How to Do a Transatlantic Accent Like a Hollywood Star

Remember the black and white classic movies your parents and grandparents used to enjoy back in the day? You know the ones, classics such as Philadelphia Story and Casablanca? If so, you’ve probably noticed the actors speaking in an unusual way. This way of speaking is known as a Transatlantic accent—and it’s this very accent which we’ll be learning about today.

Transatlantic accents, also known as Mid-Atlantic accents, were amongst the most iconic accents of the early 20th century, yet today they’re largely resigned to the history books. Or are they? Like many things from the past, the Transatlantic English accent appears to have come full circle and is once again gaining favor amongst actors, artists, elites, and creatives alike.

Back during the golden age of entertainment, radio broadcasters and Hollywood actors would speak in an unmistakable manner. Not quite American, and not quite British, this unique style of elocution is synonymous with the golden age of Hollywood, and is slowly coming back.

Keep reading to learn the history of the Transatlantic accent, what it is, and how to perfect it like so many stars and starlets from Tinseltown.

What is a Transatlantic Accent?

Sometimes known as a Mid-Atlantic accent, the Transatlantic accent came to prominence in the 20th century and was used primarily by actors and broadcasters. It was a very unique accent which was basically a combination of a British accent and an American accent. It was neither one, nor the other.

Even if you’ve never heard of the accent before, chances are you’ll be familiar with this way of talking. It was once the gold-standard of accents when it came to movies, theater, and radio presenting. Made famous by the likes of Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, It’s easy to understand, yet unique at the same time. Back during the golden age of entertainment, radio broadcasters and Hollywood actors would use this manner of speech. Not quite American, and not quite British, this unique style of elocution was synonymous with the golden age of Hollywood, and is slowly coming back.

Nowadays the accent is considered old-fashioned, yet at its peak it was the height of sophistication. Catchy and unmistakable, it was designed to help make people sound intelligent, educated, and affluent. It was very much a status symbol. Nowadays when people want to flaunt their wealth, they’ll post a photo of their watch or leased supercar on Instagram. Back in the early 1900s, people would speak with a Transatlantic accent.

The accent was so popular in fact, that it was even taught at acting school, drama class, and US private schools. We say it was taught because that’s exactly what it was. It isn’t your typical accent. It was manufactured and people had to train themselves, or be trained, to speak in a certain way.

History and Origins of the Mid-Atlantic Accent

So, now that we know what a Transatlantic English accent is, it’s time for us to take a journey back in time to the early 20th century, to learn about the history and origins of the Mid-Atlantic accent.

We’d love to be able to give you a clear answer regarding the origins of this unique way of speaking, but sadly we can’t. We can’t, because we’re not 100% sure. Nobody is as nothing has been proven. What we can do, however, is look at what we do know about it.

The accent’s origins can be traced back to the very early 1900s, to an Australian linguist called William Tilly. Tilly wanted to create a very unique and clear way of speaking and decided to take the most complex elements of “proper” British English and standard American English and merge them together to create what he called ‘World English’.

Tilly’s World English quickly caught on and was adopted by many of America’s wealthier families and finishing schools during the 1920s onwards. It wasn’t until voice coach Edith Skinner began teaching her students the accent, which she called the ‘Good Speech’, that it really took off and became a great deal more mainstream.

As the years passed by and the entertainment industry evolved, so too did the performers and broadcasters captivating their audiences. As early iterations of films and movies emerged, actors needed to enunciate clearer and be easier to understand. Radio presenters also needed to be easier to understand. As different parts of America had different accents, radio broadcasters needed to find a way of being understood by all Americans. Soon after, news anchors and broadcasters adopted this same approach, as did Hollywood film studies. They decided to make it the default way of speaking for actors.

By the 1930s and 40s, it was the standard accent in Hollywood and across the States. It’s why, to this day, if you watch an old black and white classic or listen to old radio broadcasts, people spoke in this unique, almost over exaggerated hybrid American-British accent.

Why Did the Transatlantic Accent Disappear?

