Accent Expert Explains Why Different Accents Can Sound the Same | WIRED

Many accents from different parts of the English-speaking world actually have a ton of similarities. Dialect coach Erik Singer talks about how this happens, and breaks down which mouth and tongue shapes correlate to the sounds we hear.
Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on KZbin? ►► wrd.cm/15fP7B7
Listen to the Get WIRED podcast ►► link.chtbl.com/wired-ytc-desc
Get more incredible stories on science and tech with our daily newsletter: wrd.cm/DailyYT
Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Here you can find your favorite WIRED shows and new episodes of our latest hit series Tradecraft.
ABOUT WIRED
WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Through thought-provoking stories and videos, WIRED explores the future of business, innovation, and culture.
Accent Expert Explains Why Different Accents Can Sound the Same | WIRED

[@catehughes5691]

wired knows anything with erik singer is gonna bring people in

[@TheGamblermusic]

yes it's getting too obvious now

[@thecat5819]

Hey, at least they're meeting the needs of the consumer I guess haha

[@mutantdude6373]

I don’t mind honestly

[@vanillaa679]

do a video on the terrible people who pull the front of their tongue into the back of their mouths when they say the letter R

[@changesomthing9874]

Yeah

[@cloeyay]

Title should be: *Erik Singer ft. WIRED*

[@florsantos6849]

Cloe Bo yessss

[@somnvm37]

He has own channel

[@Shrooblord]

@@somnvm37 omg you hero. I don't know why I didn't think to look for him myself

[@lollipopsie_5230]

Erik: *mentions New Zealand and the 'ih' sound* Me, an Aussie, biologically compelled to make fun of Kiwis automatically: FOSH N CHOPS

[@MrLowkeynz]

Shakes fist at annoying but loved cousin

[@lollipopsie_5230]

@@MrLowkeynz I don't deserve your love

[@yitznewton]

@@MrLowkeynz Fost

[@irisheyes9634]

Aussies are the last people on earth who should be mocking the accent of anyone else! "FEEEEESH EEEEEN CHEEEEEEEEPS!!" Like fingers down a chalkboard. Something I noticed is how New Zealand people sound like Southern Californians. Think the characters in SNL's 'The Californians'. Lots and lots of 'U' vowel sounds.

[@edmann1820]

Kiwi's sound much more English than Australians? That's not a question I was just typing in an Aussie accent.

[@greennblue24]

Things I appreciate: 1. That the Wired YT team hired Erik Singer to dot hat first "accent breakdown" video 2. That Wired took note that the video struck a chord with viewers. 3. That Wired and Erik are willing to ride this roller coaster as far as it goes 4. That the videos have turned into mini lectures on linguistics

[@briankeogh335]

“Hi I’m Eric Singer” I know who you are Eric don’t worry

[@mynameisnut12]

do you tho cuz his name is Erik

[@briankeogh335]

Ryan Krantz you seem like fun

[@lay-dee]

😂😂❤

[@nikitalavrenov8048]

It's Erik*, but on behalf of the entire Erik Singer appreciators' community I forgive you:D

[@roseyyhues-1494]

I spit out my food lmao

[@brandonaservantofmercy8561]

This is Eric's world and we are all just living in it

[@evanallaire2829]

There once was a man who liked shotgun. He said, "See the lovely gun!" It was rather barrel, But not very harrel, He just couldn't say no to the bun.

[@Dr.TobiasFunke]

Etik*

[@2small4theMall]

@@Dr.TobiasFunke What now

[@macridc]

indeed

[@KatKomodo]

Brandon Klenck hilarious but true

[@BucolicNightlife]

Does he have a masterclass? Or is Wired holding him in contractual jail?

[@Fragrantbeard]

Amanda S the painful "I'm back" sure makes one wonder.

[@gwyn.]

He’s trapped in the white void with Jony Ive

[@beatsbyguillermo8802]

gosh i hate constant spamming of master classes but if erik singer has a masterclass id actually consider it. There's such few resources for accent learning

[@jin_cotl]

*niiiiiiiiiiice*

[@bren3624]

Look into Knight Thompson, he also has webinars if you go to his site.

[@evanjohnson6884]

Anyone else kind of annoyed they still say “accent expert” instead of “Erik Singer” at this point

[@YaoEspirito]

Here's something annoying: It seems 90+% of KZbin comment writers can't figure out what punctuation to place at the end of a question.

