eli5 Why do people have accents?
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People develop accents because of where they grow up and who they’re around. An accent is basically how someone pronounces their words, and this can vary a lot depending on the region or the country they live in. The way we speak is influenced by our family, friends, and the broader community. So, when people in one area speak in a certain way, those pronunciation patterns and rhythms become the norm there. When you hear someone from a different place, their “normal” might sound different to you because they’ve been influenced by a different set of pronunciation rules and sounds. This is why accents exist; they’re like verbal fingerprints that tell you something about a person’s background.
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