Funetik Aksent/Self Demonstrating



"In this book a number of dialects are used, to wit: the Missouri negro dialect; the extremest form of the backwoods Southwestern dialect; the ordnary "Pike County" dialect; and four modified varieties of this last. The shadings have not been done in a haphazard fashion, or by guesswork; but painstakingly, and with the trustworthy guidance and support of personal familiarity with these several forms of speech."

"I make this explanation for the reason that without it many readers would suppose that all these characters were trying to talk alike and not succeeding."

- Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Uh Funetik Aksent iz dyalog speld funetiklee so thet it luks tha way the karektr sowndz. Click here to avoid an excruciating experience deciphering this page.

Aksents ar wun uv tha mayjr wayz uv prowvyding karictrazayshun. That kreeayts a chalinj fur wrytrz, sns its nawt just a matr uv wrd choys and gramr; tha saym wrd kan bee prownownsd vaeree difrentlee in difrent reejinowl aksents, let alown ethnk and forin aksents. Awthawrs kan get past that limatayshun with a fownetklee speld aksent, sumtymz kawld an "i dyalekt" (beekuwz it luks how it sowndz) awr a "prownownseeayshun reespeling".

Howevr, a Funetik Aksent haz its downsydz. Nahnstandrd spelingz kan slow reedrz down, espeshulee if Inglsh iz naht ther naytiv langwidj, sins thayr liklee mowr adept at reeding standrd writn Inglish then at desyfring an unfimilyur aksent.

Awlsoh, sins standrd Inglish iz naht speld funetikley, a Funetik Aksent kan bey yoozd too giv tha impreshun uv an unejakaytd speekr, eevn wen tha prownunseeayshun iz prfiktlee standrd (az with this payj). Tha latr yoos haz givn tha trm "i diyalekt" a negativ konohtayshun fer sum.

Litring tha tekst with apostrifeez iz ahpshunl. See awlsoh SpeechBuhblz, fer awlturntiv wayz uv kunvaying infermayshun abowt tha chayriktrz' voysiz. This payj, with nowrml speling kawnvenshunz.

Anime and Manga

 * In tha Inglish lawngwidj tranzlayshunz uf tha Hellsing mawnga, Fawthr Anderson haz such a bruwj thawt yoow hav to gow bawk and reyd hiz liynz muwltapl tiymz toow figyur awt wat he seyd.
 * Mowst uv tha kariktrz inKrownow Kraws hav aksents in the Inglish trawnzlashun, in owrdr toow awd veriyawtey toow wut wud uthrwiz bey intrchaynjawbl snipits uv diyawlowg spowkin biy wutevr karikterz yoow hawpind toow hav in yur pawrtey awt tha tiym.
 * This waz an atempt toow kum up with an Inglish ekwivalent toow difrent wayz uv speyking Jawpineyz.