[@YaoEspirito]

@@williamgoldstein8287 As I said, nothing personal: fully 90% of KZbin comments that are in question form, don't have question marks. Usually a period.

[@nugstendo]

@@YaoEspirito You're a pretentious douchebag haha

[@jennymisteqq695]

William Goldstein “Fair enough”, you say? This guy is clearly a jerk for pointing out an error anyone of us could’ve made. Anybody else would’ve read it for its content and responded based on that. This jerkwad left an empty comment just nitpicking an error without leaving anything of interest for other readers! And the thing is, the original guy left a relevant and thought provoking Comment which added value to the online conversation in the first place, only to be harangued by someone who’s adding nothing of substance to the mix!

[@jennymisteqq695]

Evan Johnson Your Comment got lost in the shuffle, but I found your comment snarky in a lighthearted manner. I don’t even watch this KZbin channel and don’t know who all appears in their videos. You really don’t have to know any of that for your comment to elicit a wry smile.

[@borgirvspitsah7329]

Mom: What do you want for dinner? Me: Fœsh ænd chëps

[@strika1140]

fush and cheeps

[@thehorsesnamewasfriday8695]

i fuckng screamt

[@marcryptic]

Fash and chups

[@SPQRTempus]

A Kiwi: fsh and chps

[@vincentxu8217]

fiesh aind chieps

[@Sea_witch_]

*This just in:* Erik has reportedly injured his back due to carrying this whole channel. Edit: I'm not gonna delete my comment just bc in 2020 its fashionable to harass someone online, for a random comment in an old video. Pls unclench and find love ❤.

[@cuchelo1]

I don't know what I love more about these videos- Erik or the comments. OK, it's Erik, but the comments are always ***chef's kiss***

[@easterriot1916]

Mike Massamino surely brings some traffic too, huh?

[@ThundaFuzz]

I can't stop laughing at how true this comment is.

[@laur-unstagenameactuallyca1587]

HAHAHAAH

[@isaelvejar6396]

Y is this so true

[@dragonfocefan113]

When you step on a Lego 2:33

[@olymolly3637]

LOL thanks. Had a good laugh. In current situation yes, we expected the pain but it's still painful. Dang Lego enthusiasts leaving the pieces on the floor.

[@cooperhilinsky5939]

W me it’s more like “PUT UR GD TOYS AWAY MfTy3!!$a%>!!!r”

[@industrialsizedcirclejerk]

Cooper Hilinsky where's the funny

[@tbefilms]

This is a very entertaining comment, thank you

[@wouterdeniz]

When you step on a lego but are also dead inside and couldn't care less

[@mateenmissaghi]

what if he one day reveals his true accent and he's actually like a hardcore scot

[@theycallmeGUN]

“I’m back” Yes Erik, yes you are

[@ethanstreich5652]

"Im Back" - said with despair as he knows he's stuck doing this for the foreseeable future

[@Varzie]

Ethan Streich All of us with a linguistics degree can relate.

[@antoniedekoning9436]

The reason he's on so many of these videos is cause Linguists struggle to find jobs and this is at least something to do other than awkwardly staring at random people talking in public.

[@slothymango]

😩😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Varzie]

I felt this

[@A14M04I19A95]

😭😭 this is so true, when I was doing my degree I couldn't watch TV without internally commenting on and analysing everything lol

[@dreadcthulhu5]

Do a Tolkien and become an author. it can be lucrative if you are good at it. The man created an entire world in which to place his invented languages. He is what I like to affectionately call a word nerd, which rhymes :)

[@jessicasebastiao9069]

@@A14M04I19A95 I'm in the same predicament

[@CALISUPERSPORT]

After traveling to Sydney, I'm mostly curious why Australians pronounce "no" as "Nooohhhrrrrr"

[@cooperhilinsky5939]

Norcal I’m getting really good at the Aussie No. I picture it spelled NOE-y. The y at the end is very subtle

[@CALISUPERSPORT]

@@cooperhilinsky5939 interesting, never thought of it as a Y but it's crazy how a two letter word sounds completely different lol

[@josephsvennson5694]

If you try to figure out anything Aussies do you'll end up with a brain tumor. Just leave them be. #za

[@CALISUPERSPORT]

@@josephsvennson5694 😆

[@aisjamillard6077]

We tend not to add a "w" sound at the end of our no, and just leave it with our rounded open o sound!! At least, I feel like Americans unnecessarily add ws on lol.

