This is by far the most helpful video I have seen when trying to learn this accent. Thank you for such a useful tutorial, definitely the best I have found!
I'm going on that Alastor grind. I'm learning the Transatlantic accent, the French language, 20th century fashion, and I've got a budget set up for a few other things as well.
The easiest way to learn the Mid-Atlantic accent is to shout out "Im drowning I'm drowning I'm drowning I'm drowning" Then you after time floundering about in the Mid-Atlantic your voice changes to a much slower deeper pitch something like this "I'm dro...w....n...I...n..., This you will go on for awhile...until you can't shout no more. You feel your arms, feet and body are completely tired out after flailing about in the Mid-Atlantic. You know that's it's finnished well almost. Just one more lesson to go all you have to do is open up your.mouth as you have no choice in the matter. As Mid-Atlantic water gushes in and the Mid-Atlantic accent change happens with last words being " Gloop gloop gloop,
The main message I am getting here is this: If you can speak with a British RP accent, you can nail the Transatlantic accent. Your video was very helpful, by the way. If you don't mind, I have one request: a video explaining the principal differences between the modern RP and Transatlantic accents.
I love how this tutorial gives us the nuts and bolts of how the mid-Atlantic/Trans-Atlantic accent works. For excellent examples of this, I've found watching episodes of "What's My Line" from the 1950's and 60's to be extremely helpful. It's probably just me, but as an English speaker from the USA, I have trouble listening to a British English speaker give examples of this. We certainly did this accent differently over here in the USA and Canada. There are still people on this side of the pond (particularly in British Columbia for some reason) who speak with a hint of the mid/trans-Atlantic accent, and I think it's beautiful.
I have heard certain elements of this accent even in younger speakers in B.C. In their case, it would be Canadian Dainty. Why they retain those features is a mystery to me.
@@TVHouseHistorian Canadian Dainty is the Transatlantic Accent's northern cousin. They are almost the same, however Canadian Dainty has more features of RP (due to stronger British ties) and slightly higher vowels. It developed with the wealthy loyalists that headed north from the U.S. after the Revolutionary War. I have found certain of its features (soft rs, and rounder vowels) still audible in modern Vancouver. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney also spoke with a soft from of Canadian Dainty.
Very nice video and the best I've seen on the Transatlantic accent. Interestingly, I've just discovered that I natively speak it and no one in my family does. As a kid, I grew up on a ton of B&W movies from the 1930s - 1950s and I especially adored Cary Grant. I recently met someone from London and accents came up. Turns out that he thought I was British, even though I grew up in mid Virginia.
Wow, I didn't know the name of the actual English I speak while i take calls in a call center. I consider it as a nice way to talk in order to be very clear. The real issue is to stop using it after work hahahaha
Yeah, the only problem with calling it a Mid Atlantic accent is the the Mid-Atlantic region in the US is Virginia, Maryland and DC, which has 3 accents of it's own not related to the Transatlantic accent.
It would appear that an accent "Locust Valley Lockjaw" was a native accent quite akin to this. It was used by the upper crust of New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Further north, it became the Boston Brahmin accent of New England. What is truly interesting is that they were almost identical to this, just that they were natural.
I think "mid-Atlantic" is a poor label, because it refers to the mid-Atlantic coast regions of the United States. Such as where I grew up in Tidewater Virginia. "Transatlantic" is fine.
@@BritishNativeSpeaker yes but I believe that she was supposed to play a transatlantic accent. I think many actors that play this accent are flexible. It is a bit of a made up accent
Yeah but you are emphasizing the A, “He gave the WAAAAta, to the…”. That’s the problem with English accent, there’s dozens of them and people who speak them often aren’t aware of the letters they emphasize. There is a girl on here somewhere, and she does all accents, I mean there’s a difference between California and Washington state, different parts of England (Some British accents sound incredibly cool, some smart, etc)
This is great thank you! What would you say are the main American sounds in the accent except for the cloth vowel that some retain? As someone with a southern English accent naturally I’m finding it challenging to separate the transatlantic from RP :/
Watch this video of Orson Welles ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oQYazeJA-Oo.html&ab_channel=EyesOnCinema%40RealEOC to get a sense of his Transatlantic accent versus the conservative RP accent of the interviewer. Note Orson's pronunciation of 'financially' at 3.50, 'masters' at 6.03, 'direct' at 8.21, 'version' at 10.30, then you can get a sense of his particular use of American vowel sounds and sometimes consonant sounds, as in his 'version' /vɜːrʒən/ vs RP /vɜː(r)ʃən/. Use these if you want to sound more American.
