Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

i never really experienced any problems when i came over for my interview with people understanding me.

possibly because i'm relatively well spoken?

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Well, one would hope that the interviewers had relevant vocabulary and I expect being from Ayrshire is better than from Glasgow, but an interview is not the same as everyday life.

BTW, Jimmy, did you get the job?

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Long may it continue

I find myself having to put on Canadian accent for people to understand me:confused:

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

The British accent is so nice. Love it!:)

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

If you're anything like me... "therty" :D

The ir in thirty and the ear in earl rhyme in lots of dialects, including Scottish English. The ear in earl in Canadian English rhymes with the ur in curl, but those don't rhyme in Scottish English (at least not in my own dialect?). And that is probably what is causing your problem. They're expecting earl to rhyme with curl, and thirty to therefore come out something like thurty (rhyming with dirty).

The rrrr's are probably the least of our problems, at least we pronounce ours!

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

I keep getting asked if I'm Australian and I'm bloody welsh!!! Not valley Welsh but guttural North Walian Welsh. My OH is talks like Hugh Grant and I've noticed the swoons from shop assistants.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

No, it will still happen. You will get misunderstood at some point or another. I have a Home Counties accent which I think is reasonably straightforward to understand, and for the most part I am understood here, although the water/waader still gets 'em everytime. I had a phone converation the other day though that did take me by surprise, it went something like this - I can't remember her surname, but the first name was definitely Sophie:

Them: "Good morning, Suchnsuch company, how may I direct your call?"
Me: "Can I speak to Sophie Smith please?"
THem: "I'm sorry?"
Me: "Can I speak to Sophie....Smith please?"
Them: "How are you spelling that?"
Me: "Sophie....S.O.P.H.I.E....Smith....S.M.I.T.H."
Them: "Oh Sophie, oh ok......<looks up extension> putting you through."

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

The Aussie thing doesn't happen that often......well to me at least. I'd say probably 1 in 20 comments, but I have learnt now that sometimes it's fun to say 'Yes I am Australian'. I had a sales assistant in a clothing store at the weekend look at me wide eyed and almost incredulously (which is freaky) and then say 'are you from Britain?'.....'Yes, yes, I am', and then he kind of smiled and said 'wow' and kept smiling and looking.......I think the time has passed that I will ever be famous, but I imagine that this is how a z-list celebrity might feel when asked by random members of the public if they are Keith Harris etc.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Was he fit? Haha I would have totally hammed up my accent to Keira Knightly levels if he was! An ex of mine got blown out for Keith Harris in a nightclub. I don't think he ever got over it....

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Don't even go there - I have had so many frustrating moments trying to explain how to pronounce town names, sigh.

Reminds me of this Peter Sellers skit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74aK8w2910c

:)

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

That takes me back to my childhood. "Green, Red, Red and Amber and back to Green" is a phrase I've never forgotten.

I'm a bit strange.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

How rrrrright you are. I cannot bring myself to say Thurday or urls. It just doesn't right to my ear. I usually end up saying "three zero" just to clarify things, especially if money is involved, being a Scot and all...... LOL:)

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

The one that gets me is the Ontarion pronounciation of 'Tottenham'. I think it goes like: 'Toat-in-harm' or something like that. Given that I'm a Spurs fan this one always makes me chuckle. Then again, round North London way we used to pronounce this 'yeeeeeeiiids' so swings and roundabouts. :)

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

I call your Toat-in-harm and raise a Kes-wick.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

WHAT, all of them? Surely there is no such thing as a British accent. There are hundreds of accents in Britain and quite a few are horrible. I come from Glasgow but never did have a Glesgae accent such as wurrum for worm or whit ya dain. I've made a concerted effort over the years to disguise my origins with, I hope, a modicum of success.
I hate Glaswegian speak.