Comic Books

 * A butlowd in Eks-Mn, suwch az Gambit and Rogue, kurtsey uv Chris Claremont.
 * Cameron Spector frum The Filth tawks in an awlmowst iledgawbl Skowts diyawlekt.
 * Awt leyst wown kariktr in aneything ritin by Grant Morrison.
 * In tha komik vershun uv V Fowr Vendeda, a kariktr with an abserdley thik Iyrish aksent showz up. Alan Moore rendrz tha aksent funetikally, doowing such a gud jowb that hiz printed speeych bublz awr just az inkowmprahensabl az heyring him speyk wuk hav bin. This edatr waz nawt awmyoozd at having toow reyd evreything tha kariktr sed fiyv tiyms and then sawnd it awt toow figyur awt, and waz evn les amyuzd wen hey beykaym krushul toow tha plawt awt uv nowwayr. Theyz dayz Iy just ignowr evreything hey sez and figyur it awt throow evreywon elsiz responsiz toow him.
 * Tha kowmik 'Platinum Grit yoowzez funetik aksents fer just abowt evrey kariktr hoow iznt Awstraylyin, inkloowding a tawking kuwbrd frum Jamayka, a reydikyulusley Jermn kafay ownr, and a palethra uv Skowtish karikters with aksents sow awthentikley thik and indasifrabl thet fanz hav aktyaley askd fer tranzlashuns. And a difrnt set uv funetik speling fer kariktrs hoow awrnt Skowtish puting awn bawd fayk skots aksents.
 * Awvertd in Warren Ellis' run uv They Awthowratey wayr Britsh, Tbetn, Amayrakawn, and Duwch kariktrz hav ther diyalowg ritn in stawndrd Inglish...eksept wen Jenny Sparks reypeyts sumthing tha Dawktr sez toow teyz him fer hiz Duwch aksent..
 * Yoozd ekstensivley in Preychr. Maynley fer tha Teksan/Suthrn aksents mowst uv tha kast powzesiz, but awlsow a thik Iyrish wown fer Cassidy, awnd tha jibrish uv tha fashuley maymnd Arseface, wich sumhaw kumz awt awktyuley reydawbl if yoow sawnd it awt.
 * Serabuys Tha Ayrdvark waz tha mastr uv this, with evreything frum Chikow Mwarks'z fayk Atalyion aksent to Serabus'z kowld toow Alan Moore'z Britishizmz. This trowpr fawnd himself bafld untel hey red evreything alawd, wayrapown it mayd saprizingley instint sens.
 * This iz tha howl poynt uv Duwch kowmik sereyz Haagse Harry, weyr eneything and evreything speyks funetikley transzkribd Duwch with a vayrey strowng Tha Hayg aksent. And yes, it tendz toow bey inkowmprahensibl unles red awt lowd.
 * Julius, kommandant of Das Primate Patrol in Tha DKU, a gowrilaw with, uhm, fashist leyningz, speyks with an aytipakawley funetik Jirmin aksent. "I'm gonna krush you all, grint you inda dusd! "I'm an aybe. Dad's how I rdoll."
 * Nawt toow menshun Captain Fear, with hiz Spanish aksent and "debil may care" awtitood. "I'm da ghoaz, but I can e'see righ' t'roo joo, Doagtar Dirteen."
 * Don Rosa's The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck haz Scrooge'z famley, Scrooge himself inkloodidd, speyking in Skawtish aksents. Bowth Scrooge and hiz sistrz drawp therr aksents aftr moowving toow Awmerika.