[@chimmybacon1964]

"hi i'm erik singer. i'm back" me: *applauds and shouts* yes you freaking are

[@dragonforcecrazysolo]

*Clicks on video* “Hi, I’m Erik Singer” Me: Proceed.

[@TheSpacecraftX]

Engage!

[@TheAlps36]

I almost applauded

[@Darm0k]

Pruh ceed

[@RealEngineering]

I’m just going to direct all future comments about how I pronounce my ars here.

[@ameykunte9923]

Kerrs

[@shaun_rambaran]

Unrelated: I love how you pronounce "column" / "col-ume".

[@gabrielrader2995]

This is giving me anxiety I feel like I can't speak English anymore

[@magentaMegi]

Don't be afraid to speak, this video is just limited to vowels in spoken language.

[@magsimags]

part of what i find so fascinating about this, is that it confirms that there is not single right way to speak english. native speakers speak it differently all over the world and can't agree on a right pronounciation. they can't even agree on spelling. so anyone learning english as a second/additional language has no reason to be scared of speaking. as long as the other person can somewhat understand you (and even that is debatable) you can speak however you like

[@cassiesevigny]

Gabriel Rader linguists on the lingthusiasm podcast have the right saying: "Not judging your speech, just analyzing!"

[@jnicole.]

Dude literally has his own series at this point

[@sylrosen3228]

accent. hmmm stress syllable dialect perhaps?

[@Strawberrymatcha555]

If he was a college professor I’d take every class he taught

[@Jennyfisch]

Me, too. And I'd be trying to find out if he was single

[@loveharrydaily]

Amber Moon Wanna know what’s crazy? He didn’t study linguistics in college. 🤯

[@Strawberrymatcha555]

loveharrydaily wow he’s just naturally amazing huh 😍

[@Jennyfisch]

@@loveharrydaily Do you know what he studied?

[@jo0odoo]

Replying to this so I get notified when someone answera

[@Emma-gs1zk]

its so satisfying hearing an expert talk about what they’re an expert on

[@anfalassaqa-5]

I want him to have a whole Netflix series, i can literally watch him for hours

[@gsarp]

This guy can open my velopharyngeal port any time he wants

[@jorgea.carrazanagarcia4496]

Lmao same

[@iMajoraGaming]

same x2

[@1ake1]

same x3

[@Skyward-lx5kd]

Same x 4

[@gsarp]

same x5

[@elliemo10]

I love how they don’t even explain who erik is anymore they just know we know

[@hiropon2985]

i didn't even notice that til now hahaha HEY ERIK

[@MaxHohenstaufen]

Who tf is erick?

[@Mitch.Weber.12]

I miss the intrusive narrator saying “Erik is a dialect coach” 😔

[@sketchur]

*STILL a dialect coach!

[@dereklehman1888]

2:48 I know exactly what accent that is. That's Cardi B.

[@irenelikeacholo]

Derek Lehman HAHHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@contrefactuel]

æʊ - Cardi B

[@CS2architecture]

Erik Singer is single-handedly revitalizing general interest to linguistics, dialectology, & speech therapy

[@peterlittle4357]

Whilst simultaneously playing drums for Kiss

[@realbland]

along with Tom Scott

[@gokurocks9]

@@realbland yes!

[@mercury2632]

There are others

[@rexma4693]

No

[@alygurl1635]

I feel like Erik Singer needs his own channel or his own segment with Wired.

[@Smasherv15]

He has his own channel, he just hasnt used it much honestly.

[@yoonmikim5663]

He goes on Wired because he doesn't have the studio, editors, etc that Wired does, I think. Plus he has more of a following on here.

[@twelveytwelve]

kzbin.info/door/rl8MHQdaBOogYwf_Tbjfqwvideos. The Erik Singer channel.

[@Riyamu0779]

This video doesn't seem to answer 'why,' these accents sound the same, more 'how' they sound the same by showing vowel locations on the chart. I wish they explained some of the 'why,' like are Boston and London accents related because of colonization, or did they arise independently?

[@cb1503]

Me too! I also kinda wished he slowed down some of the speech to see what was happening, he kinda just played the clips and circled stuff on a chart.

[@amityislandchum]

He says "unrelated," so the implication is that these accents arose independently. The answer to "why?" is "coincidence." Of course, that doesn't entirely hold up. For instance, overlaps in Irish and Boston accents are obviously due to the high concentration of Irish settlers in Boston.

