For anyone bet to sound moreDownton AbbeythanGossip Girl(and who rues the day when Americanslosttheir British accents ) , Patricia Fletcher has a few pointer for you .
Fletcher , a dialect coach and author ofClassically verbalise : Dialect for Actors , spokewith Business Insider about the method acting behind get over a proper British accent , which largely comes down to rhythm .
According to Fletcher , those who speak in indifferent American — which is traditionallyacceptedto mean those “ General American ” accent heard in the Midwest or West or on news broadcast — tend to sit down onEsounds whereas our British counterparts are more crisp . A word such asreally , for good example , is typically pronounced by Americans as " reel - lee , " while the discussion sound much more compendious when coming from a Brit : " substantial - ly . "
There ’s also the matter of how much speaker system are willing to " unwrap , " according to Fletcher . When Americans enunciate their A - E - I - group O - Us , their lips are a bit more slack and expressive . relatively , utterer across the pool are a bit more reserved with their mouth movements . " Think of our idiomatic expression , that the British have a ' squiffy upper lip , ' " says Fletcher . " [ Americans ] disclose our emotion a lot through those vowel sounds . "
Keep in mind , however , that the British accent Fletcher is talking about is the more traditional accent mark you hear in most film and goggle box shows . But there are pile of other regionalBritish accentsyou can attempt to reduplicate .
The magnificently agnize cockney accent — most imposingly draw in off by Audrey Hepburn inMy Fair Ladyand not - so - impressively byothers — is typically find out echo through the streets of East London ; head to Liverpool , and you ’ll find out a bit of " lobscuse , " or the accent that was birthed from genesis of Welsh and Irish settling in the area ( if you really want to get a taste of a Scouse accent , take heed toThe Beatles ) .
No matter which stress you ’re endeavor to boom , Fletcheradvisesto try and head off let your native intonation sneak in . you may take in the full videohere , and then try out your own best caricature of Maggie Smith ’s Dowager Countess of Grantham .
