3 ms·

>The range of accents between native speakers of English even in the US is large now. Sure, if I plot all the accents in the United States on a graph there's p

>The range of accents between native speakers of English even in the US is large now. Sure, if I plot all the accents in the United States on a graph there's probably a lot of divergence. I would think that the accents that impede understanding are outliers though. (At least among native speakers.)

btilly 13y ago
I can say, from experience, that native Texans and Australians can have difficulties understanding each other. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fChqXqvvmg8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fChqXqvvmg8 for an example that I enjoy of a song, in English by native English speakers, than many English speaking people have trouble understanding. After you've seen the words written down, native English speakers usually can then understand. But if English is a second or third language, then good luck!
- unimpressive 13y ago
  >I can say, from experience, that native Texans and Australians can have difficulties understanding each other. (On a pedantic note, I did specifically say US accents.) I have to wonder if this is purely caused by pronunciation or other aspects of dialect. After all, the stereotypical Australian 'accent' (Ex. "Shrimp on the barbie") is usually accompanied by more than just a change in pronunciation. Obviously the international case is different than the local one. It's probably more accurate to say that somebody who has trouble getting people who speak a dialect of English to understand them doesn't know the dialect. >See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fChqXqvvmg8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fChqXqvvmg8 for an example that I enjoy of a song, in English by native English speakers, than many English speaking people have trouble understanding. Music is something of a special case. If it weren't, there wouldn't be so many lyrics sites out there to help people who have trouble understanding.
  - btilly 13y ago
    Some dialects are more understandable than others. I miss the Canadian accent that I grew up with. That one is very easy for people all over the world to understand. As for the song, even if you heard it recited, you'd have trouble understanding it. It is in a strong Scots dialect.
- pessimizer 13y ago
  That song, being written in 1611 and in intentional Scottish dialect, is not a good example.
dredmorbius 13y ago
I've found myself unable to understand a native-born American English speaker within 75 miles of where I was born and raised. Inner-city ghetto dialect can be very difficult to understand. Among educated classes, you'd generally have to get into professional jargon to have similar difficulties (ask a set of biologists, anthropologists, and literary scholars to discuss "starting a culture", for one example).

btilly 13y ago

I can say, from experience, that native Texans and Australians can have difficulties understanding each other. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fChqXqvvmg8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fChqXqvvmg8 for an example that I enjoy of a song, in English by native English speakers, than many English speaking people have trouble understanding. After you've seen the words written down, native English speakers usually can then understand. But if English is a second or third language, then good luck!

unimpressive 13y ago
>I can say, from experience, that native Texans and Australians can have difficulties understanding each other. (On a pedantic note, I did specifically say US accents.) I have to wonder if this is purely caused by pronunciation or other aspects of dialect. After all, the stereotypical Australian 'accent' (Ex. "Shrimp on the barbie") is usually accompanied by more than just a change in pronunciation. Obviously the international case is different than the local one. It's probably more accurate to say that somebody who has trouble getting people who speak a dialect of English to understand them doesn't know the dialect. >See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fChqXqvvmg8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fChqXqvvmg8 for an example that I enjoy of a song, in English by native English speakers, than many English speaking people have trouble understanding. Music is something of a special case. If it weren't, there wouldn't be so many lyrics sites out there to help people who have trouble understanding.
- btilly 13y ago
  Some dialects are more understandable than others. I miss the Canadian accent that I grew up with. That one is very easy for people all over the world to understand. As for the song, even if you heard it recited, you'd have trouble understanding it. It is in a strong Scots dialect.
pessimizer 13y ago
That song, being written in 1611 and in intentional Scottish dialect, is not a good example.

dredmorbius 13y ago

I've found myself unable to understand a native-born American English speaker within 75 miles of where I was born and raised. Inner-city ghetto dialect can be very difficult to understand. Among educated classes, you'd generally have to get into professional jargon to have similar difficulties (ask a set of biologists, anthropologists, and literary scholars to discuss "starting a culture", for one example).