accents

An accent is the way a person pronounces a language, reflecting differences in phonology rather than vocabulary or grammar. Accents arise from geographic, social, and linguistic background and can be heard in vowel quality, consonant realization, rhythm, and intonation. In linguistics, accent refers to pronunciation alone, while a dialect includes pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar; thus dialect and accent are related but not interchangeable.

Accents involve several phonetic features: vowel quality, consonant realization, syllable stress, rhythm, and intonation patterns. They can be described with phonetic notation and acoustic measurements. Common distinctions include rhoticity (pronouncing r in all positions) and regional vowel shifts that characterize different areas. Accents vary within a language, and speakers often blend traits from multiple sources.

Sociolinguistically, accents signal origins, social group, or education level, and listeners often form impressions based on accent. Perception can influence communication, social interaction, and opportunities. Accents are dynamic and can change with travel, migration, media exposure, and contact with other languages or varieties.

Linguists study accents with transcription, acoustic analysis, and perception experiments. No accent is inherently superior; regional variation is a natural aspect of language. Speakers may adjust their pronunciation in certain contexts, a process known as accommodation. Overall, accents reflect linguistic diversity and the social landscapes in which speech occurs.