[General] [Unusually] Accents are more than a way of pronouncing words, aren't they ?

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Aelito

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Hello ! Through my learning of the English language, all the questions I may have faced always found solution. Yet, one and one only remains unresolved. Accents make us say words differently (can't like khant (you know, their special way of speaking that word ahah) for British people and can't like kent for American people) and our native language that makes us say sounds/worlds differently because there are sounds in English we don't really know/use in French or in other languages.

Now, cannot we agree on the fact that despite all accents we may hear and all the places people may come from, some words should sound the same way. I mean when you read "all" or "cool" or "laughing" or "enough", there's only one way to pronounce them. To me, there's more than one way to pronounce them. There's something more than accents, more than the way you speak (poshy, clearly, forced) and more than the first language you speak but I don't know what it is.

When a British guy say "hurt" is sounds like "huu(rh)t" and an American guy would rather say it like "heuhrt". Yes British drop the "r" and extend the "u" but I feel like there's something more.

I'm not clear at all but I hope that some of you will understand what I've meant. Don't hesitate to ask me more, I'll do so.
Thanks a lot!
 

Raymott

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Your accent is your way of pronouncing words. What I think you're saying is that there is only one American (for example) accent, but there are other determinants of how they actually speak. But those determinants simply change their accent to a specific American accent. We each have an individual accent when it comes down to finely-tuned phonetics.

I don't understand this part: "I mean when you read "all" or "cool" or "laughing" or "enough", there's only one way to pronounce them. To me, there's more than one way to pronounce them." Your second sentence is right. What's your source for the opinion in the first sentence?
 

Aelito

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I'm sorry, it's really hard to explain. My question should be "Do you think that the ways people actually sound like only depend on their accent, way of speaking (loud, slow, narcissistic, etc...), country they come from and native language they speak" I think there's something more but I just don't know what ^^
 

Raymott

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Yes, there are certainly other factors. From a linguistic perspective, there is register (the various types of speech you use in different sociolinguistic circumstances). For example, you speak in a different register to your teacher from what you do with your best friends. But that concerns more the jargon you use, more so than the pronunciation.
All sorts of physical and emotional conditions can modulate your normal accent, eg. if you are depressed, or manic, or in pain.
Is this for a project you're working on?
 

Aelito

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Thanks for replying. No, I'm not working on any project, the English language and its mysteries have always fascinated me and even if I know that I'll never learn everything about it for I'm not a native English speaker, I just cannot help but looking forward to resolving all the questions I may face ^^

And what we're talking about here is more subtle than studying a few words or rules. Perhaps I'm wrong, there could be nothing more than I think, I just always look for more so as to satisfy myself ^^
 

Raymott

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Well, you certainly shouldn't stop learning about English just because you'll never master it. Many native speakers aren't that hot, and none of us knows everything about English.
Maybe someone else will comment on your ideas.
 

Aelito

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Thanks and yes I won't stop ^^
Yes, perhaps somme will comment on these ideas ^^
 
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