Hey people! So apparently you guys liked the “3 steps to get a Nigerian Accent” so much that some people have asked about how to get a British accent, and since that’s what I grew up speaking with, I’ll be very glad to share!
So you can easily reverse the tips from the how to get a nigerian accent post, but in addition I’d like a few pointers:
1. Take your time to enunciate.
The British Accent relishes the English language; every syllable counts! Take the word enunciate – the Nigerian way to pronounce this is “eh-none-shate”, as if the “i” is for decoration. The British will pronounce “ih-nuhn-see-eyt”.
2. Slow down.
As I’ve said, every syllable counts – for you to let each one get its turn in the light, you have to slow down and pronounce your words fully. If you listen closely to all these Nigerian singing shows, you hear the judges emphasize on the importance of diction, which is basically the speech sound quality made by an individual. You’ve gotta take your time!
3. Don’t forget your numbers!
A total give away is how you pronounce your digits so I’ll just list out the pronunciations of the single numbers:
0 “zee-row” not “zeh-row”
1 “won” not “wan”
2 “too”
3 “the-ree” not “tree” or “tiri” actually put your upper row of teeth on your tongue when pronouncing “the” so it’s not “da”
4 “foh-or” not “foh”
5 “fayv” not “fife”
6 “siyx”
7 “seh-vun” not “seh-vuun”
8 “ehyt” not “hate”
9 “nighn”
Of course – if you have any additions please drop them in the comments!
Peace & love xo
