Where to Find the Best Collections of Regional Dialects and Local Accents
Whether you’re trying to learn accent for an acting role , understand an ESL speaker, or just hear funny British accents, there are tons of English recordings on the Internet in all dialects. You can google with any accent and find a suitable YouTube video, but you may need more careful quality control or specifically to hear speakers who look less at the camera.
Linguists and anthropologists have recorded dialects of English, both native and foreign, for over a century, and many of their results are meticulously cataloged and available free of charge. Here are the top five.
International dialects of English Archive
IDEA is the best general choice for picking a random region and listening to how these people sound. It has a wide range of standardized samples, and almost all subjects read the same text ( “Comma gives medicine,” a story optimized for dialect highlighting). You can select samples from the card or from the menu . China and the UK are particularly well represented.
The database created for the training of actors includes special collections including names and terms from the main pieces spoken in the respective dialects and links to speakers with speech and voice impairments .
Some clips from native speakers of English as a foreign language also include a sample of the native speaker’s native language.
North American dialects of English
Linguist and missionary Rick Aschmann catalogs clips of vibrant dialects on YouTube, mostly spoken by celebrities and public figures.
The site is hosted on one large page with a navigation guide at the top. Find patterns on a delightfully annotated map of North America (see above) or in a table sorted by state and province .
Another table describes certain dialects and patterns between them. The site is also replete with essays , maps, and links to other resources. Ashmann includes some adorable notes on his collection methods. He doesn’t endorse any opinions in the linked samples, he says:
The fact is that politicians, as a rule, preserve their local dialect more than representatives of other public professions (actors, artists) in order to preserve their identity with local residents. In addition, they communicate a lot, so the data is readily available. Country and southern gospel singers also tend to be reliable, and I like them more than politicians.
Archive of accent speech
Founded by George Mason University, SAA offers a wide range of presenters reading the same short text and answering a range of demographic questions.
Search in your native language or use the sophisticated search function . Don’t be fooled by the look of the map , which includes only a tiny sample of this vast collection.
If you’re really digging into your research, there are also tables of sounds used in each dialect :
Dictionary of American Regional Field Research Records of the English Language
Collection of the DARE , located in Wisconsin-Madison, the University of jurisdiction, is less convenient for the user, but well cataloged. Perform a keyword search , perform the search in certain fields or browse sorted by alphabetical order samples.
Examples include reading a standardized text called “Rats Arthur” as well as conversations and stories. Each entry includes a table of contents with a clock, complete demographic information including race, gender, age, and education, and subjects (such as religion , railways, or medical history ) covered in the interview.
British Library Accents and Dialects
The British Library ‘s extensive audio collection includes many samples using local dialects covering a wide range of topics, recorded from 1890 to 1999.
Navigate the map , search or browse from the home page . The site layout is outdated and you may need to disable your ad blocker to see all the available menus.
Make your own
Most of the above databases are accepting new applications. So if you’ve lived in the same region all your life, or know someone who has lived in the same region, try to replenish your knowledge. This is a rare opportunity to let someone – someone else to enjoy the sound of your voice.