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Why some people mimic accents effortlessly
A German-born journalist attempts to adopt a Cincinnati accent in minutes-with mixed results. Researchers reveal the science behind why some people excel at vocal imitation while others struggle.
The experiment
Jennifer Scapetis-Tycer, a dialect coach and associate professor at the University of Connecticut, guides the journalist through a first attempt at speaking like an American office worker from Cincinnati. The task: deliver the line, "Hi, I'm home! Where is everybody?" with a General American accent-a neutral dialect heard in cities like Cincinnati.
Scapetis-Tycer breaks down the mechanics: raise the back of the tongue, project the voice forward, and adjust the mouth's shape to form an American "r" sound. The journalist's initial efforts produce a strained, unrecognizable noise. "Clearly, I've got a lot to learn," she admits.
What defines an accent?
Emily Myers, a speech and hearing sciences professor who co-authored a study on accent imitation with Scapetis-Tycer, defines an accent as a shared way of speaking within a language community. This includes pronunciation, melody, pitch, and speech rhythm. "All of these elements shape what we hear as an accent," Myers says.
For non-native speakers, imitating these features can be daunting. Some even alter their natural accents to avoid discrimination-a phenomenon known as accentism. In acting, accents serve as storytelling tools, revealing a character's origin and identity.
How the brain processes accents
Understanding an unfamiliar accent requires significant cognitive effort. Myers explains that the brain must decode patterns-like a Midwestern American saying "baig" instead of "bag"-and apply them to other sounds. With practice, this process becomes easier, and people may unconsciously mimic accents they hear frequently.
Producing an accent involves physical adjustments: controlling the mouth, vocal folds, and breathing. For the journalist's Cincinnati experiment, Scapetis-Tycer instructs her to shift her voice toward the back of the mouth to achieve a more American sound, rather than the front-focused British English she's accustomed to.
The science of imitation
To uncover why some people excel at accent imitation, Myers, Scapetis-Tycer, and colleague Hannah Olson tested 92 North American English speakers on their ability to mimic accents from Yorkshire, Edinburgh, and South Africa's Eastern Cape. Participants were also evaluated on musical ability, tongue-twister speed, and personality traits like openness to new experiences.
The results were revealing. The strongest predictor of success was the tongue-twister test. "People who could rapidly produce sounds did well in accent imitation," Myers says. "Agility in mouth movements seems key."
Musical skill also correlated with imitation ability. Those with a good ear for pitch and rhythm performed better, likely because they could detect subtle accent details. Personality played a role too: openness to new experiences predicted success, while extraversion did not.
Can anyone learn to mimic an accent?
Scapetis-Tycer notes that many skills linked to accent imitation-such as articulation, rhythm, and pitch awareness-are already taught in drama training. However, she cautions against oversimplifying the findings. "We don't yet know if these traits cause imitation ability or if they're just correlated," she says.
Practice matters. Scapetis-Tycer, an Australian, honed her own imitation skills over years of performing in British and American accents. "I had to work hard at it," she says. "Eventually, it became fascinating."
The challenge of learning new sounds
The journalist, despite being multilingual and musically trained, struggles with the Cincinnati accent. She experiences foreign language anxiety, a fear of sounding foolish that stifles her attempts. Myers explains that learning sounds is harder than learning words because sounds are the building blocks of language. "We can approximate foreign words using our native sounds," she says, "but perfect imitation requires mastering new vocal patterns."
After repeated attempts, the journalist improves by focusing on Scapetis-Tycer's voice rather than forcing her tongue into unnatural positions. She even adds a playful twist: "I got all this shoppin'!" Later, she experiments with an Australian accent, guided by Scapetis-Tycer's tip to widen her lips.
A world of accents to explore
While the journalist doesn't plan to abandon her current accent, she's intrigued by the possibilities. "Cincinnati might just be the start," she reflects. With countless English accents to explore, the journey of vocal transformation could be endless.
