Accent (linguistics) - Definition and Overview

Accents mark speakers as a member of a group by their pronunciation of the standard language. These groups may be geographical, socio-economic (class), ethnic, or second language speakers.

Accent should not be confused with dialect which is a variety differing in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar Dialects are usually spoken by a group united by geography or class etc.

See also:

• variety
• Distinguishing accents in English

A foreign accent is marked by the phonology of other languages (or one other language) which the speaker of an acquired language unconsciously interprets as identical with the phonemes of the spoken language; i.e. the phonology of the spoken language seems modified by the phonology of another language, more familiar to the speaker.

See also: Non-native pronunciations of English, Foreign accent syndrome.

Accent also refers to the stress on a syllable. See stress (phonology).

External links

• Native and non-native accents of English (http://classweb.gmu.edu/accent/)