When speaking English , who really has the right to say that they do not have an accent.?
99350
I propose we change the version of english spoken in the US, and call it American. Being that we are a bigger and meaner country than England, we can bully them and say we speak proper english, but truth be told, English is from England.
1084403
I live here in Oregon as well. No. We do not have an accent. As far as I can tell, anyway. Lived all over. Plenty of accents and dialects. None here that I can tell. None of the other answerers provided any type of example. Do we have a drawl? Do we put 'R'\ns in words like the northeasterners? What, specifically, is it that pacific nw people do to have a distingushed accent?
549145
I use the word in the conversation pronounced correctly. For example, if someone says "I need a respite (with a long i, emphasis on second syllable) from this job", I will say, "ya, I need a respite too (short i, emphasis on first syllable.) I try to be casual about it. Depends on the person tho and the circumstances. I wouldn't do that in front of others.\nI would want to know when I am pronouncing a word incorrectly, and appreciate being corrected. I mean what is the big deal? Why be defensive about something so trivial?
730344
Simply because someone does not speak English does not make them illegal...how arbitrary this comment is.....Even to assume that the majority of the time this is true would be no less than idiotically incorrect.....Deaf Mutes don't speak English....in fact that don't speak at all.  Come on lets keep this forum factual with less fiction
787004
i'd help them and assist them on the grammar and suggest ways they can improve on their english. just as long as they say a few simple words, i can usually understand what they are saying. sometimes, when i'm in central london i have tourists, who don't speak perfect english, come up to me and asking me to take a photo of them and i oblige. as for people, such as those who come to settle down in britain from other countries, who don't speak it well, i do commend them for trying, and yes i appreciate people who make the effort, whilst not patronising or being nasty to people of other cultures. it goes to show they are willing to learn and are prepared to learn a language, just so they can become better and all-round communicators and learners. i know that for some english is difficult- but it's never impossible. with practice and persistent learning, anyone and everyone can speak and pronounce english extremely well
1037154
I prefer to speak it with no accent
245327
LOL No. It's an every day occurrence where I live. The town I live in is extremely multi-cultural. The people are from very diverse cultural backgrounds, and there are people around here who speak a myriad of languages. Most of them speak at least a little English too, but when they are together in groups, they speak their native language, and why not?  They aren't talking to me, so why would I care what language they are speaking?
53094
The great variety of accents in american English is something that enriches the language very much, although most of us, non-native speakers, is almost unable to notice them so easily. Accents exist in all languages and they enchant native speakers, who defend their own as their identity. Non-natives are more concerned to distinguish the diferences in the English of the countries. The "International English" or the "Standard English" is particularly good for diminishing the problems foreigners face to communicate. Moreover, it won´t interfere at the particularities of regional accents which are so beautiful.
797007
surprisingly, people from nebraska are the only English speakers on the planet who have no accent.  =)\n\nThey seem to pronounce things in a similar way to the Mid-Western US accent.  Can't really write it out though.
1165776
Are you speaking english? I'm not even sure what you said.
349508
you no write proper english
829596
your english isn't good
419563
Yes, i do esp a british accent and italian accent. very sexy. when i was stationed overseas i had italian guys just speaking to me in italian and i couldnt understand them, but i loved the accent.
180123
The main problem with imitating someone's accent to get them to understand you more is that you are presupposing that you are going to be able to make the same sounds that they make in their original language that is making it harder for them to pronounce English, for example, perfectly.\n\nThick accents can be difficult to understand at first, but if you get used to someone's manner of speaking you can understand what they say very clearly.  Therefore, its only an impatient person would would think that accents are a total bar to communication... what if you were stuck in their country and tried to communicate?  You wouldn't want to be dismissed because you couldn't speak perfectly?
9016
You usually develop an accent by spending enough time around people who have that accent (ie. moving to a new place).  It just takes time.
706679
Anyone who looks Hispanic and does not speak English in public is subject to being an illegal.  As far as I am concerned, they have to prove their innocence.  They are rude to not speak English in public.  We live in America.
940918
We dont have an accent....we all sound the same. It's Americans (who all sound different) who have the accent.