How can you learn to speak with an English accent without sounding as bad as Keanu Reeves did in that movie ‘Dracula?’

Well, that’s the sort of thing Hollywood voice coaches are paid thousands to teach (unsuccessfully, if Keanu’s anything to go by.) But adopting an English accent isn’t all that difficult. I only moved to America from England a few months ago and already I’ve got my New Yorker wife practically fluent in the Queen’s English! Let’s see if I can’t do the same for you.

The secret to adopting a new accent is generally in the vowels – the letters ‘a’, ‘e’, ‘i’, ‘o’ and ‘u.’ Learning exactly how an Englishman pronounces their vowels takes time and practice – but a quick and easy rule of thumb is to deepen ‘o’ sounds – for example, make the ‘or’ in ‘horrible’ sound like the noise a donkey makes: ‘Eeee Oorrr!’ Then sharpen the ‘e’ sounds, pronouncing words like ‘carpet’ more like ‘carpit.’

Just as important as vowel noises – and far easier to master - are the mannerisms and speech patterns of the average English-speaker. Here’s a brief run-down of what you need to practice:

Pronunciation: One of the common traits of an American accent is to replace hard sounding letters with soft ones. Most commonly, the letter ‘t’ for a ‘d’. A New Yorker, for example, might order their bagel with ‘budder’ rather than ‘butter.’ Make sure you firmly pronounce every letter – especially the ‘t’ – and you’ll be sounding more English immediately.

Enunciation: Another important difference between American and English speech patterns is enunciation. When speaking with an English accent, it’s important to pronounce every single syllable of every single word. Many American speakers talk fast and merge their words together. Speak more slowly and pronounce every single word clearly and distinctly. Instead of an American-sounding ‘see-ya-layder,’ say and pronounce the three separate words: ‘See. You. Later.’

Project: That’s ‘project’ as in film-projector. Projection is a theatrical term referring to the way an actor speaks loudly and clearly to ‘project’ his voice to the audience. When you make your voice deeper and louder – as if speaking to somebody who’s slightly deaf – you automatically sound more dramatic and noble. Be careful, though. There’s a thin line between ‘projecting’ and just plain shouting!

Shorten: North Americans are often accused of ‘drawling’ their words. Certainly many American accents involve longer vowel sounds. For example, with the word ‘carpet’ an American would draw out the ‘a’ to sound more like ‘caaar-pet’ while an Englishman would keep it clipped; ‘cah-pit.’ Keep your vowels short and your accent will sound dramatically more ‘English.’

Once you’ve understood these simple rules, it just takes practice to develop a convincing English accent. A good learning tool is to mimic the accents you see on TV and in the movies. Try renting A Knight’s Tale, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and the first season of The Tudors and mimic each line the actor’s speak. You may want to make sure you’re alone in the house when you do so, however!

But the real secret to mastering an English accent can’t be taught – it’s enthusiasm. Enthusiastically embracing your new accent (even if it’s rough around the edges) will make it sound more convincing than it necessarily is.

And remember, even in a small country like England, there are dozens of variations in accent and dialect. If anybody ever questions your accent, simply look them dead in the eye and declare: ‘Well, good sir, this is how they speak the Queen’s English where I come from!’

Enunciation: Another important difference between American and English speech patterns is enunciation. When speaking with an English accent, it’s important to pronounce every single syllable of every single word. Many American speakers talk fast and merge their words together. Speak more slowly and pronounce every single word clearly and distinctly. Instead of an American-sounding ‘see-ya-layder,’ say and pronounce the three separate words: ‘See. You. Later.’