What accent do you use while reading the books?

[Snape83]

It's obvious that you naturally will use your own accent. I'm a Spaniard myself and when I speak English a have sort of American accent (I spent some weeks in America so that I could get rid of my Spanish accent). However, whenever I read HP, I try to imitate on my head the British accent, specially while dialogues, cause it sounds more genuine to me. What about you?

[Melanie]

Why would you want to get rid of your accent? :)

Well, when I'm reading dialogues they have British accents...which is partially ingrained from having watched the movies before reading the books.

However, when it's just narrative...there is no accent? When I read and I get really into it, I get to a point where I don't even hear the narrative, I just see the images, you know?

[Virtuousdream]

Well I'm english so I have an english accent so naturally I read them in an english accent.
It would be stupid if I put on an american one for them :lol:

[Snape83]

Melanie: I want to get rid of my Spanish accent while I speak English. I'm very proud of my own native Spanish accent while I speak Spanish :lol:

[Melanie]

Ahhh I see :)

Maybe this is just me being an American, but I like when people speak English with an accent :P

[Vanilla Coke]

I am American, and when I read the books I immagine the dialouge in an American accent, obviously because that it the kind of accent I am used to hearing. But I am still aware that it takes place in Britian.

[rotsiepots]

Most of the characters in the books speak with my own accent, with the exception of Hagrid and a few others. Some of the accents vary in their intensity, but as a general rule they sound like me in my head. :)

[Kelpie]

I'm English too, so I have them speak in English accents. Pretty similar to the accents in the films actually (except I think Harry sounds a little 'posher' in the films).

[GryffindorSeeker]

:lol: Isn't that a question??? It really depends. It's about half-on-half. They occasionally speak in British accent, or in varying American accents. If it's American, there is always the slight hint of British, because it seems to work best.

[hermione_fan]

LOL! :elaugh: In my head it's usually my own voice. One time I tried to read the books to my sister and I used an english accent. It was very...interesting.


Yeah! This is my 200th post! :clap:

[NYCwitch920]

I'm an American but when I read the books, I mostly think of the characters speaking with a British accent. Besides, that's what JKR would think them as but otherwise, I don't think it really matters. I think any accent in your head would do, as long as you enjoy the story, it's just fine.

[ProfessorSnapesGrl]

Since i've started the Harry Potter series i'm slowly transforming into a brit. LOL i'm from America i have never been out of my country :'(

[Freezair]

I guess I'm a jaded American, then, because I usually use an american accent. Depends, really. Here, see how I do it with diff chars.

Harry: He speaks in a mufflier, less accented, sort of mouth-of-maple-syrup version of Dan's.
Ron: I could never see ron as British, weirdly! In my head he always speaks in a highly nasally sort of drippy-boice, but it's a good-humored one.
Hermione: I make her sound like my friend Tanya. XD

[dumbleedore]

I have different voices in my head for all the charecters. They sound like the actors, but they actually always have. I also use these voices when i'm writing fan fic, in order to make sure what i'm making someone say sounds right.

And when I read parts aloud I use a low deep voice for everyone. I can't read aloud in accents.

[Dedalus]

I'm British, but they still all have different accents to my own. Often it's obvious that they speak with another accent to mine (Stan, Hagrid etc. and all the characters meant to be from other countries to Enland, like McGonagall, Seamus etc) and sometimes I just make another one up for them. Though a lot of characters end up with my own Mancunian accent, I admit, or atleast are Northerners.

[Loz]

I use my inner voice, which is particularly english. It is deeper than my real voice, and better. I read Hagrid as the way Robbie Coltrane says it,( and strangely always did, even before the movies) and Voldie as being high and very elocuted but apart from that, just generally in my own register. :D When I read it out I read it in my real slightly australian, slightly english high pitched voice with the appropriate inflections. I don't bother doing accents, even though I could.

[Guardian Angel]

Interesting... I am not sure which accent I use, but I know that I sometimes do not read the words correctly. I just see 'em and skip them without reading them porperly. Maybe it sounds weird to you, but that's what I do. :)

[curious]

when i read the books, i always tend to read them with a horribly american accent, excepting a few characters that u really can't help but say the dialog correctly. but i figure seeing the movies, then, with the proper european accents, makes the experience that much more new and fresh. :agree:

[AuroraBeryl]

Sometimes I read the books in an American accent, sometimes in an English accent, and, with people like Hagrid, with what is on the page sorta. I never really thought about it....

[hesdead-dealwithit]

Well, I try to use a British accent, but I'm American, and it takes longer to change every word from how I would say it to how an Brit would say it. So usually what I think in my head degenerates from British to American.

[girl_wizardry]

In dialogues, I used British. The dialog I most enjoy speaking the British accent from was Hermione's :). As for the narrative part, I don't know...I just read the way I read?

[hermy_weasley2]

I'm American so I read the books to myself with my slightly southern American accent. The dialect used (especially in Book 5) constantly reminds me where the story takes place. Later on though, when I'm thinking about what a character says it changes to my own accent and the slang I use everyday. When I'm reading to my six-year-old nephew I do the characters' voices differently for each one. It's hard to remember how I do all of their voices, though. When I do that, most characters have American accents, but I do try and put on a British accent for some of them.

[Cat]

I'm from England, but I give them different British accents where necessary. I speak in a way that cuts of the 't's from the ends or cuts of the 'h's from the beginnings of words, amongst other atrocities of accenting, so when I imagine some characters speaking, I try to stick the appropriate letters in. If I can get away with pretending a character has a northern accent, I will.