[@frank_calvert]

some are unrelated but its basically about who immigrated where, Ozzie sounds similar to cockney because lots of convicts were cockneys

[@mattelder1971]

Yeah, his claim that the accents are unrelated is totally ignorant of the history of who primarily settled where.

[@Adamroable]

Try this video for the relation between southern and English accents.... www.youTube.com/watch?v=mNqY6ftqGq0

[@sweetestaphrodite]

(4:56) That Boston guy saying “start” and “far” sounded like a full blown Aussie.

[@davidmchugh2959]

Yeah I wasn’t getting Irish at all... the Boston accent is much closer to Aussie.

[@mypal1990]

Now he has graphics?! This is gonna be a cool episode.

[@TheBaldOne]

HE'S EVOLVING!

[@narcolepticpenguin6752]

They know he deserves more power and so he got it lol

[@RaRa-eu9mw]

but he still doesn't have sources.

[@13sampepper]

me: :( erik singer: hi im erik singer me: :)

[@Kaalokalawaia]

indeed

[@KettiexD]

I almost regret not pursuing linguistics. He makes it so interesting, easy to understand and get into

[@frank3manuel]

Wired be like: YOU WANT MORE OF THIS GUY, HUH YOU LITTLE SHITS!? HERE HE IS THEN!!

[@ChrisOwenHalper]

Episode Request: It seems international or foreign musicians lose accents when singing to sound North American-ish. There have been a few times I've been surprised to hear an artist speak with a heavy accent that seems to disappear in song.

[@squeeso_]

Maybe this has something to do with artists appealing to the US market. Generally making it in the States is the goal for most musicians (at least English speaking ones) considering that's where a lot of the recording industry is. It's cool to hear people singing in their native accents though, Courtney Barnett sings in an Australian accent.

[@beepbeep2446]

Great vid idea. I would love to see a linguists take on this

[@2HRTS1LOVE]

There are actually studies on this you can look up. Tl;dr is that they don't do it on purpose. It has something to do with the way you breathe, hold notes, the open shape of the mouth, etc, involved in singing. It just makes a sort of generic American accent for most singers. There are exceptions, of course, that are usually more stylistic choices of the singer and common in certain genres, but it's largely an unconscious thing. Eg, Adele, the first time I heard her speaking voice, with that thick Cockney accent, it was jarring, as of course she doesn't sound like that at all when she sings. They aren't being fake or whatever, it's just a thing.

[@CaleeChanteuse03]

That’s because singing does not reflect normal speech patterns. Think about your favorite song and then try to say the lyrics without actually singing it. You’ll notice that syllables are stretched out and stresses fall differently. Also, singing technique for hitting desired notes requires different breathing, tongue placement, relaxing neck muscles, etc. This is why singing is accent-neutral. If you hear an accent then chances are the singer is just sing-talking

[@kevinwallace9168]

CaleeChanteuse03 The Proclaimers would like a word... There are quite a few other examples too. It feels more common if they write the song - partly because they’re not copying someone (even subconsciously) and partly because it has natural phrasing for them too. No data to support that though.

[@ad3soa7d911]

Erik Singer brings ALL THE vowels to the yard

[@SilvanaDil]

I'll drink his milkshake. :-)

[@jriceblue]

Eric: "Make an 'oo' sound" @1:15 Me: "I make an "ooo" sound every time there's a new Eric video!"

[@slycordinator]

I don't think it really works to use "Irish vs Boston" as an example of "unrelated accents that just happen to sound the same". It's not exactly a coincidence that their NBA team is called the "Celtics" and that their mascot is a leprechaun with clothes covered in shamrocks. ;)

[@jaygreene2257]

slycordinator yup came here to say this, there’s a huge Irish immigrant history in Bahstahn so of course it sounds similar.

[@gawd4582]

Yes. Boston IS full of Irish-Americans. But we knew that....didn't we???

[@slycordinator]

@@gawd4582 That's my point. The video is supposed to show similarities between accents that are otherwise unrelated, so I pointed out that the Boston accent shares similarities because of its Irish heritage.

[@baileyhursh6704]

Exactly... like what a dumb thing to say. Also Australian and Kiwi accents compared to British accents...? Same phenomenon.

[@seb5542]

@@slycordinator then it's not unrelated lol.

[@skywrecker]

"hi im erik singer" Hi ill listen to any and all things you have to say.

[@cryptomikhail5912]

Anyone else disappointed that this wasn't an hour longer?

