Dialect Impressions
Notes & Links to Dr. Howard's Audio Samples


  Dr. Diane Howard
Voice Bank
  • Standard British Dialect

    a. resonance focused toward front of the mouth

    b. rounded vowels, especially a’s

    c. diminished r’s

    d. liquid u such as in duke

                     e. straight, formal sounding, limited pitch variation

  • Cockney Dialect

    a. resonance focused in back of throat

    b. dropped h’s

    c. elongated diphthongs

    d. emotional, great deal of pitch variation

    e. glottal stops with such words as throttle, gentleman

  • Irish Dialect

    a. resonance focused a few inches in front of lips

    b. musical dialect, lilting downward in pitch during vowels

    c. a’s pronounced as "ah" as in art, balm; short as in hat, bat;
         or as "aw" as in broad, morning

    d. oy diphthong as in poise, boy

    g. long i as in tight, sight

    h. long o in grow, toe

     i. long oo in blue, soon

     j. long e in see beat, meat

     h. o’s short in shot, tot

     k. short e in ten, when

     i. rolled r’s

  • Scottish Dialect

    a. resonance focused under the tongue

    b. trilled r’s

    c. glottal stop substituted for medial and final t’s, such as in bottle, bit, bitter

    d. g dropped in ing endings, such as in singing,  prancing

    e. doesn’t have external musical lilt, but does have internal vowel lilt with
         upward rise in pitch during vowels and diphthongs of stressed words

     f. ah-oo in words such as house, mouse

     g. long a in words such as great,   way

     h. long o in words such as grow,   bow

     i. long e in words such as see, meat

     j. long oo in words such as blue, tune

     k. short oo as in could, stood, boot
  • Russian Dialect

    a. tone or resonance focused high and in back of mouth

    b. rolled r’s

    c. w’s become v’s

    d. ending g’s become k’s

    e. long a in great,  they

          f. long o as in go, home

          g. short a as in cat, bag

          h. short i as in sit, sin

          i. short e as in get, met

  • Yiddish Dialect

    a. tone or resonance focused tongue tip and front of teeth

    b. musical lilt with pitch rising at end of stressed words and ends of phrases

    c. ending g’s become like k’s

    d. w’s become v’s

    e. long e in such words as see, me

    f. long a in such words as great, day

                    g. long oo as in duke, boot

                    h. long o as in snow, slow
  • German Dialect

    a. resonance focused at top edge of bottom front teeth

    b. often dominating, hard, reserved sounding

    c. ach is guttural

    d. short "i" in words such as sit, still

    e. short "e" in such words as get,  tent

    f. short "oo" in such words as good book

          g. th pronounced like a d in such words as they,  therefore

          k. w becomes a "v"   in such words as where, was, what

         a.  Resonance is focused in the back of the throat

         b.  Full nasal sound which progressively decreases

         c.  Extended upper lip

         d.  Slight dilation of the nostrils
  
         e.  emphasis on final syllable of words

         f.   long "e" in words such as see, speed, knee, free

         g.  short "i" in words such as city, in, sit, pit

         h.  long "a" in words such as way, say, day

         i.  short "e" in words such as feather, whether 

 

          References-

          David A. Stern's dialect acquisition/reduction audio tapes

  • UMHB Performance Studies Students
    Demonstrate Dialects with Character Voices

          Apple Corporation Learning Interchange Videostreaming

          Part One- Harriet Tubman

          Part Two- Joseph Merrick, The "Elephant Man"

 
  • Tips for Good Vocal Delivery for Live or Pre-Recorded Audio:

          Use vocal variety.

          Use good diction.

          Use effective breath support.

          Keep your voice healthy.

    (1) Drink plenty of water.
    (2) Use relaxation techniques.
    (3) Get adequate sleep.
    (4) Don't stress your voice by shouting, whispering, pushing it.

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