does American English sound like Irish English?

Hopeful   Mon Nov 21, 2005 10:55 pm GMT
does American English sound like Irish English?
I think they´re a little similar
And I have also heard many people say that
Brennus   Mon Nov 21, 2005 11:26 pm GMT
Emphatically no. The nearest thing to Irish English in North America is Newfoundland English (eastern Canada) where many people from southern Ireland were forcibly settled there in the 1730's by the British.
Rob   Mon Nov 21, 2005 11:38 pm GMT
Absolutely! It's near impossible to distinguish the accents of say people from Dublin from people from Dublin, OH, but then I did lose my hearing in an industrial accident and I hear very little apart from a persistent ringing noice and the occasional voice in my head.
Uriel   Tue Nov 22, 2005 12:58 am GMT
Yes, to me, anyway. Some Irish accents are hard for me to tell apart from American ones, and the ones that are still seem to have many more similarities to American than say, English, Scottish, or Australian, such as the short A's and the rhoticity, of course. I find it takes much less concentration to understand Irish accents than the others. But I ain't a linguist, so that's just my opinion as a lowly English-speaking layperson; what do I know?
Mxsmanic   Tue Nov 22, 2005 5:58 am GMT
Irish English sounds a great deal like American English. I sometimes have to listen to Irish people for several minutes before I realize that they are not American. There are some Irish people with very distinctive accents, but all the Irish people I've met in recent years have accents so light (from an American perspective) that I sometimes have to ask where they are from even after noticing that there is something slightly different from American in their speech.

My impression is that each generation has less of an accent than its predecessor. With ever-increasing mobility and communication, regional accents are gradually disappearing.
Dude Who Knows   Tue Nov 22, 2005 6:37 am GMT
I've heard a lot of English people say that American accents sound very similar to Irish accents. I'm an American and I don't hear it, but then again, I'm a bit immune to the aesthetic qualities of most American accents. On a related note, many Americans have trouble distinguishing between British and Australian accents. It all depends, I guess.
Uriel   Tue Nov 22, 2005 7:00 am GMT
One non-rhotic accent sounds much like another, to us. ;)

I suppose we should ask if non-Americans (or non-Irish, not that I think we even have any Irish people on here, last time I looked) think Irish and American sound similar to them?
Damian in Scotland   Tue Nov 22, 2005 8:03 am GMT
I really can't imagine the Southern Irish accent being confused with any other.......it's unique.....just listen to those cool guys (sigh) from Westlife.

The Irish accent was definitely "exported" big time to America way back...(the 1840s potato famine in Ireland eg and Boston, USA is almost more Irish than is Dublin) but it then developed along American lines, so it can't really be mistaken for the "real thing".

I'm much closer to the "real thing" in geographical terms and there are masses of Irish people in Scotland, as well as the rest of the UK (parts of London, such as Camden Town and Kentish Town are virtual Irish ghettoes) so familiarity makes for a more discerning ear.

The Northern Ireland accent is completely different from the Southern Irish......and is also practically unique. Co. Down becomes something like "Co. Doyne" in N Ireland.
Irish Gal....   Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:48 pm GMT
Hey, Im an irish teenager from the south of ireland.I guess im the only irish person on here.there is no way that i think irish & american accents are similar in any way.i've lived in ireland all my life & i can honestly say that there is a hugh different in both accents.I cant even hear one similarity.i dont know, maybe you gotta be non-irish to hear it...
Irish Guy   Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:14 pm GMT
"i've lived in ireland all my life & i can honestly say that there is a hugh different in both accents.I cant even hear one similarity.i dont know, maybe you gotta be non-irish to hear it..."
Which county. C'mon Cavan.
Irish Gal   Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:16 pm GMT
No, I live in Cork actually.
Irish Guy   Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:19 pm GMT
"No, I live in Cork actually."
I'm sorry for you, poor girl.How is Hobbs.
Irish gal   Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:20 pm GMT
What are you talking about. I wouldn't live anywhere else. UP THE REBELS.
Guest   Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:23 pm GMT
"What are you talking about. I wouldn't live anywhere else. UP THE REBELS."
REBELS, my arse. Come on up to the border and we will show you some rebelling.
Irish Gal   Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:27 pm GMT
Hey, we are the all ireland hurling champians!!! thats the big plus...