[Weatherby]

I have different voices for the characters. Some of them are probably American but I haven't really thought about it.
I'll find out when I reread the books again. :)

[Gnomida]

I also have an American accent, but I really try to read it in a British accent. The thing besides that is how bad sound the book in Spanish, the first time I started to read is in Spanish is simple horrible like the lord of the rings, I really don't like I felt both books (well both stories) were a bit stupid but when I bought the books into English It was another thing!!! Really the best I read ever!

[Alcina]

I hear people like the Malfoys, the Lestranges etc with really upper class accents, and most of the others, like Harry with 'modern BBc announcer' accents, ie. dropping the Ts in a sort of sub Essex way.

It occurs to me that this suggests that I am somewhat prejudiced, but never mind.

[basilisk170]

i've tried reading in a british accent, but since i am american (oh yeah!!!) i find i'm butchering the british accents. so i kinda gave up and did my normal accent. :)

[GrintSistah]

Im American. And when I read the books I usually read it in a regular American accent. But when im thinking about it I read with the English accent. Im pretty good at it(speaking with an English accent) and its fun (and sometimes funny). But most of the time im so engrossed in the book im not really thinking about how they sound in my head. So I assume that I do it in an American voice.

[Phoenix_Fawkes]

LOL! I try my British accent! lol. Im 100% american tho so it doesnt work to well! On like british words I will try to say them british like. Like in the movie how ron goes Harry! Kinda like british ill say it like that to! lol its always fun!

[Tirwen Lupin]

Interesting question! I admit that I hear the characters speaking with fairly American accents. Strangely, though, Ron is the one character that I hear as quite British. Especially when he says things like "mate" and "git". :D I really like the way he talks.
As much as Lupin is described as sounding hoarse, I imagine his voice as quiet and pleasant. I'm not saying that hoarse voices are unpleasant, I just don't imagine Lupin that way.

[lupe]

Hmm I'm American so I hear an American accent if that is an actual accent. I have to remind myself from time to time that they have British accents and I try to imagine them with the accent. Ron is the easiest to imagine having an accent, I agree, because he uses words like "mate" and "jumper".

[Gabi Potter]

Oh how I wish I had a British accent! It's my dream. But anyhow, I'm American (obviously if I'm from Montana) so when I'm reading a book I use my own accent. I would never be able to pay attention to the wonderful narratives if I tried to put on an accent. I wish I could :cry:. Oh boo hoo, blubber, aaaand I'm done.

[SnapesWoman]

I'm an American but when I read the books, I mostly think of the characters speaking with a British accent. When I read the book out loud I use a british accent I am actually pretty good at it. Customers at my work some times ask me if I am from england because at times when I get bored I change my voice to have a british accent. I know that sounds silly but it can be fun pretending to be someone you are not. Some day I hope to have a real british accent. I am planning on moving there in a few years. :agree:

[wicca_gurl]

I use and English accent usually, but when I think of it I se Australian

[MadEye2003]

I always read it silently. I never read it aloud, but if I did, I would try and put as much of a British accent on as possible (Obviously I'm from Australia) and imitate the characters voices.

[Fleur90]

Ahhh I see :)

Maybe this is just me being an American, but I like when people speak English with an accent :P

LOL ME 2

[Sorrit]

Having seen both movies before reading any of the books, I couldn't help but think of it all in a British accent.

[MadEye2003]

Me 2, but any1 here hear the characters voices in their minds while they read it, like me?

[histanegalad]

For me everyone has basically the same accent as in the movies. I think Dracos voice should be kind of nasal and snobbish, but I always pretend he sounds like tom felton. For Cho I use a Canadian accent (not like an east coast one though:P) just a very basic sounding voice. I picture her as my friend, who is chinese. Maybe because Ive seen her cry before. Actually she was crying because I hurt her feelings. :banghead: :sigh: Ive always felt bad for that....

[Benzo]

Well, I read and I don't really hear the voices. It would probably goes with in English with my French-Canadian accent...

[Gabi Potter]

I'm just curious, and I'm sorry this is a tad off topic, but do people generally try and change their accent to have an English one when they move to England? Let me make that more clear. Say, I'm going to England. Would I try to change my accent to have an English one? Am I stupid?

[FatalBeauty]

Me 2, but any1 here hear the characters voices in their minds while they read it, like me?

I do. When I'm reading, I see and hear everything in my head like a movie. I imagine all the characters as talking in American accents like mine.

[koli]

ah ha! i thought i was the only one that did like an "accent" when i read the book. But i dont read out loud its more in my head (voices in my head?!) no silly just that idk but i remember i first heard the books on tape in elementary school and i remembered the mans voice that read, and it was liek english accent thingy and it kinda stuck lol

[lupe]

Me 2, but any1 here hear the characters voices in their minds while they read it, like me?
yes, the characters in my head have voices I created in my head. I picture them to acting out the scene in my mind.

[Fleur]

I don't exactly hear the voices aloud inside my head, I just process the words without really putting in an accent. Unconsiously I must be putting in an american accent, because putting them in a non native accent would probably require my consious thinking. Or at least I think so.

[kwyjibrago]

i sort of do a Jeniffer Conelly (of "The Labyrinth") thing when i read them- i could never tell if she was british or american, because her voice was so ambiguous. it was like she had either lived in england as a child and still had a bit of a residual accent, or she had a rather affected way of speaking.

i think that the name Hermione makes you sound british whether you are or not (that is once we americans finally figure out how to say it. it took me until book 4 when she explains her name to Krum to finally figure out how to get it to sound right)

also, could someone explain to me how one drawls in england? because whenever the books refer to draco drawling i keep imagining he speaking like he's from from the southern states. of course sir malfoy would never be caught talking like a redneck farmer, so what does this "drawl" sound like?

