Losing your accent

Hello all,

I've lived in the UK for nearly five months now. I would really like to keep from losing my natural accent (I see it as a badge of honor, really), and I wasn't too concerned about losing it. But, I have a youtube channel and one of my friends watched a recent video of me from earlier this week, and he said that I've developed an ever-so-slight British accent. He was excited about this, but I wasn't.

I skype with my family maybe once a week (sometimes every two weeks), I watch a lot of American films even though not all the accents in them are the same as mine, and I figured this would be enough to ensure that I won't lose my accent. Put that on top of the fact that I was born and raised until adulthood in the US, and I didn't think I'd have much to worry about.

But now with that comment from my friend, I'm starting to worry that I may already be losing my accent(I figured if it were to happen, it would take a long time-years even-to happen). Have any of you guys who have lived here longer lost your accent? Does anyone else feel the same way as me; wanting to cling to your natural accent?

I've lived here for two years almost, and if my accent's changed, it's only in the slightest. I think now and then I'll say something with an accent, but the thing is I don't want to deliberately try to sound British, as I think it would sound fake, so I haven't "tried" to change my accent or anything. People can tell all the time that I'm not from here, although I get asked all the time if I'm American or Canadian as they can't tell. A few people have even confused my accent for an Irish one, which amuses me.

Americans may think your accent is softening slightly, picking up a bit of whatever your local flavour of British is, but the Brits won't hear it. We're all prone to paying attention to the differences and ignoring the similarities  I keep not realising I'm talking to another American because, unless someone has a strong regional accent (from here or there) it all just sounds normal to me.

Hi I have lived here 10 years now and still have my American
Midwest accent. My family does think I sound British but the Brits
Think I sound American. The funny thing is certain words sound
More comfortable for me to say the British way now like
Anti clockwise and pavement !!

Been here for over 4 years and no matter how much I want to sound British, it's not happening for me. I wanted it to come naturally though. No fakery. I don't think you'll ever lose it. I've met people that have lived here for over 20 years and they still sound, for the most part, American.

I get told I sound Irish too sometimes. Strange.

People think I sound Irish too, don't get it myself!

A few acquaintances have said I have developed a British accent, but really that is more their wishful thinking and the fact that I have to use British terms for things daily, so I occasionally forget the American word for "courgette", etc.

My good US friends and family have said I sound more like I am from Philly (last place I lived), when my natural accent is extremely neutral Connecticut-ish accent. I guess trying to hold onto the American accent went a bit overboard.

Interestingly, DH now gets asked where he is from, as he has picked up my accent. A few of our close friends said they have been called out for over-using Americanisms (Dude, Awesome, Pants instead of trousers, etc) since knowing me. Just playing my part in destroying the English accent to piss off Daily Mail "journalists".

I've now lived here for about 4 1/2 years and when I speak with my friends or family back in the US, they will tell me that I have picked up a slight accent.  However, to British people I will always sound American.  I'm not sure about the others who have posted, but for me I have no contact with other American while I'm in London (not necessarily by choice).  My partner is English and my friends and colleagues are predominately British.

Last month I was on a Mediterranean on a US branded cruise ship.  The majority of other passengers were American and I'd frequently be asked where I was from because they could pick up an accent but couldn't place it.  After the first few times I started asking people where they thought I was from and I got a mixture of answers from Canadian, to Australian, to South African.  Never US or British.

I'm neither trying to keep my US accent nor attempting to acquire a British one, my feeling is if it happens it happens.

I grew up in an area with a strong regional accent, and as I began advancing professionally, I shook it off more and more as time went by. Now that I am here, I suspect that my accent will change yet again. However, I know for a certainty that as soon as I am around people who talk the way that I used to, I slip back into my old way of speaking in an instant. We naturally mimic people we like and care about, because it's an unconscious way of showing attachment. I wouldn't worry about it. One day you will have a moment where you notice that you are shifting back and forth without even thinking about it.

Except for "water." I come from a town that says "wooder," so I will never be able to say "water" in a UK way.

Shortly after I moved to the UK, I drove my wifes car to the store, some police came up to me and said I looked at them funny before getting into my wifes car so they followed me.  They were talking with me and asked me when I was going to return to Ireland.  I have been called Irish a handful of times... most common is Canadian though... I guess I can understand that, I lived in Whatcom County, WA...

I did unload a semi today, and asked the guy how he was, and he said "Whoa, you're not from around here" So I think to the English I sound different.

My wife says as soon as I talk to an American on the phone my accent goes extremely American.  But when I talk to my mom she says "stop talking like them!!" haha

My husband has been here for 4 years and still has a strong Amercian accent.  However yesterday, while engaged in the all-American task of making pecan pie for Thanksgiving, something caused him to swear and he sounded very, very English.  We're talking Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, English.  It made me laugh because it was such a reflex response.  And then I felt a little bit proud that in his own special way he was absorbing British customs.

All of this is amazingly familiar. After 9 years, I sound British to Americans but still American to the British. Basically I stand out everywhere now and fit in nowhere except the Heathrow departures lounge.

I also get asked US or Canada, and the odd Irish too.

And most oddly, the only time my wife and friends here think I sound British is when I get upset and start swearing.

Hiya
I've been here for 13 and a half years in Scotland. I was born and brought up about 20 miles outside of Boston Mass. So didn't really have a thick accent of any type.
I never tried to either loose my natural Massachusetts /New England accent or gain a Scottish one.
Saying that over the years my accent has definitely changed. Its neither completely scottish or Mass. Kinda a hodge podge of accents.
Folks can usually tell im not a native Scot but usually can't quite figure it out. lol

I think people at home confuse 'accent' with colloquialisms and usage.  I got accused of typing with an accent because I used 'organised.' 

In fact, the reason I don't use more British or Scottish words and expressions in my speech, is that I think a lot of them just sound wrong somehow in my Wisconsin accent.  Which I'm fairly certain is never going to go away, even if my sister sometimes has a fit over my odd expressions.

Och, aye, my accent is softer - I've said it before on here that I'm getting a muddle of things.  I was just in the US and everyone kept commenting about my 'Scottish' accent. 
May it become more Scottish in the future!