If it was an hour longer, I *really* hope they find more examples. 😉

[@yasao_art]

Yeeees D: After every video I'm like "Awww, it's over already? ;_;". I could listen to this guy all day.

[@RavixFourhorn]

Yes, also so I can get a grasp on what he's saying! I feel like I need to watch it a few times - once to hear him say it, and once to listen to what he's actually telling me.

[@mllebiddies]

Omg... THANK YOU for (finally!) explaining this with a visual aid! Been watching these videos for a long time and I have the hardest time visualising/understanding some of the explanations of the tongue placement in the mouth. More, please!!

[@Sugarmamakeanu]

Can we do a 5 levels video featuring Erik Singer. I'd like to see him explain this to people at differing levels. It would be cool.

[@nhogan84]

"Hi, I'm Erik Singer, and welcome to my channel, Wired."

[@FingeringThings]

I’m a simple man, I see Erik Singer I hit like

[@pinecone27]

Me: watches the video. My Mouth: *_Child, you have been speaking wrong your entire life._*

[@pmw5422]

Its so amazing the way he’s able to break down these accents with this map! Over the years, I’ve noticed many of these similarities in accents but never had the words to explain it. Guess I need to go to a dialect coaching school.

[@rightproperlad]

Ah yes, once again Wired is exploiting our uncontrollable addiction to the hot accents man.

[@havingicecream]

You meab the _very competent_ hot accent man?

[@mahuk.]

​@@havingicecream indeed, that's exactly what he meabt

[@rightproperlad]

hey, you two have the same accent

[@briankeogh335]

5:09 as an Irish person, hearing an American perfectly nail an Irish accent was weirdly satisfying

[@mahuk.]

In another video he compared how Mexicans and Chileans would pronounce a word, and as a Chilean I was amazed that he knew and pronounced it perfectly in *both* accents. Erik is awesome, he can flex on me his knowledge all day if he wants.

[@khaotik.weirdo]

@@mahuk. What video is that? I need to check that. This Singer guy is so cool.

[@MargieMedina]

Mahuk Cual video?!

[@agustinvenegas5238]

@@khaotik.weirdo kzbin.info/www/bejne/kInciKqfp7GZmck

[@ArchetypeGotoh]

This was a really cool video. That sound diagram is something I’d never seen before, and pinning different accents to that chart made the whole “accent” thing make so much more sense

[@NatalieAmor]

My fave series!!!

[@crystalc1ear]

This bloke’s face is clickbait

[@juliette7151]

clickbait is something that doesn't deliver. erik singer delivers.

[@SuperSpyToni]

Since clickbait is bad then Click what? Click candy? Click seduction? 🤣

[@TheDeathOrange]

Juliette clickbait is really just something that grabs your attention enough to click, regardless of the video content

[@sunshinepurple1043]

But in a good way!

[@Peter_1986]

@@juliette7151 I have always assumed that clickbait is simply "something that is specifically meant to tempt people into clicking a link".

[@HERSHISKISS]

Me: watches this instead of actually studying for my linguistics class.

[@tanyabhaskar2888]

Honestly, I'm sure this counts

[@Himesua]

I studied linguistics, this is a great way to learn.

[@Nynke_K]

Me: planning to use this as a teaser for my linguistics class (which I'll be teaching). If you're supposed to be studying for an intro to phonetics class, you're on the right track!

[@sarahgilbert5946]

Feel you, doin' the same now. Should be learning for a midterm test in phonetics.. But this is much better..

[@lapematd]

Same here, this is just a more dynamic way to learn.

[@hrhargyll]

This is superbly explained; such clarity comprehensibility! Brilliant.

[@liakalinkos292]

I still need more of these videos!!!! keep making MORE OF THESE

[@acastanza]

"Hi I'm Erik Singer and I moved into the Wired utility closet 6 months ago and they still haven't noticed. So I'm back with another video..."

[@martzquinn]

can we get some Erik Singer merch please like i would literally wear a tshirt that says "goose fronting" on it 24/7

[@gabriell8694]

OMG, so much yes!

[@ShawnATX]

It's interesting that the quintessential Boston accent has really held onto the Irish roots, given that that population is largely Irish.

[@roseg2239]

It still sounds completely different.

[@ValensBellator]

I find it so interesting how there’s entire fields of study with brilliant experts for almost any subject you can think of! This was great 👍

[@zebobez2715]

Goose Fronting: Peace was Never an Option

[@Mach1048]

I'd watch that movie. Who do we cast?