[Alcina]

i think that the name Hermione makes you sound british whether you are or not (that is once we americans finally figure out how to say it. it took me until book 4 when she explains her name to Krum to finally figure out how to get it to sound right)

It does? It makes her sound like a character from a Racine play to me, puts me in mind of the Trojan war and stuff. I've never met anyone from any country called Hermione (although I'm sure there'll be plenty of them from now on). And I still tend to pronounce it wrong, British or not (mostly because I pronounce it in the Italian way 'cos I like the Rossini opera)

also, could someone explain to me how one drawls in england?

To me it means speaking rather slowly, with an implication of a rather disrespectful or contemptuous tone of voice, rather than any particualr accent.

[Lupin4499]

I hear them with American accents, since I'm from the US. It wasn't really till the movie I thought about what they would sound like, but always forget to put in their british accents when I read.

[dink]

When I'm reading I'm just reading, and not thinking at all about how people are sounding. So I suppose I use my own accent, and it's convenient that I'm British. But actually, Stephen Fry's performance on the audio-cassettes has greatly influenced how I imagine the characters when I'm not reading the books. If I'm wondering what Dumbledore might hypothetically say, I hear Stephen Fry's 'Dumbledore' voice, and away I go. :) Maybe it's a little odd that Hermione's imagined voice in my head is actually that of a middle-aged man - but bizarrely it seems to work.

[Doggy]

I speak American when I speak English, and since I suck at imitating accents; that's what the chracters sound like in my mind. It's only the characters like Fleur, Krum and Hagrid that have pronounced differences that I "hear" differently.

[CatsinPixies]

I use a British accent when I read the books - very proper.

By the way - I just love how they've kept most of the English phrases in the 5th book. My friend Tiff now walks around teasing me and calling me a great prat!

[viktorija_hp]

I use British accent - it feels natural because characters are from England and it sound better in my head.

[Moonlight]

I read the books out loud to my siblings. To me it's talking normally, seeing as I live in England.

But I do like adding a littel extra fun to some peoples accents. Hagrid has a fetching indian accent; Mcgonnagal a cockney accent;Dumbledore hums his words; and the Malfoys have a lisp.

[JesseMoto77]

I usually read with my normal accent, but sometimes I read with a British accent.

[wolfie]

I'm American, so usually they have 'American' accents (well, except for Hagrid because of the way his lines are written). When I remember then I try to make them have British accents though.

[Azura's_Heir]

What accent do I read in? Depends. When I read in my head it is just what ever voice happens to be there. When I am reading out loud it really veries. When I was reading the 5th book out loud with my family I started with my normal american accent but as the book went on I got more and more british with out even realising it. Which is funny since normally i can't do a very good britsh accent. But after reading these books I would then just walk around speaking with a brit accent and really bug the **** out of people with out even realising what I was doing. Oh well.

[BabyMars]

I am American, so I think american. The movies give me a better perception on how the English accent of the characters should sound like. It's hard for me to just think it while I'm reading. I do say the British terms in an English accent for some reason, but other than that, my head totally Americanizes the series.

[Picko]

I don't really hear the different voices in my head when I'm reading so it's just my standard accent.

[Mad Macca]

I don't really hear the voice in my head :lol:, well, ok I hear some voices, but that's a different story.

I just read it as if I was saying it, so there is no distinct difference in the accents, maybe with the exception of Tonks, I just imagine her having a cockney accent "Wotcher" :D

[FoolOnTheHill]

In my head at least, I hear the narration in an American accent, but I try to hear the dialogue in English accents. But when I'm rushing through exciting parts... I don't really know, probably American.

[Flobberworm]

I don't really hear "the voices" in my head when it's narration, but when it's dialogue, I usually read it in a British accent. I'm American, but I wish I had a British accent, so I guess that's why I do it. Besides, I think the books sound better and right when they're in a British accent. :)

[thinkpink38]

I put in the British accent, or try to anyways. But mostly American accent.

[WeasleyIsOurKing]

I try to read the books in a British accent, but it never works. I'll start out that way and then I'll get wrapped up in the story and my brain automatically switches back to my regular old American accent.

also, could someone explain to me how one drawls in england? because whenever the books refer to draco drawling i keep imagining he speaking like he's from from the southern states. of course sir malfoy would never be caught talking like a redneck farmer, so what does this "drawl" sound like?


Hehe. :lol: For some reason whenever I hear the word "drawl" I think of a hillbilly who lives out in the sticks in Louisiana and talks as if every word has about five syllables.

"Naw ye'd best watch yer bayck thare, Pawdder, or mah Pah'll do yew in, yeh hear?"

[Earendil]

"Naw ye'd best watch yer bayck thare, Pawdder, or mah Pah'll do yew in, yeh hear?"

:lol: Draco Malfoy, closet red-neck.

It's a good question; I've always wondered how different the books would sound in my head if I read them in a British accent. The few times I've read them aloud, I noticed that some of the phrases sound weird read by me (I'm American). One day I'll try to read it 'British-ized', though I doubt I'll be able to keep it up long without forgetting.

[tizzy weasley]

In my head, I hear a British accent, usually one of my friends that I talk to...I get their voice into as the characters. :lol: If I read it outloud, its just my normal voice...which makes the book less interesting.

[Dedalus]

Not even British people will be reading it exactly right, although sometimes it's hard not to. I mean, I read all characters with my own Mancunian one (except those that are obviously different, like Hagrid and Stan Shunpike and sometimes I just get carried away and give people strange accents that it never says they have), which is technically wrong since most of the characters seem to be from London! I should be making Sirius Black sound more like he's from London, not like he's from Northern England!

So nobody is reading it exactly right. Though it's nice to get the right feel, like I'll read books from other countries with a pitiful attempt at that accent in my head, but you shouldn't force it if it makes it hard to read. Most of the time it'll just comes naturally, because your mind is living in the country of the book at the time you read it.

