Do I sound like an American?

GlimGlamEqD

4 days ago

So, it's been two and a half years since I last posted here, and last time people already thought I sounded basically American or at least like someone who "grew up in the US with foreign parents" or something along those lines. In the meantime, I've been showing my recordings to some Americans I know, and they usually think I sound very close to an actual American. So I'd like to please hear from all of you on this subreddit again! Do you think I could pass for an American? What still sounds off to you, if anything at all? I'd be very grateful for any and all feedback! Thank you very much. https://voca.ro/14MGeX7K28en

11 comments

According-Kale-8•4 days ago

I agree with the people, you don't sound "basically american" like you said, you sound latino/american to my ears. There's a clear underlying foreign accent but you speak very clearly. Edit: I'd also like to mention that asking people that are your friends is not a great idea. Almost every friend will be a lot nicer.. as they're your friend. You've done an AMAZING job, but you wouldn't be mistaken for an American.

betbigtolosebig•3 days ago

No, you don't sound American. You are probably 90% there but the last 10% is probably going to be extremely difficult. I didn't listen to the whole thing, I stopped when you said "sound American". The way you said American didn't sound American. I could hear the accent in every sentence, starting with hello everyone. I think you have a lot of the tones down though.

IndoorUseOk•4 days ago

You sound 100% clear but not “100% American”. I noticed the accent most on the e sounds in the words “years” and “here” and “Portuguese,” but also more subtlely in other vowel sounds, like the final syllable in “particular” and the second syllable in “attention”. Basically many of the vowels seem slightly different from how a native English speaker would say it. I personally wouldn’t think you grew up in the U.S., though I might think you moved there in your teens due to your fluency and pronunciation.

CrescentFeather7•4 days ago

You do sound American! Like an American raised in a Latin family of some kind but like you explained that's the Portuguese in you. Honestly the only reason I could distinguish that is because I was focusing.

PretzelKnot•3 days ago

You pass as American enough to me. But there is also something European with British influence about the way you speak.

StarTrippinn•2 days ago

I get it but these posts always make me feel so sad. You don’t sound American but who cares? You sound like you and that’s great. There’s so many American accents. Even some Hispanic cultures like Puerto Ricans have made their culture American culture. It’s all about sharing and learning with each other, not becoming all like each other. That’s boring. But you definitely sound like a cool person. I hope your life goes well.

mydarkerside•4 days ago

You sound pretty good, but not 100% American accent. Don't feel bad though. I know people born here to immigrant parents who still don't sound 100%. I have no problem understanding you and you could easily blend in here just fine.

Professional_Drag953•2 days ago

Perhaps not as helpful as I’m not a native speaker myself, but you sound to me like 95% American. I’m pretty familiar with both Brazilian pt and German accents and I can barely hear any influence from those in the audio. You don’t sound all that Californian to me, but maybe it’s more the stereotype about how people speak out there. Try and use more of their slang and you could probably pass for someone who lived in California for a while 😁 If I may ask, have you actually grown up or lived in the states for a long time? Because, if not, that’s a pretty impressive accent you developed.

SpanishLearnerUSA•4 days ago

I only listened to the beginning, but if we were talking, it would not immediately be evident that you aren't American. Maybe I'd catch on eventually, but you sound better than my neighbor who moved here when she 18 and is now around 55 years old. She sounds GREAT, but I think I'd catch her accent a bit easier.

osoberry_cordial•4 days ago

You sound pretty American. The tells are subtle. You kind of elide the t at the end of words like “that’s something” sounds like “thass something”. And some vowel sounds are very slightly accented. I think some people would pick up on your accent, but not everyone.

EagleGrouchy7266•3 days ago

I'd say it's about 75% American. I'd work on your vowels and intonation. Also, I noticed you say "so yeah" a lot. Saying "so yeah" repeatedly during a monologue can feel awkward or out of place. While it works in casual conversations, I’d recommend avoiding it in more formal settings, as it can make you seem uncertain or less confident. It sounds like you might be using it as a filler phrase. If you want to mix things up and adopt a more casual, Californian vibe, you could try replacing it with "like" instead. Again, if possible, don't use any filler words.