[@MaheshwarChandra]

Mach1048 Erik Singer

[@MrAndrewaziz]

Hjönk

[@ambirb]

I have found my people.

[@gonufc]

Great album, The Geese were never as good in their later stuff.

[@amirhosseinahmadi3706]

We want a video with Erik only doing different accents himself.

[@ohdan3270]

2:43 looking like a vocal weather man

[@Ellerbeetimes100]

So interesting. Good graphics with speaker movements. And I love this guy.

[@nakifool]

Getting a kiwi to repeatedly say “fush and chups” feels like we’re getting trolled by Australians here :(

[@xenolegend2767]

You are...

[@laur-unstagenameactuallyca1587]

@@xenolegend2767 A...

[@scleralp]

lets be honest, that's the entire reason for the existence of NZ. that and path of exile

[@nyabothchuol8251]

True

[@ahorrell]

Yeah, we kiwis don't always like this. Especially if you're a kiwi living in Aus. You're better to go with something like 'Fifteen minutes'

[@stevenkirkman601]

ERIK IS BACK THIS IS NOT A DRILL, I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL EVERYONE, MAN YOUR LIKING STATIONS

[@templecharles4728]

It's so good to see Erik uploading more of his own content on his channel.

[@bee_doug]

Man, I wish this video came out 2 weeks ago when I was in the midst of struggling through linguistics 301. I love when phonetics is explained in plain terms like this! Very helpful video.

[@keromblum]

Goose fronting: When a goose steps to you, but can't back it up.

[@errhka]

u come at the goose u best not miss

[@whoahanant]

Untitled Goose Game

[@drivers99]

Rake in the lake vs rack in the lack

[@jeanthepants7905]

This comment is perfection

[@Erica-fs6ux]

I wanted to like this but the like count is perfect rn so I'm commenting instead

[@torbi-nator5487]

GIVE HIM HIS OWN NETFLIX SHOW ALREADY

[@Mutantcy1992]

Describe what the show would be like? This seems far more suited for youtube than a full show

[@jennie22.02]

shshshshsh YES give this man an entire masterclass

[@natalieramsey4727]

Love these accent videos, especially being a person with a mixture of a southern and midwestern accent! I’m curious, has Erik ever done anything about foreign accent syndrome? It’s such an interesting disorder that I imagine Erik would be good at explaining in a more easy to understand way.

[@SingleMaltIdiot]

These Erik Singer videos are genuinely some of my favourite informational videos to check out. Would love to see him examine some Canadian accents, like the Maritime vs Western vs Prairie accents. Don't see this country in the vids, and feel that could be fascinating!

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

My favorite expert is back, he deserves his own channel

[@therealdonnawagner]

He has his own channel. 😊

[@kehw]

kzbin.info/door/rl8MHQdaBOogYwf_Tbjfqw

[@willscomix]

Well he should upload more!

[@placeholder29]

@@willscomix True

[@therealdonnawagner]

@@kehw Thank you for sharing. Didn't see the comment asking for the link until just now. 😊

[@route682]

Is Wired just keeping Erik in a basement and getting videos out of him that way because this genuinely feels like his channel

[@shay514]

Thank you so much I love your vids! I've been practicing accents as a hobby for years n your vids definitely help me fine tune them!

[@phatbassanchor]

You always present your topics in a way I can easily understand, Mr. Singer. But, the map is certainly new and pretty cool. :) Thanks for more great stuff on how we speak. More please at your earliest opportunity.

[@EnsoTB]

I swooned when he suddenly pronounced “start” in a perfect Irish accent 😂

[@michaeljorgensen790]

Irish people always have me in a state of paranoia.... because I'm pretty sure they know I keep a box of Lucky Charms in the pantry.

[@hangukhiphop]

swyeüUned

[@skepticmoderate5790]

@@michaeljorgensen790 Cringe.

[@thomasrabbitte3228]

Doesnt even sound irish to me

[@ImJasonD]

Not trying to insult this guy as he clearly knows his stuff very well but that ‘start’ was more of what an American thinks a perfect Irish accent is i.e not an Irish accent

[@manwiththebeak]

2:33 when your coffee is too hot and you burn your tongue

[@honeybunbadger]

I'm dying

[@bes03c]

I laughed harder than I should have at this.

[@xpatzorsx]

1) Awesome. Anything with Erik Singer = top notch content. 2) This video needs to be AT LEAST twice as long.