[Niffler_8882]

I normally speak in an American accent, even though i'm swedish...i lived in Virginia for around seven years. But when i read Hagrid's stuff, i can't help but put on a north English/Scottish accent. SCOTLAND RULES!

[Nys]

For me it differs... somtimes the charactors take on the voices of the charactors, sometimes I slip back into the Australian accent (well I still say we don't have an accent, its just everyone else who does ;))

[magicmaffia]

I am brittish so I jst say it in my normal yorkshire accent. I live in australia, so I know what people mean by them not having the accent, that its us. I do different voices for different characters, because thats what I do in real life. I sometimes hear my friends asking me to speak normal, because I always immitate others (hee hee). With dumbledore I do a very sophisticated accent (not like Elizebath II) and with Hagrid, who can help putting on an accent?!

[Cat]

But when i read Hagrid's stuff, i can't help but put on a north English/Scottish accent.


Pssst - Hagrid has a south west English accent.

***
I think that if people can't even think in passable British accents then they shouldn't bother. Straining and constantly reminding yourself will just break the flow. Personally, I find it quite easy to think in accents, though I can't speak them, and there's always at least the undertones of an accent going on in my head where an accent should be.

May I just be moderately offensive and say that the way I've heard some Americans say 'Potter' on telly and whatnot really grates on me? I just don't like it. Then again, I can't talk, I don't actually say the 't's in Potter. Poh-er.

[HarryPotter]

I read it in Spanish... with Spanish accents... o.O"

[FloydTheBarber]

I've never actually thought of that. I've read it in my head with all sorts of accents. I've forgotten abou them, lol.

[CaeserTheIII]

I'm American but i talk slight British and Italian accent. I can mostly talk in any accent (exept spanish) Anyways mostly when i read I hear a british accent. But for Hermonie i hear a French/British accent mix.

[sirius_gerl]

Well, I don't know what kind of accent you call it when you're from Ontario, but anyways, when I'm bored, my friend and i will read the books outloud. the narrarating is done normally, and the voices are in different english accents...

[Lanc]

I've never read them aloud, but if I did I know I'd butcher all the accents. They'd all end up in my wierd East Anglian/London/occasionally Lancastrian accent. When I read them in my head, they all tend to have an accent similar to mine (though every one of them sounds different, though oddly my Lupin sounds very similar to my Dumbledore), though not always. Hagrid, for instance, is a different accent, while all the Beauxbatons' students speak in a French accent and Ron speaks with my brother's accent (actually, I tend to see Ron as my brother when he was younger, since he is red haired and freckled), while Tonks and Mundungus also sound different.

[padfootgrim]

hhaha thats interesting.... i guess i hear a british accent in my head.. but the narrative is in American... they all sound like the characters in the movie except for snape and nelville (snape is more whispery/hissing and nelvile is more sad and slow)

why would anyone try to get rid of their accent? I love accents, they sound so much better. I live in California and I would die for a British or Irish accent.

[Azimuth]

The general narration the books, I hear as JK Rowling's voice, because it's like her telling the story, isn't it? But the characters I hear as my own. It must be really weird to hear them in an American accent - I can't imagine Dumbledore or Ron for example, with American voices :D

[fiorenza]

I read it in an American accent because that's how I normally read, but if I read it out loud I usually attempt British, which a lot of people here seem to do also, hehe... it's so much fun ^_^

[Marix]

At first i read it in an American accent.But after reading it 3 or 4....milion time's i started reading it at funny accent's like Schotisch...

P.S.sory about my english im still learning

[hpgirlqv]

I don't really hear "the voices" in my head when it's narration, but when it's dialogue, I usually read it in a British accent. I'm American, but I wish I had a British accent, so I guess that's why I do it. Besides, I think the books sound better and right when they're in a British accent. :)

yeah! I totally agree with you! but instead of just a British accent I try to picture the actors talking as if it were an actual movie, but in my head.

kinda sad when you think about it, right?

[Marix]

yeah! I totally agree with you! but instead of just a British accent I try to picture the actors talking as if it were an actual movie, but in my head.

kinda sad when you think about it, right?

Thet's not sad. Thet yust mens you are vary focus't at what are you reding i doo the same thing. Last night was an erthqake and i didn't even feal it becuse i was reding.

P.S.sory about my english im still learning

[Revolution]

I dunno what accent I actually read in...:rolleyes:

I guess it's this sort of mix between Indian, Dutch, English, American accent...(I know it's a weird mix). It's just the same accent that I always talk with my family.

[fleur magique]

I usually read it with a British accent when people are talking. During the narration I use my regular boring American accent. I also tend to change the voices for different people when I read.

[FirefightingMuggle]

Boy I must be really boring, after reading some of these posts. I just usually read the books with my Western Pennsylvania accent. Everyone just sound like they live right down the street. I'm going to have to try it with a british accent though...or a Southern American one.

[Cindy]

I try to think of them speaking in British accents (because obviously they're speaking in British accents) but I'm not very familiar with British accents (I love British accents though) so I usually give up after a while and use my own accent (Chinese) to read them. That's when the films come in handy cause I get to hear the characters speaking in their own accents. :p

[Auror Williamson]

When I'm reading the books silently to myself, the characters all have British accents. If I'm reading aloud one of those rare times, I read in my normal, American accent. Sometimes I can do a decent British accent, but that's not often.

[Bouncing_Ferret]

But I do like adding a littel extra fun to some peoples accents. Hagrid has a fetching indian accent; Mcgonnagal a cockney accent;Dumbledore hums his words; and the Malfoys have a lisp.

:rotfl: Ah, brilliant!

