Regional accents: 3 tips to change them

        Do you have a strong American regional accent, such as a Southern, Midwestern or New England accent in the USA, and want to change it to a more standard pattern? Accents can be lovely, and they can help you "fit in" with others who speak like you, similar to uniform clothing However, when you speak to
people from other places, your listeners may notice how you talk instead of what you are saying.

        Most people instinctively code-switch. They speak differently in various situations, such as talking to a newborn baby, their boss, their best friend, or an irritating co-worker. You can do the same thing with an accent, using it when appropriate and using standard American English at other times.

        The first thing you need to do is to record yourself, and decide what you want to change. Is it the use of  "in" for the standard "ing" (as in walking), the pronunciation of the "a" vowel,  the "ar, er, or" , or some other sounds? Are there local expressions you want to replace with more standard ones?

        Listen to some national role models, such as news anchors on national stations, to see how they make the sounds. Can you imitate them clearly? Write a list of words that you actually use which have these sounds. Include words that you use at work, if this change is for work. Examples might be people, places, products or processes you talk about.

        Lastly, practice these words, and then say them in sentences, when reading and in some scripted or otherwise prepared conversations.

        If you want professional coaching to make this change  to a more standard speaking pattern, especially if you give presentations or are in the media as a reporter or interviewee, contact Business Speech Improvement. 

If you want to work on your speech yourself, get our e-book, Diction Makes a Difference,

or the MP3 file, Pronounce American English More Clearly.