While the Mid-Atlantic accent was once the trademark accent for actors and performers in Hollywood and beyond, nowadays you’ve probably noticed how it is all-but extinct. But why?

Whereas actors, entertainers, and regular ole members of the public used to use the accent, nowadays it’s incredibly rare. So, why did an accent go from being seemingly everywhere, and serving as the ultimate status symbol to becoming virtually extinct? Well, there are several reasons.

Following the end of the Second World War, fewer and fewer people spoke in this unique manner. Whereas in the past everyone had been so desperate to fit in, people’s mindsets started to change. Suddenly, people wanted to express themselves as individuals and be unique.

Public schools and acting coaches began to phase out the accent, instead teaching students to be unique and find their own identity. This helped pave the way for method acting, as actors began getting into the “head” of the characters they were playing.

As more people are once again looking to find ways of becoming more unique, voice coaches and acting schools are once again teaching the accent. With voice artists, podcasters, and indie filmmakers and actors looking for ways of making their work standout, could we once again see the Transatlantic-English accent make the ultimate comeback?

Which Countries Have the Transatlantic Accent?

Considering that the accent is a mashup of the American accent and British accent, you can probably guess which countries have the Transatlantic accent.

Whereas the accent is not as common as it once was, it is gradually becoming more popular in Great Britain and the USA. These two parts of the world are the two primary spots where the accent is used.

Cary Grant Using the Transatlantic Accent

When we think of the perfect Transatlantic accent, there are a few names that spring to mind. For many, the most obvious is Cary Grant using the Transatlantic accent.

Cary Grant is one of the most iconic actors in the history of entertainment. For a great deal of us, he is synonymous with the accent and helped it to really go mainstream. Great examples of Grant using the accent include 1959’s North by Northwest, and 1940’s The Philadelphia Story.

Speaking of The Philadelphia Story, another actor who helped make the accent famous from that movie was Katharine Hepburn. She would also use it in 1938’s Bringing up Baby. Incidentally, Hepburn would adopt the accent in everyday life, and continued to use it long after it fell out of fashion.

How to Do a Transatlantic Accent

Now that we really know more about this accent, the last thing we need to do is actually learn how to master it for ourselves.

Here are a few handy hints and tips on how to do a Transatlantic accent:

1. Stop using the letter ‘R’ in words

One of the most effective things you can do when perfecting a Mid-Atlantic accent is to stop using the letter ‘R’ in your words. This feature is known professionally as ‘non-rhoticity’ and is arguably the most recognizable feature of the accent.

As an example, rather than saying water you would instead pronounce it as “Wa-Tah”. Park would be pronounced “Paa-k” (similar to a Bostonian accent).

2. Emphasize the letter ‘T’

Another way to really help your Transatlantic accent to standout, is to place a greater emphasis on the letter ‘T’ when speaking. Instead of water, you’d say “Wa-Tah”. Heater would become “He-Tah”.

3. Work on those vowels

If you really want to make your Mid-Atlantic accent pop, you’re going to need to work on your vowels. By this, we mean changing the way that you pronounce them. Try to lengthen them so they sound longer.

• The letter ‘A’ will be pronounced as ‘Ah’: party → “Pahhh-Tee”.
• Round ‘O’ sounds: hot → “Hawt”.

4. Emphasize Your Enunciation

Try to place a stronger emphasis on your enunciation when speaking. Really focus on pronouncing each consonant cleanly and crisply.

Make sure that with any words which end in an ‘NG’ you really emphasize this. You wouldn’t say singin’—you’d say “Sing-ING”.

Conclusion

So, there you have it, the ultimate look at the Mid-Atlantic accent, and some useful tips on how to do a Transatlantic accent just like a Hollywood actor from cinema’s golden era.

Transatlantic accents may not be as popular as they once were, but they’re certainly on the comeback and are a great way to really make your voice and yourself as an individual, stand out and be unique.

After practicing your Transatlantic English accent, see how you did by heading over to our Vocal Image Accent Test, to find out which part of the world the test thinks you’re from.