Dare-6006@reddit
She doesn't sound native but she may love abroad and have picked up some of the local accent. She sounds Australian at some points with another accent mixed in.
MsDragonPogo@reddit
The vowels are off for a native Brit. It's absolutely clear and correct but it sounds like she's trying very hard to control her accent.
evelynsmee@reddit
Not remotely British. Distinctly Asian Australian.
Although I did used to live in Singapore so it isn't a new sound that one heh
Al89nut@reddit
Definitely not
HiCabbage@reddit
I would definitely not think she was a native-born English person. "Following programme" sounds very Aussie to me.
FishUK_Harp@reddit
Distinctly Australian. Sounds to me like a non-native English speaker - likely East Asian if I had to guess - who's learned English from an Australian.
Particular-Bid-1640@reddit
Sounds posh Australian
SnoopyLupus@reddit
Yeah. I was thinking Australian/Chinese or something like that.
pebblesprite@reddit
Someone who speaks incredibly good British English BUT who learned Chinese/Japanese/Korean as their native tongue before learning English.
PomegranateV2@reddit
Sounds very good.
But listening very, very carefully I'd imagine she is from North East China.
Larvesta_Harvesta@reddit
The way she says programme and ballad hint at Australian. Possibly Asian Australian. But definitely trying to be British.
Dennyisthepisslord@reddit
You can tell it's someone trying hard to sound that way rather than naturally but nobody cares if there's a slight accent if anything the falseness of it stands out more.
qualityvote2@reddit
Hello u/Sure_Distance1! Welcome to r/AskABrit!
For other users, does this post fit the subreddit?
If so, upvote this comment!
Otherwise, downvote this comment!
And if it does break the rules, downvote this comment and report this post!