what accent do you struggle with you the most?

[Genie+]

Marble mouth, like they have a mouth full of marbles they’re trying to not let fall out. Or have a dead fish for a tongue. Doesn’t matter if or what accent, just lack of enunciation.

 

[sasywtch]

I have to agree with the pp that mentioned some of the customer service lines. I have asked where they are from and they do tell me what country they are in. I like to know if a product I am using is sourcing out of country and if so, I will do my best not to buy from them again. If I need information to settle something I'm having a problem with and can't understand the person on the line, I will ask for a supervisor. Sorry if that offends anyone but if I spent money on something and I'm trying to get it fixed, I want to know what I'm being told and if they are understanding what I am saying. Lately, I'm having a hard time understanding a lot of the people on Below Deck Mediterranean and Down Under. I don't know if it's the Australian or the ones from the UK, but some I can only understand every 3rd word of some of them.

 

[Jangles]

I speak Received Pronunciation when I speak English, but like a lot of Welsh people, I pick up accents quickly and I have to be careful that people don’t think that I am mimicking them.
I discovered recently that I have a perforated left eardrum. I thought for years that I just had age related hearing loss and struggled with holding a telephone to my right ear and trying to write with my right hand. I realised how bad it was and how much I was relying on lip reading and facial expression when masks were introduced. I now use the speaker option a lot.
Of the English accents , I find Geordie the most difficult to understand. I think it’s a mix of the accent, lilt, colloquialisms and speed with which people speak. When one can hear but cannot understand another person, it is generally because one is not listening attentively.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I don't really have much trouble understanding accents. It's "low talkers" that really get me

 

[mrodgers]

Over the course of 15 years I've worked closely with our overseas Indian counterparts. At first it was difficult, but then it became quite easy to understand them, in fact I prefer talking with them than some of my relatives. It's all a matter of acclimation.

This is true. I work closely here at my employment with folks from Japan and from Mexico. I end up being the one everyone looks for translation to clearer English when we are together out on the floor working on a project.

 

[Colleen27]

I don't really struggle with any accent in particular in person. But like someone else mentioned up thread, I didn't realize how much I rely on visual cues to process language until masks and I think that accounts for why I have such a hard time with phone-based service when the agent has an accent, regardless of what that accent is. It has kind of been a lightbulb moment for me because DD14's pediatrician has a very heavy Indian accent and I've never had a hard time understanding her, but I really struggle with the same accent from phone support reps.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

I have an engineering degree so have had classes with professors from all over the world - the one I had the most trouble with? My Australian undergraduate Geology professor. Didn't help that he was about half drunk most of the time, but I couldn't understand a word he said.

I have to laugh about the people saying deep south. The company I work for does a lot of international training courses. There is one Middle Eastern location where 90% of their work force speaks english - beautiful, proper, British english. I've started doing a quick American southern english tutorial as a start to my classes, especially when my deep south born and bred boss is with me, - it makes a good ice breaker and the students aren't nearly as confused about ya'll vs all ya'll, fixin to, over yonder, etc.

 

[jesusfreak75]

It's either the nasaily mid-western accent or the Jursey accent that grate on my ears.

 

[disney castle days]

Whatever my boss's accent is. He was born in South Africa, then lived in Australia, the UK, Germany, Scotland, the midwest US, and now lives in Northeastern US. All the accents have morphed together and the combination makes it so much harder to understand anything.

 

[prairie_girl]

Whatever my boss's accent is. He was born in South Africa, then lived in Australia, the UK, Germany, Scotland, the midwest US, and now lives in Northeastern US. All the accents have morphed together and the combination makes it so much harder to understand anything.

My dad is Australian and my mom is Canadian born and raised, but has a weird mashup of accents from their travels. I do think that has helped me to understand accents a little easier.

 

[Skywalker]

For me, there are two. Indian and Italian. I just can't. Heavy Indian accents are very difficult for me to parse, and I feel very bad when I have to ask them to repeat themselves. I lived in a predominantly Italian neighbourhood and some of my neighbours I just could not understand. They were the kindest, sweetest neighbours but I would excuse myself from the conversation because I felt like such an idiot. My husband, had no problem understanding them though. He would stand out back shooting the breeze over the fence and I would be like "HOW??" I have no problem with most other accents though. I know it is a me problem.