How do you respond to "Where are you from?"

When living in the USA I used to simply say “from England”, but after a while I starting saying “from Northern England” because Americans that had not been to England would not recognize my accent as English because Durham accents are very rarely heard in the Deep South of the USA. (We lived in Texas and Louisiana ‘87 to ‘16).

I love my Detroit roots and my LA lifestyle so I tend to answer with "Born in Detroit but spent 18 years in Los Angeles and now I live in Northern England." I have lived a few other places in between for short periods of time but they don't have much meaning to me so I don't really bother to mention.

I love my Detroit roots and my LA lifestyle so I tend to answer with "Born in Detroit but spent 18 years in Los Angeles and now I live in Northern England." I have lived a few other places in between for short periods of time but they don't have much meaning to me so I don't really bother to mention.

When I'm here (UK): I always say California. When I visit where I grew up: I always say Northern England. My in--laws think I sound super American, my parents think I sound super British. I just can't be bothered explaining it to strangers who ask when I'm in my hometown... I think I sound more American around Americans... There is no way I sound Yorkshire though... it's an even weirder blend of Scottish (from Uni), Southern, and a bit of Yorkshire (I tend to say 't instead of the).

People tend to think we are from Canada, usually. Not quite sure about why that is.

Literally every single person I've spoken to here thinks I'm from Canada. How does a slight Southern (Alabama) accent sound Canadian? 

In my line of work, I talk to a wide variety of people. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked if I was Australian! I’m from the western US, and most recently Denver.....I have the accent of a news broadcaster! Australian? Seriously?!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Literally every single person I've spoken to here thinks I'm from Canada. How does a slight Southern (Alabama) accent sound Canadian? 

I get Canadian a lot... but I’m very soft spoken. There’s another American at work and there’s a stark contrast between our accents.

In my line of work, I talk to a wide variety of people. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked if I was Australian! I’m from the western US, and most recently Denver.....I have the accent of a news broadcaster! Australian? Seriously?!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I work with the public in Central Scotland. I get asked EVERY DAY where I am from. I always say, "I was born and raised in Florida but I moved here from North Carolina."

I've been asked if I was from Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

I can explain the Canada thing. They ask Canadian first because they've learned Canadians get upset if they are mistaken for Americans but Americans don't get upset if they are asked if they are Canadian.

Being mistaken for Australian and New Zealander though throws me off.

The American tourists no longer recognize my accent as American. I use a lot of Scottish slang.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Okay, as someone from the West Country I'm gonna have to hear you speak now .

People at work like to take the piss out of me by making me talk about cider and combine harvesters

My very British husband was talking to her for about 45 minutes until he figured out she was American when she said erbs instead of herbs.    She's assimilated. 

Malc was hilarious as we were just chatting and then I said herbs and he just went "oh...yep...there we go..I believe you're American now"

In my line of work, I talk to a wide variety of people. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked if I was Australian! I’m from the western US, and most recently Denver.....I have the accent of a news broadcaster! Australian? Seriously?!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I had that before and was just absolutely dumbfounded thinking "....HOW!?" When I first moved as well I got a lot of "I was going to guess Ireland" for some reason...

I actually forgot about that... I have gotten the Irish one a few times. I have a few Irish friends at work and their lingo is on the same lines as American lingo so maybe that’s why.

I actually forgot about that... I have gotten the Irish one a few times. I have a few Irish friends at work and their lingo is on the same lines as American lingo so maybe that’s why.

I think a lot of it is the "R" sound. Think of how a person with a British accent says "water" (WOO - tuh) and then how someone with an American accent does (WAH - ter) or color (cuh - luh) vs (cuh - ler). The Irish accent has a similar "R" pronunciation.

I think when I first moved, people almost always assumed I was from the US, but as my accent (Boston, might I add, so not necessarily pleasing to the ears for some LOL) died down, I got questions about where I was from and I'd say "originally the US" and they'd respond with "Oh you had a bit of a twang so I wasn't sure if you were Canadian". I even had people - off the back of that - ask if I was offended as an American being asked if I was Canadian......I'd reply with "not at all, it's similar enough in many ways I s'pose" (plus, it takes a lot to offend me in general) and I genuinely had responses of "Oh, because I know a Canadian would be offended if you asked them if they were American"..........Uh....oh...kayy......? What do you say to that?!

LOL now I can mostly fly under the radar. I guess I sound like I'm from Bristol/West Country - or so I'm told. I still get asked where I'm from but when I say "originally? From the US." I get a "Oh! some words you did have a twang which is why I asked, but I thought West Country/Bristol! You don't sound American!". I then have some people telling me I still don't sound English while others comment on how English sounding I've become since they first met me. I don't even know anymore hah

Yeah if I can tell they don't really want my life story and it's just a quick question in passing (like at work), I'll say " From the US originally" (because I am told I now have an accent, the conversation rarely stops there). If they press to ask where in the US, I will typically say Boston over Massachusetts because they are more able to place Boston than the state as a whole, oddly enough.

When abroad, if I want to keep it brief and it's my husband and I being asked, I say England or UK.  If I'm in England and somebody asks in passing and I can't be bothered I will tell them the name of the village I live in.

At most, it's just as I said in my original post of "Originally from the US but live in England/UK/here now" and avoid going further into detail unless pressed (which can sometimes happen now because they are curious why I don't sound like a 'typical american'.)

How have you managed to lose that lovely accent?
 Been here 8 years and if anything, my Bahhhstahhn accent is thicker than evah! I think its fighting back!!

Literally every single person I've spoken to here thinks I'm from Canada. How does a slight Southern (Alabama) accent sound Canadian? 

Exactly as Tami said.  God forbid you call a Canadian American.  So they go the other way for safety. 

Exactly as Tami said.  God forbid you call a Canadian American.  So they go the other way for safety. 

Every single person who's asked if I was from Canada has said exactly that to me when I say I'm American. And I talk to hunners of customers a day.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

How have you managed to lose that lovely accent?
 Been here 8 years and if anything, my Bahhhstahhn accent is thicker than evah! I think its fighting back!!

LOL not a clue! If I talk for family members long enough there are things that come back here and there and if I'm absolutely drunk it sometimes comes back here and there (more so if I'm drinking back in the US).

I think when I first moved, people almost always assumed I was from the US, but as my accent (Boston, might I add, so not necessarily pleasing to the ears for some LOL) died down, I got questions about where I was from and I'd say "originally the US" and they'd respond with "Oh you had a bit of a twang so I wasn't sure if you were Canadian". I even had people - off the back of that - ask if I was offended as an American being asked if I was Canadian......I'd reply with "not at all, it's similar enough in many ways I s'pose" (plus, it takes a lot to offend me in general) and I genuinely had responses of "Oh, because I know a Canadian would be offended if you asked them if they were American"..........Uh....oh...kayy......? What do you say to that?!

Nearly every person who asks me where I'm from says the 'I didn't want to offend you in case you're Canadian' thing, in some variation. Are Canadians that tetchy? Sheesh.

Anyway. When they say where are you from I usually say 'Guess.' That's fun. They never get it right. I grew up in Arkansas but have only a mild southern accent. I was born in Memphis so when they guess America and say where, I say, 'Memphis,' because nobody here knows anything about Arkansas. (And why should they! I don't want to know anything about Arkansas. LOL)  To which they invariably say, 'Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis.'  They usually manage to work in the 'I thought you sounded American, but your accent is inoffensive for an American' comment.