I start out reading each book in a careful cut glass accent, but (as with the way I speak) as I read more quickly, I start dropping a lot of letters, so I sound slightly cockney, then I'll get to a bit of Hermione's dialogue, and I'll go back to cut glass. Whenever Vernon Dursley says anything, I always imitate his movie voice, as I think it fits him perfectly. I like reading Stan Shunpike's bits, 'Woss that on your 'ead?' and so forth. And incidentally, I always picture Madam Rosmerta as having a welsh accent! :)

[Kadymorgan]

yeah...i always have raed them and imagined an english accent...it just comes naturally...even before the movies...although i am from London...so that might be a factor lol...but i mean even if i lived in america i imagine i would picture them talking in accents just because they are attending a european school and most are from that area. anyway...good question...very interesting responses...

[Zelkiiro]

Ummmm......I don't know what accent I think in, to tell you the truth...

[flibbertigibbet]

I think I hear intonations moreso than actual accents, if that makes sense. Hagrid's got a deep, gruff voice, Hermione has an authoritative one, etc. And I can't help but hear Voldemort with a deep voice.. whenever I try to make it high-pitched, I overdo it and burst out laughing.

When I do hear an accent, it's sort of a cross between British and Canadian, (except for characters with specific accents, like Hagrid, Fleur, or Krum) and it always sounds wrong when I try to say it out loud.

But I do like adding a littel extra fun to some peoples accents. Hagrid has a fetching indian accent; Mcgonnagal a cockney accent;Dumbledore hums his words; and the Malfoys have a lisp.
:rotfl:
"Thcared, Potter?"

[Tortuga]

I never really tried reading in a British accent and I don't want to try.

[PaDfOoT5]

when i read the books i hear the accents/voices of the characters in the movie. I dont really think that i gave them accents before that though, because i dont think it occurred to me that they would have accents! haha

[harripottrfreek]

after the movies came out i started speaking like the actors and now i can't help it...i'm american, but i have an on and off fake english accent i use for quoting hp and lotr...hehe

[Spirit]

I just use my American accent. I've tried a British accent, but I get distracted by the story and forget the accent. :shrug: I don't care about accents much. I just read.

[Stephie]

I just read...When i read it out loud, to my younger siblings, they like me to use an American accent. They find it ammusing. I'm not so good at it, as I'm British though.. :( lol

oh well

[Da_Chinkster]

Gotta stick with my good ol london accent :D

[debbeedoo]

Arrrr. l find that really nice. I am a Brit by the way so that's quite complimentary. I never assumed that people from other countries would do that!
Am currently living in The Netherlands and despite my HP obsession l find the films soothing as l do not get to hear the good ole British lingo much nor get to speak it. And, we do not often get the chance to fully cast a blockbusting movie, so also nice to get to see such good British actors all at once.

Anyways, the thread, always have fun with Dobby and Winky as they are such "fun" (in the sense of the word) characters that you can really go over the top, and McGonagal - although l am sure my stern Scottish accent leaves a lot to be desired!

Good Tread & Interesting Posts! :)

[Incendio]

It depends on the character but i tend use an accent from somewhere in the UK, for example :

Hagrid - a Yorkshire accent (for some strange reason)
Hermione - a Liverpudlian accent (again i do not know why)

The other characters are mainly a London or Edinburgh accent, with exception of Fleur (French), Karakoff and Krum (both Russian).

[Antigone Jones]

It's kinda funny...when I read the books I *THINK* I hear them with an American accent (yes, I'm a guilty Alabamian), but when I'm recalling lines from either the books or movies it's in a British accent, and sounds like whoever portrays them in the Movie...funny, huh...Miss Jones

[jen15poms]

While reading the books...especially when Hermione is speaking...I like to imagine the British accent for fun. However, when I'm really into the book, I tend to have the words spoken with my own American accent. Interesting question!

[Slacker]

I'm American, so I just think of the characters as speaking in normal American accents until they say something like "blimey".

[Magrat]

When I read I mostly notice Hagrid's accent really, and those of Fleur, Krum etc, because they are written phonetically. It is actually harder for me to read Hagrid's parts though, because I live in the south west at the moment, so I know the accent Hagrid's meant to have, but sometimes he says 'yeh' instead of 'you' a bit too often, (if you know what I mean?! eg 'How are yeh' is normal, but 'oh its yeh' doesn't feel right somehow... :/) I imagine McGonagall with a Scottish accent, since she has a Scottish name, and Seamus has an Irish accent in my head, but I don't think I could read it aloud as my Irish accent is awful! Harry has a Surrey accent, because that's specified as where he grew up, and I imagine him talking pretty much how Dan Radcliffe does in the films (I'm not all that sure what a Surrey accent is like though!). Hermione I imagine as being quite posh, as she seems to come from quite a rich background, and Ron has a sort of nasal Kentish accent, because I like the idea of The Burrow being a cottage like the one in The Darling Buds of May (also I'm originally from Kent, and I like the accent :) ) Tonks is clearly a cockney/east Londoner: 'Wotcher' has me laughing every time! Since seeing the films, my ideas of the accents have changed, especially Neville is now pretty much from Lancashire in my head. I grew up in Lancashire, and have family from all over, so I know quite a lot of accents, which helps I guess. Someone will probably scold me now and say the actor playing Neville is from Yorkshire...I can't tell, sorry!) It must be really weird for Americans to be reading the books and then suddenly stumble accross the strange British slang words that only make sense to Brits! I read To Kill A Mockingbird at school, and we were encouraged to use the right accents, which was really difficult at times, so I can imagine.

[FoxyDoxy]

When I read them most of the characters sound like me. English but not regional, Hermione's a little posher but these are the accents that stand out when I read.

