Everyone has an accent. How we speak is influenced by where we live or have lived and the groups of people that we talk with. Different regions and languages have variations on the pronunciation of vowel and consonant sounds, rhythm, and intonations. These differences can be due to regional or national origin influences.

Regional accents occur among people who speak the same language but live in different geographical areas. For example, in the United States, someone who grew up in New York often sounds different from someone who was raised in Tennessee or Minnesota. National origin accents occur in non-native speakers.  Someone who learned Spanish or another language as a child will sometimes impose their native phonology systems when speaking a second language, like English.

When are Elective Speech Therapy Services Helpful?

Accents are normal and can be a source of pride. No accent is better than another just as no language or ethnic group is better than another.  Accents are NOT considered a communication disorder.

However, at times, individuals may wish to modify or reduce their accent to increase their ability to communicate in the workplace or their community.  Elective speech therapy services may be helpful for the following situations:

• The individual often has difficulties being understood by others.

• The individual is asked to repeat themself often.

• Others pay more attention to the accent than what is being said by the individual.

• Negative attitudes or biases are impacting the individual.

• The individual is a public speaker and wishes to have a more neutral accent for work activities.

Elective speech therapy can help to address the needs of individuals wanting accent modification. Speech language pathologists can evaluate speech mechanics and provide instruction on how to modify speech sounds, intonation, rhythm and overall intelligibility.

Enablr Therapy has a team of talented speech language pathologists who can work with you or your family. Book your appointment today!