American accent in French

What gives away an American accent in French? What distinguishes it from say, a Swedish, or German, or New Zealand accent? Is it the r's, or are there other things? How is the easiest way to cover up the accent, so you don't sound like you are from anywhere in particular?

I noticed the "american accent" is close to the irish one. Most of americans do pronouce the "T". Of course there are many different accent, from Chicago to Miami to La to new York. So can we generalize it to everybody?

In French, I don't think the American accent sounds much different to a British or Commonwealth accents. But by comparison Scottish accents in spoken French sound unique.

American accent sounds different with the british one.

>> American accent sounds different with the british one. <<

What makes it sound different?

the way the US people pronounce the "R" + they don't pronounce the "T". I think there are of course some other differences.

So does that mean that if I trilled my r's, and pronounced all my T's, then I would not have an American accent in my French?

The British (except Scottish) pronounce the same "R" sound as the Americans, but not in every syllable where R is written, unlike the Americans. And apart from the "flap T", a true "T" also exists and is used in American English. So these two sounds do not differentiate Americans from British people when they speak French.

Yes it does, an american and a british who speaks french can be identfied.

Maybe some French with experience can tell but most cannot, like anglophones cannot tell the difference between English spoken by a French Canadian and a Frenchman.

I could have just given a simple answer too: "no, it does not". At least I gave an explanation: the T and R sounds exist in both American and British English.

Ugh. Canadian French is rather frightening.

I was watching French-Canadian soap operas, and I couldn't understand very much (even with French subtitles for the hearing impared). It was almost like a completely different language to me. The news was pretty easy to understad, though.

Canadian French sounds a lot (a lot, a lot) more nasal. There was an exceptionally nasal-sounding woman on Tout le monde en parle. Also, they have bery many idioms and slang-terms unique to Canadian French.

Oopsy Poopsy.

Presley meant to write "very many". Not "bery many".

Presley,

I agree I don't like very much the canadian french, but I'm belgian and I know in france they think we talk ridiculously french.

Guest,

The american accent in french, it sound different than the german and swedish ones. Apart from the already noted 'r', germans pronounce differently the 'l' and also the intonation of them sound other. I didn't hear a swedish talk french I think.

Mostly for identify an anglophone, it's simple : the 'r' and the stressing is unique, or intonation also. To exactly know from where is the person coming, it's more difficult - I think I wouldn't know british, american, new zealand etc...

I think I must butcher proper French pronounciation. I say things in French, thinking I should be understood, and they can't understand me at times. I think I try too hard with the uvular R, which does not come natural to me. I find Spanish and Italian to be incredibly easy to pronounce, and most native speakers of these languages say my pronounciation is nearly flawless. I've been pronouncing Spanish since early childhood, so that is probably a given. But French is very difficult for me to pronounce naturally and properly. Interestingly, I actually find other Germanic languages to be more difficult to pronounce than even French.

LAA,

You don't need to try to speak with the"uvular r" to be understood in French. If you are a spanish speaker you can use your "rolled r", it doesn't bother the comprehension.