Literature

 * Az indakaytd by tha kwoht, the yur-eksampl myt bee Mark Twain's reejownal dyalekts.
 * Fleur Delacour in Harry Potter. Awlsow Hagrid.
 * Down a lawt in Dorothy L Sayers's nawvlz.
 * Tha Grand Hiy Wich in The Witches hawd a simlr aksent, buwt it waz sapowzd toow bey Nowrwegin.
 * Jane Eyre
 * Awlsow Joseph (and praktikley evreywown in Heathcliff's hawshowld, buwt tha mayn awfendr iz Joseph) uv Wuthering Heights.
 * Stephen King awftn duwz this with Niw Inglnd kayriktrz.
 * Irvine Welsh dows this hevawley with tha Skowtish diyawlekt.
 * This edatur deyfiyz anywown toow deysiyfr tha Uncle Remus stowriyz awn tha frst reyding.
 * HP Lovecraft luvd toow doow this; mowst nowtabley in The Dunwich Horror and The Shadow over Innsmouth.
 * Laytr Oz buks giv Dorothy mowr fawrmgrl kawlowkleyalizms, prazoomabley toow diferencheyayt hr frum tha uwthr litl grls in tha buk seyriyz.
 * Iain M. Banks's Feersum Endjinn haz a viywpownt kariktr, Bascule, hooz intiyr sekshunz awr ritn in a funetik aksent - it tayks a wiyl toow rejastr thawt tha kariktr iz awktyuley varey intelawjint deyspiyt this.
 * Jumps in and awt fer Scotty in differing buks uv tha Stawr Trek franchiz fikshun, dawpending awn tha awthr. Sumtiymz hiz aksent iz speld funetikley, uther tiymz its prezins iz just nowtd in tha prowz.
 * The saym gowz fer Chekov.
 * William Shatner in pratikyuler fayverz "vw" fer Chekov'z 'newkleyr weslz' aksent, wich iz sumwat difakult toow reyd.
 * Tha aridjinal nawvl uv Forrest Gump (wich iz awlow funeyr then Tha Flm Uv Tha Buk, btw) iz ritin in Forrest's Suthrn diyalekt.
 * Manly Wade Wellman slips in sum uv this in hiz Silver John stowreyz, awl set in tha (vayrey) bakwudz uv Apilacha.
 * Thow menshund wons as an asiyd - Redwal deyservz an entrey uv theyr own. Tha miys, atrz, etc. tend toow speyk normawley. Howevr, Rats hav a sowrt uv browkn kokney/piyrt speyk, tha Shrewz seym toow lisp, and Mowlz? Tha mowl speych iz kawnsidrd awlmost inkomprehensbl.
 * The Hayrz awn tha uthr hand have a Verbl Tik mawdld aftr tha stereyowtipawkl 19th/erley 20th sentyurey British milatayrey ofiser, ending mowst sentinsez with "wot".
 * The Three Musketeers: d'Artagnan's Gascon aksent iz kawnveyd threw hiz tendinsey toow prownawns hiz favrit ekspativ as "mordiox!" insted uv "mordieu!"
 * 'ow did we get so far wi'out mentionin' the Discworld at all? With zee Vampires, der Trolls, and all ozzer assorted veirdness, it's easier to say when a speck of the FourthWall stays blank.
 * Wown kariktr in a Zanth nawvil speyks with a lisp; awl tha "s"z in hiz speych awr reyplaysd with tha letr "v", eksept wen he sez tha wrd "iylnd"). Wown uv tha uthr kariktrz awsks if it shud hae bin "ivland", toow wich tha lisping kariktr reyspondz, "Whatever for?" Interestingley, wen tha naraytr mominaraley changz fowkuws toow tha lisping kariktr, hiz speych iz nowrmawl and tha awthr karikterz hav ekstraw "s"z in thayr speych, as thow thay wur hising.
 * Avertd - fer now gud reyzun - in tha Buk Vershun uv tha PBS mineysereyz Do you Speak American? Tha howl poynt uv tha seyreyz waz toow show haw Inglish iz spowkin difrentley in difrent pawrts uv tha US, but evin wen darektley kwowting peypl yoowzing noawn standrd US diyawlekts tha buk prints it in standrd speling, sow tha poynt iz lawst.
 * Eny Awmerikan nawvl that invowlvz sowljerz frum tha UK and a Lewtenit. Wenevr wown uv tha powm'z sez that awfisrz rank, its awlwayz 'Leftenant'. Tom Clancy iz ekstreymley fawnd uv this, and Cawl uv Doowtey had Priz say this wowns (suwbtiytlz say 'Leftenant')
 * Vaska Denisov in War And Peys iz sed to swalow hiz R'z wen tawking, wich tha tranzlaytrz desidid toow replikayt by puting "gh" in frunt uv any R'z in any wurdz he sez. It tayks sum geting yoozd toow.
 * Horrible Science magaziyn wowns showd an Amwerikan and a Rushin triying toow lawnch rawkits in a kawmik strp. Both fayld. The Awmerikan sed "Rats!", tha Rushin sed "Ratz!"
 * Their Eyes Were Watching God gets a lot eyzeyr toow reyd wowns yoow reyliyz thet tha diyawlekt iz mowstley funetik with les then dazling gramr.
 * Amalia Ivanovna/Ludwigovna frum Crime and Punishment hahd wun.

Meta

 * This payj.

Newspaper Comics

 * This wuz wuhns veree kahmon in Noozpayprkahmiks. Lil Abner, The Katzenjammer Kids, Krazy Kat, and Pogo awr sum uv tha best nown eksamplz (indeyd, The Katzenjammer Kids reymayns tha arktiypl eksampl uv a bawd, browkin Jermin aksent in tha Inglish-speyking wurld, and kowmparasunz tuw it awr mayd biy thows hoow hav nevr seyn tha owridganl). Az tiym went awn and diyalekt hyoomr fel aywt uv fayvr, mowst maynstreym kawmiks hawv stuk toow prowpr Inglish.
 * Mawdistey Blayz: Willie Garvin, Mawdistey'z Kokniy siydkik, drawps 'iz haychez and freykwentley eksklaymz, "Blimey!"

Tabletop Games

 * Owrks and Owrks in Wowrhamr and Wowrhamr 40000, with a Kokney like aksent.

Theatre

 * Tha buk and leyriks toow Oklahoma! awr rendrd this way, inkloowding tha sawng tiytlz ("I Cain't Say No," "Pore Jud is Daid," etc.).
 * Simalayraley, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers haz tha sawng tiytlz "Bless Yore Beautiful Hide" and "Goin' Co'tin'".