Hagrid- West country
McGonnagall- Scottish (Edinburough as it's the onlyone I can do)
Filch and peeves- Cockney
Weasleys(bar Percy),sirius, Tonks - London.
Fleur/madame maxime- French der!
Semus- Irish (Belfast for same reason as edingurough)
Karkaroff/ Victor- weird bizare eastern european but always aounds like a dodgy russian
Does anyone else do the elves voices?

[CptJacksavvy]

I'm from America but since listening to the audio books Jim Dale is the speaker of the characters. Either that or the actor from the movie's voice speaks in my head while reading it. When I read it outloud to someone I do really pitiful attempts at British accents. The elve's voices sound squeeky and odd.

[MadMagic]

I might have then intention of using an english accent in the beginning, but I get so wrapped up in the books that I just usually end up using my regular accent :p

[Meegan]

Being English myself, I would say I use an English accent for the characters... though my imagination went a little wild when it came to characters like Fleur and Krum at times. Though my accent wouldn't particularly be that of any of the characters, they all sound relatively similar, some maybe a bit more posh than others. Generally I read all books in an English accent unless a character is written in a certain and very obvious dialect, such as a southern American accent or a Scottish dialogue.

[ShadowX_Lupi]

English.....I'm terrible at accents

[Magen]

I'm really bad about this. I try to think of it as a British accent, but I'm in America so I can't even pretend! Sometimes I get the vioces of the characters in the movies. But other than that it's just plain old American! :) hehe

[Hermyownniny]

This is a good question. I've never thought about it. I guess i read in my accent, but the thing i like the best about JK's writing is that i can picture the characters speaking the words. All the characters have subtle differences in their way of speaking.

[jennymac]

:( i wish i was british or familiar with european accents because all i have to go on are the movie accents, and there seems to be so many different ones!

i could always default to the 100s of american accents, but that would just be wrong. :(

guess i'm stuck with the movie voices.

[Nymph]

British and Irish for the voices (Irish for the wirdo, lol, I like the Irish accent, and for Seamus ) and mostly americanicobritish accent when there is no dialogue... and the real french accent when it comes to Fleur Delacour... well, i'm French...

[Dottie]

JK does well to put accents on some of the heavt characters already for me, but I use British for most others. I always imagined Snape would talk a little faster, though. ;)

[Dottie]

JK does well to put accents on some of the heavt characters already for me, but I use British for most others. I always imagined Snape would talk a little faster, though. ;)

[glugunkwen]

I'm American and I have always read the books with a British accent in my head. I tried reading part of one book out loud to my niece with a southern US accent and we just ended up laughing - it doesn't work!

[Da_Chinkster]

surely an impersonation of a british accent would sound funny as well??

[Neptune]

I just use my American accent. I've tried a British accent, but I get distracted by the story and forget the accent. :shrug: I don't care about accents much. I just read.

Same here. I have always just used my own accent, but after seeing this thread I tried to use a British accent but it totally distracted me and took me out of the story, then I would would try to get back into the story and end up just using my own accent (American, Mid West).

[Romy]

I have only read them in German so far and if anyone cares to know I put on my Westfalian accent that I wasn´t even aware of until I met someone who was from a region where they speak "proper" German. :p

[RemusLupinFan]

I never really thought about it...since I don't read the books out loud (and I don't have the audio books) I read it with an American accent. Although a lot of the time I just envision what the movie character sounds like.

[FoxyDoxy]

Umbridge sounds like the queen when I read aloud ( hope I dont get sent to the tower fot that!)

[SBlack]

I used to try the british accent, but where as I am fron New England, it is hard to concentrate on speaking british when you say things like "Cah" "Bah" and "Yahd"

[FizzingWhizbee]

I use an American accent, mostly. I use a British accent for certain British phrases or slang.

[CraZy_Kender]

British Accent.. For dialog, when it's just describtions I don't use an accent.. Sometimes I read it out loud to myself, though, to hear myself talk with a British accent instead of that really ugly one most Danish people has..

[mevam]

I just use regular old English when I read the books, although I do revert to Snape's slow drawl and Hagrid's gruff barks when their characters say something. And Dumbledore's way of speaking in that wise, raspy voice is something I've picked up from the movies and I have a habit of imagining when I'm reading. I'm not that great with English accents, so my mind seems to be leaving those out.

[sobaka]

i don't really put forth an effort to change the accents from my own when i'm reading, unless it's really obvious (hagrid, stan shunpike).

i'm from germany originally, but my parents both speak russian and english, and i had a british tutor to help me learn english when i was a child, so i've got quite a strange accent. :) i use british slang often, but the german/ russian accent creeps in sometimes.

but i don't conciously think, "okay, harry's speaking now, and he's british, so, okay, brain, read that to me in a british accent." or anything. :)

[moonyfan]

An American accent. *points to location* I cant help it. hehe.
Although, when I find a line that I really enjoy, I try to imagine the corresponding film persona saying it.
Ex: Dan Radcliffe saying, "Yeah, Quirrell was a great teacher. There was just that minor drawback of him having Lord Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head." ^_^

[bowlwoman]

I usually do Hagrid's accent, but I grew up in the Mid-South with Scotch-Irish ancestry, so his voice always sounds like my great-grandmother's for some reason... LOL! :D

Most of the other lines I just read as I read. I don't attribute accents very much unless it's obvious (like Hagrid).

bowlwoman

[glugunkwen]

In my head, the voices are British - when read out loud (to my niece) they are a really bad British interpretation :-)

[HP_names_all_taken]

I think I sound English, but no doubt to an English person I probably sound Welsh. So I use a Welsh accent, unless it's a very obvious part.

[bludger_beater]

I use an American accent, except for certain characters, like Hagrid

[luna the pixie]

i dont read in my head... like whatever you guys are talking of. i read the words with no accent whatsoever

[NotoriousRaz]

Same here. I have always just used my own accent, but after seeing this thread I tried to use a British accent but it totally distracted me and took me out of the story, then I would would try to get back into the story and end up just using my own accent (American, Mid West).

