How could something so Plain Jane and American as apple pie like standard American English be controversial? Well, it’s because declaring that anything is standard or normal implies that everything else is not standard, and people tend to take issue with that, no matter what the topic.
Standard English in the original thirteen colonies was what we would now consider a very strong Northeastern accent, and a few decades before that the standard would still have been the Queen’s English. Few would consider either of those to be General American English today, so it’s important to keep in mind that the very idea of a single regular American English is constantly shifting.
There are also linguistic camps that argue that everyone has a regional accent and that there is no such thing as General American English, viewing the concept as not just antiquated but downright wrong. Critics of General American English believe that the concept of a homogenous American English is simply not possible given the country’s vast size, history as an immigration hub and melting pot, and plethora of diverse accents.
While linguists love to debate the topic and certainly have very strong opinions about what does and does not count as an accent, most of us, could agree that there is something that can be seen as generic American English.
What Does General American English Sound Like?
As we don’t have a truly homogenous variant, the idea of standard American English has come to mean “vaguely Midwestern and definitely not Southern or New York or anything else.” Vowels are flat and all pronounced at the same length, which differs from other languages and English dialects, and the verbs are (usually) conjugated properly.
Contractions are very commonly used, as are shortened versions of words, like “gotta,” “gonna,” “wanna,” etc. Standard American English also does something interesting with the “t” sound in the middle of words like “water” and “butter.” There is a trait called t-flapping which means that the sound will come out more as a soft “d” sound, as in “wah-dur” and “bud-dur.”
Broadcaster English and Hollywood
While some prefer to embrace their native accent in roles as much as possible, many actors and media personalities work toward developing a flat, standard English. TV host Stephen Colbert, who grew up in South Carolina, stated on 60 Minutes, “At a very young age, I decided I was not gonna have a Southern accent.”
Show producers and those hiring actors and newscasters of course want speakers who can appeal to as wide an audience as possible. The actors themselves, in turn, don’t want to be pigeonholed or typecast as a particular regional flavor and want to have as many role opportunities as possible.
There are special voice coaches and linguistic trainers that work with stars, as the task of speaking with a general American accent is far from easy when you know that every intonation is going to be critiqued. Actors like Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) and Hugh Laurie (the television show Dr. House) have reported that they take it as a great compliment when a fan is shocked to hear them speaking in their native British accent.
These actors have shown tremendous dedication to their craft in developing such excellent American accents, but say that there are still certain words and phrases that they have difficulty with, such as Hugh Laurie’s surprising trouble with the word “New York.”
How to Speak with a Standard American Accent
If this is your mission, you’re aiming for something colorless, homogenous, and as bland as white bread dipped in lukewarm tap water. Watch American shows and movies for clues on the rhythm and intonation, then pick some common US-centric phrases to practice with, like “Hey, dude” or “Martha, this meatloaf is delicious.”
If you’re a native English speaker from the US, you’ll need to hide any traces of a regional accent, as well as any local idioms and slang. If you’re a native English speaker from outside the US, as in Canada, Australia, Scotland, etc., you’ve got a tougher journey ahead of you, but can start by focusing on making your words rhotic, meaning stress that “r” at the end of words. And finally, if you’re a non-native English speaker, you’re actually in luck. Many of the TV shows, series, and movies you’ve been enjoying have been in standard American English, so you’re likely well on your way to developing a good ear for it.
