What’s the difference between an English dialect and an English accent?

English dialect and English accent. They’re often used interchangeably, but is there a difference? The answer is “yes”. You might then ask yourself which one do I learn? Well both, ideally, but dialect is really only important for the region in which you’re speaking. Accent is important everywhere. An accent is commonly defined as a different pronunciation of a word within the same language. A dialect, however, is the use of a completely different word within the same language. Let’s look further into these definitions.

What is an English accent?

An accent is simply how one pronounces words. As a a non-native speaker of English, you likely speak with an accent. This is because your native language is either lacking or pronounces differently vowels and consonants that are used in English. For example, speakers of Asian languages are likely to pronounce the word “work” as “wuk”, since the consonant /r/ does not exist in most Asian languages.

Even native English speakers have accents. As an example, let’s take the following sentence and see how it would be pronounced in two different regions of the United States:

I parked the car in the corner of the lot and put a quarter in the meter.

• Northeastern U.S. (Boston): I paakt the ka in the kaw·nuh of the lawt and put a kwa·tuh in the me·tuh
• Northwestern U.S. (Seattle): I paarkt the kar in the kor·nr of the laat and put a kwor·tr in the me·tr

These are examples of accents by both native and non-native English speakers. It should comfort you some that you’re not the only one speaking English with an accent!

What is an English dialect?

A dialect is more specific to vocabulary and grammar. Depending on where you are from, the words you use may be completely different. In this case, dialect is almost like a different language. Think of your own country where one region may not be able to understand what someone from another is saying, even though they’re speaking the same language. This is true in many parts of Asia and regions of Europe.

In English, there are different dialects between countries, like England, Australia, and the United States. I once had a conversation with a man in southern Australia and only understood half of what he said. It was truly like he was speaking another language! But even within the United States, people use a dialect that might not be understandable to someone who also speaks English.

Let’s look at an example for the English word meaning “a small river”. Here are some of the different words used regionally:

• Southeastern U.S. (Texas): crick, brook, draw
• Northwestern U.S. (Seattle): stream, creek, run

As you can see, these are not just different pronunciations (accents) but completely different words. Without knowing their meaning, pronunciation is irrelevant.

Should I learn an English dialect or accent?

Ideally, you should learn both. The good news is that you probably only need to learn one dialect, and that’s for the region in which you’ll be living or working. Once you know the dialect you need to learn, it’s time to focus on your accent so that you can be understood.

At Packard Communications, we focus on teaching the version of the language that’s most widely spoken and standardized. This is commonly considered the version of English without an accent. What differentiates our program is that you’ll learn to speak the language, not just memorize words. We prepare you for using English at work and in your everyday life.

Ready to speak English without an accent? Contact us.

For help with your communication and pronunciation skills, check out Packard Communications’ services page for an initial assessment, small classes, individual training, or online training!

Related information

The above content relates to the following topics: Accent Modification, Accent Reduction, Speaking English, Speech Skills, Learning American English. Secondarily, it relates to: Speech Pronunciation, Intonation Vowels Consonants, Talking Communication, Spelling, Presentation Skills, Interviewing, Conversation, Speech-Language Pathologist. Finally, these topics are related: Online Training Coaching, Private Classes, Seminars, SLP, and Speech Therapist.

Our services cover the following Oregon regions: Portland, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Bethany, Cedar Mill, Cedar Hills, Oak Hills, Lake Oswego. Secondarily, we cover: West Linn, West Slope, Camas, Happy Valley, Rock Creek, Sherwood, Raleigh Hills, Tigard, Tualatin, Gresham, Wilsonville, Aloha. Other areas of Oregon include: Salem, Eugene, Springfield, Corvallis, Oregon City, Woodburn, Forest Grove, Newberg, Milwaukee, Sherwood, Canby, Troutdale, and Cornelius.