Video Games

 * May akownt fer Ultimecia's bizwr "Kursed SeeDs! You will not stop me from achieving Time Kompression!" speych patrnz in Final Fantasy VIII. May bey a sumwat doowbeyas way uv mayking hr sownd "Rushin". Owr may bey just EkstreymKoolLetrz.
 * In Grawnd Theft Awtow IV, wun kariktr speyks Rawstifariyan Inglish, and awnuthr Jamaykin Patois. Theyr neyrley uninteligabl despiyt teknikley speyking that saym langwidj. Theyr diyalawg iz rendrd funetikley in tha subtiytlz toow, rendering them awlmowst yooslis fer desifering them.
 * This iz perhaps lampshaydid toow a dagrey wen tha kariktrz speyking Rawstifariyan (tha won hoow kan bey haf way understud at poynts) haz toow tranzlayt for Nico Belic (Tha Playr Kariktr) and biy ekstenshun, tha player, tha awthr kariktr speyking Jamakin Patois. Troowthfuley, tha 'tranzlashun' didnt help muwch.

Web Comics
"I'm afraid you'll have to imagine Frans's accent without my help. It looks just far too silly typed phonetically."
 * The jÃ¤germonsters (mawnstrus luwking sowljerz tranzfowrmnd biy Mawd Siyins) in Phil Foglio's steympuwnk kowmik Girl Genius hawv siley "Jermawnik" sawnding funetik aksents. Eyvn mowr bizawr givn that, althow tha kowmik iytself iz ritin in Inglish tha mayn kariktrz awr aktuwley speyking in Jermin and Romayneyan (az kownfirmd biy tha Foglios awn the Yahoo Group fanforum) and tha ownley Britsh kariktr speyks withawt any funetik aksent. Maybey its tha poyntey teyth...
 * The Foglios hav diskriybd tha Jaegermonsters az "The Mongol Horde, staffed by the Katzenjammer Kids".
 * In Order of the Stick, Durkon haz a Skowts like awkent; this is lawmpshaydid awn mowr then wown awkashun ("He can pronounce 'stratosphere' but not 'the'?").
 * At wown poynt hey riyts a letr in tha saym manr. Wen towld he didnt hav to tawnskriyb hiz aksent, hey reyspowndz "Transcribe my what now?"
 * Gunnerkrigg Court renrz sum kariktrz' aksents this way: Surma'z Yowrkshr Aksent, Zimmy'z (prazumabley) Birmingham aksent, and Red'z kompleetley fikshunal aksent. Awn thee uthr hand, thee main kariktrz avrt this: Antimony haz a sliyt Yowrkshr Aksent and Kat haz a sliyt Skowtish aksent, but wey ownley know this beykuz Wurd Uv Gawd sez sow.
 * JD, tha siyintist Spays Piyrat from tha webkowmik Metroid: Third Derivative (naymnd himself aftr "the greatest pirate in human history: Johnny Depp"), speyks with a Jirmn aksent. ("Just take ze damn veapon already.") At leyst, hiz W'z awr ritn az V'z, and hiz S'z awr Z'z. Wen hezs awlown, thow, he sumtiymz drawps tha aksent. ("Thank God, now I can drop this stupid accent I used to impress the idiot.")
 * Awvertd with tha Advenchas of Dahkta MikNinjah vilan Frans Rayner. Tha Awlt Tekst in tha strip in wich he iz intadoowsd reydz:


 * In Misfiyl garaj ownr Harry haz tha mowst apawling Kokney/Welsh fyushun aksent that haz evr bin this edawtowr'z misfowrchun toow reyd. Thankfuley hiz apeyrensez awr rayr.

Web Original

 * Stetsun MikLee duz thiss in Darwinz Souljurs storee Neecheez Souljurs 2.

Real Life

 * Reyd meney fowrmz awn 'tawk liyk a piyrt day' and bey shur "ya sorery wretchers bain't so cussed blinded tha cha cannaugh make 'eads er tailses uv wot we's been sayings."
 * Frum an Inglish speykrz perspektiv, tha Skawts langwidj is this trowp rit lardj (sey tha Skawts Wikapeydiya).
 * Frum a Skawtz speykrz perspektiv, tha Inglish langwidj is this trowp rit lardj (sey tha Inglish Wikapeydiya).
 * The Russhun form of inturnetspeek called "Olbansky yezik" ("Olbanian langwij") is essenshully this trope.