[@TheAwesomeGingerGuy]

please do more in depth videos using the map with all the arrows and explanations and stuff. this is a great way to learn.

[@Lau.mp4]

Glad WIRED has caught on that the people love Erik.

[@finnomenon6489]

I could watch Erik Singer talk about accents for days, this guy is a great teacher.

[@the_maybe]

more of this please!!

[@ojroo]

my favorite class that i've ever taken was voice and dialect and these videos are a refresher to that . thank you

[@jorgea.carrazanagarcia4496]

*Sees video on my recomended * *Immediatly drops everything Im doing *

[@femaletrouble]

[nodding enthusiastically] [internally] I don't understand. Please don't tell Eric.

[@macridc]

HAHAHA

[@alvarofavela2918]

femaletrouble same lol

[@tatlibariskiz]

This must be my favourite video of Erik yet! :D

[@robertbruce5213]

Kiwis sound like their only vowel is “ēē”

[@cuppateia]

Posting these cool resources here that I was given by my Phonology professor last year, for anyone who's interested in looking into it more. The first is a complete IPA chart where you can click on each section (such as vowels) and then on each individual phoneme to hear what they sound like and also what the mouth looks like when we're pronouncing them. The second is the same but with MRI videos so you can see the inside of the mouth and get a clear picture of exactly what the tongue is doing. 1. learnipa.group.shef.ac.uk/IPAChart/index.html 2. sail.usc.edu/span/rtmri_ipa/je_2015.html

[@aussieevonne7857]

That's fascinating! Thanks for posting!

[@ArkhBaegor]

This one is easier to use www.internationalphoneticalphabet.org/ipa-sounds/ipa-chart-with-sounds/

[@sassora]

You rule, thank you!

[@marygebbie6611]

The University of Iowa has an excellent one that I use for teaching. It has English, German, and Spanish. soundsofspeech.uiowa.edu/main/english

[@jvill4118]

@@ArkhBaegor omg, clicking on the sounds randomly and quickly is frickin fantastic, haven't stopped laughing

[@kristinemi1838]

i gasped when he said "start" in irish accent it was too good lmao

[@laurentomasunas]

I get so excited when I see him back on the Wired! Make a series!

[@unclemeathead]

I could watch Erik's videos all day. Very interesting content presented in an accessible way.

[@marihbettio]

It bugs me that they call him “accent expert” in every video. This guy is more than that, he’s a linguist (and a great one at that), but I guess that’s not clickbaity enough.

[@Hwyadylaw]

What makes you say he's a great linguist? All I can find on him (including how he describes himself) is that he's a dialect coach or an "accent expert". It's not wrong to call him a linguist, but that word on its own usually implies academia.

[@tedwards1025]

kzbin.info/door/rl8MHQdaBOogYwf_Tbjfqw on his channel he calls himself a dialect coach not a linguist since linguist is usually associated with academia and dialect coach or "accent expert" is his job

[@Ceares]

yeah, most people aren't going to click on a linguist video unless they have an interest but people love accents. But it's not "clickbait' which implies bait and switch, he's legitimately a dialect coach and accent expert who is breaking down accents specifically, not just discussing linguistics

[@91010186]

Linguistic is a big field. Calling himself an expert is indeed clickbaity

[@imokin86]

A linguist is a very broad term. Like a doctor. Linguists study speech sounds, and how Google corrects typos in search, and ancient scrolls, and how posh accents influence job interviews, and so on... And if Eric himself doesn't call himself a linguist, that's a good argument too.

[@Griffinsage808]

I just want a show of Eric critiquing people's accents in live time.

[@TabithaElkins]

Really cool video! I find linguistics fascinating, and I loved learning about linguistics while studying English in Mainz.

[@Fizz-Pop]

That was..surprisingly interesting and insightful. I would have watched more.

[@magdadyga]

This man needs his own KZbin channel already.

[@AksHuckleberry]

he has it, but doesnt use it for this sorta stuff :(

[@juliadandy6019]

Aks Huckleberry what does he use it for? 😏 Lol

[@t12345642]

Thank you for this. I’ve noticed the similarities between accents (London and US southern especially) and wondered why.

[@wa4920]

Amazing material! Thank you!

[@ShiftyReptile]

WE NEED MORE ERIK WE WILL NEVER BE SATISFIED

[@SuperSpyToni]

Not ever. Bring it on.