@@BritishNativeSpeakerI also think that a big difference is placement. The American accent (generally) is placed lower and farther back in the throat than RP. The Transatlantic is intermediate between the two, not as low or as far back as American; but not as high or forward as RP.
Hi thanks for your comment. In the video I wanted to show the more British angle of the accent. I appreciate that I don't really sound American at all but but I assume that a lot of people who want the accent are starting with an American accent. If you then want to sound more British, use the features in the video and hey presto you have your transatlantic accent. My channel is about British accents so it was natural for me to focus on getting a better British version of the Transatlantic accent.
I will say that it is strictly incorrect to say "British," accent, there is not such thing. Britten includes Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland where accents, even native language is very distinctive. English spoken in England varies region to region, though it remains an official representation when referred to as speaking what is now our King's English.
Thanks for the comment. True, I use it for marketing purposes, but mainly I use it not to cover one accent as you rightly point out, but to cover all British accents. Of which there are many. It is spelt Britain and not Britten btw.
Another tip, which will sneak up on you more often than you'd think, is the lack of æ-tensing. Basically, "ah" sounds tend to become "ei" sounds (that's the 'ai' in 'train' or 'pain') when verbalizes before nasals (your 'm', 'n', and 'ng' sounds). In Mid-Atlantic, those 'ah' sounds *always* retain that "ah" pronunciation. Take the word "language", for example. If you're a North American speaker, especially, you might pronounce this something like "l _ein_ guage", when it's actually pronounced "l _ahn_ guage." Another example, albeit a more subtle one, is to compare the 'a' in _fan_ compared to _fat._ Say them back and forth enough times and you'll notice the 'a' in _fan_ has a slightly higher-pitched, more nasally sound to it, when it needs to retain that clear and open 'ah' you hear in _fat._
@@ffwast Canada. Everywhere in Canada (aside from Quebec), as well as US areas near the border, such as Seattle. "ei" was also a bad description: a long 'a' was what I meant.
I believe you missed the mark when you tried to pronounce the word 'can't' as an American. The only time I have heard anyone pronounce it the way you did was in the film 'Singing in the Rain' This pronouncing was used as a comical caricature/meme of the dim witted silent film actress Phone an American friend and ask him the pronounce the word. 'Can't' I do not think you will hear anything close to what came out of your mouth. That said, I do enjoy your videos!
It was rather tongue-in-cheek and was actually meant to highlight how they used to teach accents, as in Singin' in the Rain. But true I need to work on my Amercian accent! Cheers.
Well if we take Singing in the Rain - during the elocution lesson they are asked to say 'around the rocks the ragged rascal ran'. It's easier when the 'r' is before vowels, as above, but doesn't have to be the first sound in the word, as you can see. Hope that helps!
As an American, I find this a lot easier to speak when not trying too hard because it can come quite naturally but if I try and reason with it, it all goes wrong.
Okay this is not "Transatlantic" at all. If you want to learn what I've been taught as Transatlantic, Watch Golden age movies. It is a lot more pitchy and expressive than you sound. Then again British Transatlantic is probably a separate thing, but if it isn't then I won't feel dumb.
I'd have to check it first. On a side note - I started watching the Mare of Easttown with Kate Winslet and she has a Philly Delco accent, and a very good version of it too.
@@BritishNativeSpeaker ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bXjU60a8dmI.html Here is the only example I can find. I will have ti check out that Philly accent, thank you!