I'm actually from England butI haven't got one of them posh, nancy boy accents,cos i'm from manchester, so when I read which is always in my head I just use my own accent

[loopdeedoo123]

I just use my own accent (or lackthereof; I come from the DC area, we all don't have accents :p not that any of you are going to agree with that). A couple times I tried the British thing, but then eventually it turned back to mine because I forgot to do it when I was reading.

[Trumpet_Freak]

I used to read the books with an American accent - before I knew JKR was British. For some reason, I didn't want to believe the characters were British, even though London references made it obvious they were. This is mostly because I am American and generally read books by American authors, and when the author is American, you assume the characters will speak with the American accent (remember I thought JKR was American). When I realized she was British, I automatically found myself speaking the dialogue in my head with a British accent, however, for some reason the narration was with an American accent. So,

Dialogue: British

Narration: American

[busy91]

Since I didn't start reading until After the movies came out, I read (in my head) the dialogue in the accents of the characters. I hear Harry's voice...etc in my head when I read. When I read narration, I use my normal American Accent. I never thought about it though.

[Nymphadora*]

The British voices of the actors for the characters, but the narration, is my own voice. (I'm from Canada, but i don't have a french accent or thick Canadian 'eh' accent either. Pretty normal, really.)

[Zimphella]

I never really thought about what accent I use when reading. I don' t use one I guess. I mean I am an American so I guess that is the accent I would use, but some of the slang terms such as "Bloody" you have to use with a british accent. It just doesn't sound right if you dont.

[blink182ashley]

I am American but I am from way down South so I have a kind of twang in my own accent. But with the accent that I already have I think it is really easy to put on a British accent. I dont ever accually do that while I reading because it is kind of a waste of time.

I love British accents so much. I love everything about England, I really want to move there. Me and my friends walk into stores and put on accents and people actually think we are British. its pretty funny.

[Firebolt_2007]

British because that's how it's meant to be.

[RELASHIO Rachel]

when reading the narratiev, I simply use my plain American accent, but when the dialogues come up, I occasionally read (sometimes outloud :D) in my cool and fake wannabe British Accent.

[LuvHP_001]

You're joking right? I just read in my normal accent. :huh: :huh:

[denim_fairy]

I always had their voices british. Except for one line, I have no idea why and I only realized it the last time I read GOF ,but when prof. Moody says "Nice socks Potter"
And Harry answers "Thanks, Dobby the house elf knitted them for me." I always had Harry say it in a totally American accent. And I have NO idea why. Isn't that wierd? And no matter how hard I try I can't imagine him saying it any other way. Go figure.

[SilverStar]

I try to read them in British, but it doesn't work, because I'm trying to soak up the information and end up reading it in an American.

[gymmuggle]

When I first read them, I would use an American accent, i guess thats what you would call it. Now just for fun I'll put a little British accent on it, but as I'm not British, it probably sounds bad.

[hpfan_08]

I don't really use an accent well i read its just mental. If I read out loud I try and use a british accent and others when neccesary, but I sound really really funny.

[vitacus]

Looney Tunes characters.

Harry - Tweety
Hermoine - Foghorn Leghorn
Ron - Yosimite Sam
Draco - Montana Max
Lucius - Pepe Le Pew
Snape - Sylvester
Dumbledore - Porky Pig
Hagrid - Marvin The Martian
McGonnigal - Elmer Fudd

Ahem. Seriously now, I use the movie actors accents/voices.

[Kobila]

Only when it is a very "british" type statement do I use an accent, For instance,"All right Harry", "Bloody Hell !". Or if the dialog is written in accent style, such as hagrid and Stan from the Knight Bus, other wise I dont really know how certain englishman accentuate different words. I would end up with a jumble of different accents!

[princessa_2004]

american...well sometimes i try and do it like they do in the movie, but it lasts about one sentence. also i suck at trying to pronounce the names right! it took me till the first movie to get hermione's name right!

[PotionsPunk]

american, unless I kinda zone out and just absorbed. Then for some reason it's either Daria or Professor Snape...did I just say that out loud?

[LaurenLeigh]

Well since I'm American I don't read with a British accent except when it comes to the characters speaking - then and only then do I imagine any accent and its normally the actors actual voice.

[PotionsPunk]

Well since I'm American I don't read with a British accent except when it comes to the characters speaking - then and only then do I imagine any accent and its normally the actors actual voice.
yeah...wasn't it kinda fun though when there was no movies so you had to IMAGINE what they're voices would sound like? Man was I WAY off lol

[sirius723]

i try to read the dialogue with a british accent. but the narrative parts i don't.

[red_fairy]

I never really read it out loud. Only a few times babysitting and I can't do a good British accent. I thought in my head with an American accent when I read the books.

[Aurora Evans]

I read with a faint British accent for the main part, but I imitate the distinctive accents - like French, and Hargid's English. My friend thought it was hilarious when I read out Madam Maxime's "I 'ave big bones!".

[Marge]

In the interests of pedantry there is no such thing as a British accent. There is an English accent, Scottish, Welsh and Irish. They all sound distinctly different, and indeed within each county there many various accents too.

Right, rant over :rolleyes: I don't really think I read the books in a particular accent as such, but being English I suppose I think in English (if that makes sense). When I read a French book I try to read with a French accent as that was how I was taught to.

[MagicalMaeve]

I use a mixture or Irish/Yorkshire/proper English....it seems to work!

[Lilly Evans]

Well, I also read them in my head and not aloud, and I guess you'd say I use my own accent - which is American, even though I've gone to British schools for my whole life...lol. So yeah, I can't really do a British accent in my head and it would just sound weird if I did...

