The following is a brief overview of the essential elements one must consider when preparing a dialect for performance.
Everyone can learn to speak with a dialect. Some people can listen to a dialect once and in few tries begin imitating the dialect with reasonable accuracy. For others, learning to speak with dialect is a long process that requires endless study and practice. Whichever group you fall into, learning to speak with a dialect or accent in a way that is consistent and authentic sounding requires you understand certain elements common to all dialects. If you are able to identify these elements you will be well on your way to creating an authentic sounding dialect.
Dialect vs. Accent
You may have observed that the term dialect is used in this resource material, while little reference is made to the term accent. In many resources the terms dialect and accent are used interchangeably. In this resource the term dialect is used to represent both dialects and accents. However, it may be useful for you to understand the difference between the two.
A dialect refers to a particular form or variation of a language distinctive to a country, region or social group. For example, one person may be from English-speaking Canada and another from Hull, England. Although they both speak English, how they pronounce words, the inflection patterns they use and even the meaning of some words may be noticeably different. They both speak English, but different dialects of English. In some cases, the variation between dialects is so extreme that a speaker of one dialect cannot understand the speaker of another, even though the root language is the same.
An accent refers to the affect one language has on the way another language is spoken. This is most often observed in someone learning a new language. The speech sounds, stress patterns and tonal placement used in a native language are sometimes employed when speaking a new language. The new language is then said to be accented by the first. “Ricardo speaks English with a lovely Spanish accent.”
The Essential Elements
The following information briefly describes the important elements of speech that need to be altered to present a convincing dialect. It is recommended that you have a solid understanding of these elements before beginning your research and practice. Doing so will help ensure accuracy, consistency and believability in your performance.
Vowels and Consonants
One of the most obvious elements of speech that affect the sound of a dialect is how the vowels and consonants are pronounced in a dialect. For instance, in some Irish dialects the short [u] as in “cup” is pronounced more like an [oo] as in “book.” There is also a tendency for speakers from Ireland to pronounce voiceless [th] sounds as in “think” with the consonant sound [t]. Therefore, the word “think” will sound more like “tink.” As part of your dialect study you need to identify all the vowel and consonant pronunciations common to the dialect.
Vowel – A vowel has several characteristics. It is a voiced sound. It is also a continuous sound without interruption or restriction of the stream of breath. The distinguishing sound of a vowel is shaped by the lips, tongue and resonating cavities above the larynx (Eisenson, 1979). A vowel represents one sound and not a combination of vowel sounds as in diphthongs and triphthongs. Diphthongs and triphthongs combine two and three vowel sounds (respectively) to create what is often perceived as one sound.
Consonant – A consonant is a speech sound that is formed by partially or completely obstructing the breath flow (Smukler, 2005). This obstruction is achieved through the movement and/or positioning of your articulators. Articulators include the lips, tongue, jaw, soft palate, hard palate, teeth and alveolar ridge (ridge behind the upper teeth). Some articulators are moveable and others are not. Specific combinations of articulators work together to make specific consonant sounds. For example, your bottom lip lifts and rests against the bottom of your upper teeth to create the sound [v].
Some consonants are voiced and others are voiceless. A voiced consonant involves vibration in the vocal folds during its production. In a voiceless consonant there is no vibration in the vocal folds during its production. Place the palm of your hand around the front of your neck. Create a “v” sound. Now create an “f” sound. What do you notice about these two consonant sounds? You can feel the vibration in your throat while you produce a “v” sound but the vibration disappears when you produce the “f.” This is the difference between a voiced consonant and a voiceless consonant.
Tonal Placement/Focus
Each dialect or accent has a spot in or around the mouth where the focus of vocal sound is concentrated. This is called tonal placement or focus. For example, the tonal placement for the general American dialect is in the centre of the mouth where the tonal placement for an Irish dialect sits out in fronts of lips (Stern, 1979). The tonal focus is sometimes described as the focal point for the resonance of a speaker. Mastering the tonal placement for a dialect is essential and can very often determine whether or not a dialect is perceived as authentic.
Musculature
The dominant positioning of the lips, tongue, jaw and soft palate along with the shaping of the throat and mouth during speech accounts for what is referred to as the musculature of a dialect. The musculature of a dialect often has a significant influence on tonal placement.
Vocal Patterns
The distinguishing patterns of inflection, rhythm, stress, tempo and volume specific to a dialect are often referred to as vocal patterns.
Inflection– This refers to a recognizable pattern of raising and falling pitch and intonation during speech.
Rhythm– The flow or pattern of sound created by the arrangement of various long and short or stressed and unstressed syllables.
Stress Patterns – The prominence placed on a syllable, word or phrase particular to a specific dialect. E.g. WEEKend in standard Canadian speech and weekEND in standard British speech.
Tempo – The rate of speech that a dialect is usually spoken.
Volume – The relative intensity of sound, and its variations, specific to a dialect.
Idioms and Special Pronunciations
Every language and dialect has, over time, developed phrases and expressions that carry a meaning separate from what the words imply. Examples include: “It’s raining cats and dogs;” “He’s after drinking again;” “to keep tabs on.” It is useful to become familiar with as many of these idioms of a dialect as possible. Look for special pronunciations, vocal sounds, words, expletives and slang used in the dialect. For example, in Saskatchewan, Canada they use the term “bunny-hug” for what in other parts of Canada is called a “hoodie.”
Identifying all of the above elements of a dialect is an important step in acquiring a convincing dialect. Once you are familiar with the key elements of a specific dialect you can begin to make the necessary alterations to your own speech patterns. Combining any ability you have to mimic a dialect with your study of these elements will stand you in good stead as you work towards presenting your dialect in performance.
Other Considerations
There are several non-speech related elements that can provide invaluable information about a dialect. These include cultural characteristics of the people that speak the dialect, geography of the region in which the dialect is spoken, traditional music of the people, and gestures and other physical attributes that can be observed during speakers of the dialect.
All of these elements deserve a thorough investigation. Assuming that you are preparing your dialect for performance in a play or movie, all of the above should be essential elements of your character research, which brings us to the final consideration, character analysis. An in-depth look at your character and how they are influenced by attributes of their dialect and how their sensibility as person shapes their vocal response within the context of their dialect is warranted.
References and Resources
Eisenson, Jon (1979). Voice and Diction: A Program for Improvement (4th ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.
Kopf, Ginny (2003). The Dialect Handbook (2nd ed.) Orlando: Voiceprint Publishing
LeReaney, David (2004). Introduction to Dialects and Accents. Calgary: An unpublished workshop handout
Smukler, David (2005). Speaking North American Naturally. Toronto: York University
Stern, David Alan (1979). Speaking with an Accent: Irish. Lyndonville: Dialect Accent Specialists, Inc