In voice over, it’s important to know the distinction between a dialect and an accent.
Your Regional Dialect is the specific way that a language is spoken in a particular geographical area.
An Accent is a variation of a language that is spoken by a group of people who share a common history or geographic location.
For example, someone from New York City might have what’s called a “New York accent.” Alternately, someone might speak with what’s known as a “General American” accent, which is basically considered to be neutral.
Accent vs Dialect
When we talk about “accent,” we’re referring to changes in pronunciation. These changes can be very slight, or they can be quite drastic. A good example of this would be the difference between how someone from the United Kingdom pronounces words like “herb” and ” bird,” versus how an American would say those same words. In the UK, those words would be pronounced more like “hay-ehb” and “bahd.” Whereas in the US, they would be pronounced more like “erb” and “berd.” So even though the spellings are exactly the same, there are noticeable differences in pronunciation. These are just some examples of differences in accents.
When we talk about “dialect,” we’re referring to more than just changes in pronunciation. This also includes changes in grammar, vocabulary, and even syntax (the way that sentences are put together). For example, someone from the Southern US might say something like “y’all come on in!” This is something that you would never hear someone say in New York City. So even though both speakers are using English, there are noticeable differences in their dialects.
In conclusion, it’s important to know the difference between a dialect and an accent when it comes to voice over work. A dialect includes changes in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and syntax; whereas an accent only refers to changes in pronunciation.
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