UK people, what accent is this?

February 7, 2021 11:15 PM

Here is a youtube walkthrough of a short (cute) game. Where would you say the speaker is from?

Purely idle curiosity on my part; I liked listening to this.

posted by taz to Grab Bag (24 answers total)

I'm guessing Newcastle
posted by flabdablet at 11:43 PM on February 7, 2021

The accent is Geordie
posted by flabdablet at 11:56 PM on February 7, 2021

It's not Geordie, it sounds further south than that. I'd say it's towards Preston/Leeds/Manchester.
posted by mani at 12:57 AM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

Yes it’s definitely not Geordie (I grew up in that area). I’m not very good at identifying accents but I’d say it’s from Yorkshire or maybe Lancashire (sorry for lumping you together - I know those accents are completely different from each other). Hopefully someone else will be able to give a more specific answer.
posted by iamsuper at 1:11 AM on February 8, 2021 [2 favorites]

I'd say Yorkshire, towards Hull side.
posted by charlen at 1:19 AM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

Definitely not Geordie, and I don't think Lancashire, it's non-rhotic. Somewhere in Yorkshire, but that's as accurate as I can get.
posted by spielzebub at 1:21 AM on February 8, 2021 [2 favorites]

East yorkshire? Definitely not geordie.
posted by sedimentary_deer at 1:21 AM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

Yorkshire
posted by Dwardles at 1:25 AM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

It's Yorkshire, probably. Definitely Northern, not Mancunian or Geordie.
posted by Balthamos at 1:26 AM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

They live in Leeds, so yes — Yorkshire, most likely. But Yorkshire has many, many accents.
posted by scruss at 1:38 AM on February 8, 2021 [3 favorites]

It sounds to me like the sort of accent you end up with when you've lived for spells in a couple of places. The speaker corrects their pronunciation of the word 'day' early on, as if they've become used to using a more southern pronunciation. I've lived in Newcastle, North and West Yorkshire, and I'm inclined to think the accent is from somewhere a bit east, not as far up as, say, Darlington, maybe closer to Hull. But yes, Yorkshire has many subtly different accents.
posted by pipeski at 2:15 AM on February 8, 2021 [2 favorites]

To me, his accent reminds me a little of Elbow singer Guy Garvie (sample) - who grew up in Bury, Lancashire.
posted by rongorongo at 2:34 AM on February 8, 2021

Sounds more Yorkshire than Lancashire to me too.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 5:02 AM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

I'm South Yorkshire, and it doesn't sound local to me. Reminds me a bit of an east Yorkshire accent (I know a few people from Hull), but also of Bob Mortimer's voice - and he's from Middlesborough, which is North Yorkshire (in old money).
posted by vincebowdren at 7:57 AM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

A coworker of mine is from just outside York (Upper Poppleton) and he sounds exactly like that.
posted by sideshow at 9:13 AM on February 8, 2021 [2 favorites]

Unfortunately nobody in the UK knows anything about Northern accents which should tell you everything about how south-centric our media is. I get why people said 'Geordie' because some of the intonations sound similar on first listen... sort of.

My first thought was 'he sounds like Paul Morley' but he's from Stockport and doesn't sound it...! Then I thought Vic Reeves (Leeds) especially when he says 'games' (gairmz) but I think the last two posters are onto something.

You decide:

Hull

York

I'm thinking of contacting him to ask. It's bothering me now.
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 9:28 AM on February 8, 2021 [2 favorites]

I wouldn't contact them. Accents are personal things. To me, a "you have an interesting accent" query comes across as "you have weird ethnicity, why can't you talk properly?".
posted by scruss at 10:13 AM on February 8, 2021

As a Yorkshireman I'd say northern part of west riding of Yorkshire. At least, he's not from not my part of the north riding (Thirsk area).
posted by anadem at 10:25 AM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

North-east Leeds I reckon; I would accept Upper Poppleton
posted by cardamine at 11:24 AM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

I'm from Halifax (near Leeds ), I'd say Yorkshire too, I can't pin it down any more than that.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 1:01 PM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

I was going to say Derbyshire based on the fact he sounds very similar to someone I know from there. I’m swayed by people on here saying Yorkshire though it’s not the same as my grandfather’s accent (from Easingwold).
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 1:28 PM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

It sounds to me like the sort of accent you end up with when you've lived for spells in a couple of places.

I think Pipeski has it. It sounds Leeds/Mancunian/Boro with a bit of learning to speak so Southerners can understand you.
posted by fullerine at 1:49 AM on February 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks a lot everyone; it seems Yorkshire or part of Yorkshire is the popular vote! I found his speaking style / rhythm very soothing and pleasant, which may be just him, or maybe a particular quality of the inflection common with speakers from Yorkshire or certain areas of Yorkshire - or probably both. I'll try listening to some (more?) Yorkshire speakers.
posted by taz at 5:18 AM on February 9, 2021

As ihaveyourfoot said he sounds like Paul Morley. Paul Morley is a broadcaster in the UK and is on a lot of podcasts and radio stuff online, if you are a fan of that sort of voice.
posted by mani at 10:06 AM on February 9, 2021 [1 favorite]