[herbertsandbach]

Most of the characters don't seem to have a particularly strong noted accent other than their English so I imagine a JK Rowling accent, kind of well spoken but not snobbish. Mcgonagle has a Scottich Accent, Seamus an Irish one and Hagrid a West country (south west) accent. I presume Robbie Coltrane was specifically told Hagrid had a West country accent by JK as in real life he has a Scottish accent.

[angel65]

normal accent ....

[lesliefoxy]

when i read the first three books, i read it exactly how they say lines from the movie, so i carry it on to the other books as well, newer characters get crazay whacked out super brittish accents. and then i think they sound funny.....i sort of have an accent fetish, but who doesnt?

[SnappySlytherin]

I'm English and tend to use an English accent for every character apart from Madame Maxine where I attempt a french accent but all my words tend to blend into one long tongue twisting sentence and McGonagall where I turn into some frighteningly high-pitched Edinburgh lass...This reading in different accents sounds interesting to me though. I wonder if I could make Snape sound as formidable if he was a dreamy sounding Italian? *ponders*

[caindo]

Usually I read with a British accent, mainly because it sounds better that way. Have you ever tried reading HP with a southern drawl? No. Not the prettiest of accents. Sometimes when Hagrid talks too much, I switch over to cockney. But that's only if I actually try to read what he's saying LOL.

[kenmarekestrel]

I'm Aussie so I tend to slip into a bit of a strine sometimes, but that doesnt matter much because HP actually works with an Aussie accent! :D The ones that have a specific accent like scottish, irish or "yokel" get thier accents in my head but Harry, Hermione and especially Ron, because of his word use tend to have a strine.

[TxMagnolia]

While reading dialogue, I use a British accent(helps me to visualize the scene better.) In other parts, I tend not to use one, and just read in the form of a narrarator.

[caindo]

I loved reading Ernie outloud. My friend and I would read at work when we weren't busy. And his accent was just alot of fun LOL.

[Krystallia]

My natural accent is a mixture of like every accent there is, if you can imagine it. My cousin has the same one, and we call it the Barney Pizza Dialect. Barney Pizza because Barney, like that MaryKate and Ashley sleepover video, likes to put a lot of strange stuff on his pizza, such as peanut butter. If the pizza is our voices, and the strange things each count as another accent, well, Barney's/MK's/Ashley's pizza is our voices. Ummm...I digress. Anyway, when I'm reading, the English in my voice comes out the most. I've been told when I'm reading aloud, my voice is like a mixture of Keira Knightley and Emma Watson's voices. Whatever. Umm...in my head...well...my head is kinda weird. I mean, it pronounced Beauxbatons Beecks--oo--bay--tohns instead of Boh-bah-tohns. Yeah.
Oh yeah I forgot...if the character has a deignated manner of speech or accent, i use that. I love doing Fleur and Co...lol. (And as my cousin puts it, Fressscoo! lol you won't get that...)

[antiQueen]

[Coming from a country with 11 official languages, it's difficult for me to pinpoint an exact South African accent. Every person in my family speaks in a different English accent. :) My accent is bit more neutral though, and not as "sharp" - if one can call it that - as most.]

When I read the HP books I don't really hear any specific accents. I always envision them to sound quite neutral. If I had to choose I would say they sound British, but Hagrid is the only character I really assign a particular accent to.

I imagine some of the other character's way of speaking though, like for instance Draco's drawl and Snape's sneering way of speaking.

[Raven_Girly]

in my own accent...?

[FluffyEarmuffs]

I read it in an English accent, because I have an English accent.
I probably think about Snape with a posh accent and McGonagall with a Scottish accent and Seamus withy an Irish one, but thats because of the films.

[KirStar]

I don't really hear the accents in my head unless they're actually written out so that they sound like specific accents. (Like Hagrid and Fleur) I'd be more likely to hear them talking with a Scottish accent though, since that's where I am from, rather than an English one.

[CleverestWitch]

I definitely use the voices (when possible) of the actors who have played the characters in the movies. It's not something that I started consciously doing, but more of a phenomenon that I noticed tends to happen when I'm reading a book based on a movie. Something that helped even more, in the case of Harry Potter, is the fact that I saw the first movie before reading any of the books.

When it comes to the narration, I usually use my own voice. Although, as someone else mentioned, when you get really into the reading, and if you're good with visualization, much of the narration tends to come in the form of visualizing the action rather than conscious thinking of the words as you read them.

Dana

[Melly Bean]

I try to imagine the actors playing the parts in movies when I'm reading the books. For narration or a character that's not in the books, I use my own voice or make one up, which can be alot of fun. :)

[Inmaitheous]

I read it in my "Canadian" accent, to be honest. I've never considered changing it to suit the story, so it's very interesting of you to mention doing that.

[Sophie Patil]

hm... I guess I read it in some kind of american/english mix. probably a little more english, because we learn british english in school (my first language is german), but these days is probably very canadian (I went there for a year) so.. yeah... I never meant to read it a certain way. I just read it the way I would read any text in english...

[Lord Voldivader]

hm... I guess I read it in some kind of american/english mix. probably a little more english, because we learn british english in school (my first language is german), but these days is probably very canadian (I went there for a year) so.. yeah... I never meant to read it a certain way. I just read it the way I would read any text in english...

All the same (except the canadian part).

[Kimmetje]

It's odd as sometimes I have the Britain accent and than the next page I have an American one again. Though the American I believe is easier. With Harry Potter for some reason I do however have a Britain accent.

[MoodyHarry]

My own Canadian one, eh? :lol:

Reading in your head, reading outloud or both?

[HarryPotter1fan]

When I read dialogues,I use a british accent. The rest, I just use american