--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you hear somebody speaking in an…" description: "\"When you hear somebody speaking in an accent, it's almost like they're invading your language while they're speaking to you because if you hear someone..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/289/trevor-noah-1603_accents_when-you-hear-somebody-speaking-in-an-ac_1205267.jpg" --- # When you hear somebody speaking in an accent, it's almost… ![“When you hear somebody speaking in an accent, it's almost like they're invading your language while they're speaking to you because if you hear someone speak another language, you almost don't care. But when they speak your language with an accent, it feels like an invasion of something that…” quote by Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/289/trevor-noah-1603_accents_when-you-hear-somebody-speaking-in-an-ac_1205267.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/289/trevor-noah-1603_accents_when-you-hear-somebody-speaking-in-an-ac_1205267.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/289/trevor-noah-1603_accents_when-you-hear-somebody-speaking-in-an-ac_1205267.jpg) > “When you hear somebody speaking in an accent, it's almost like they're invading your language while they're speaking to you because if you hear someone speak another language, you almost don't care. But when they speak your language with an accent, it feels like an invasion of something that belongs to you. And, immediately, we change.” [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accents in your native language feel invasive, revealing identity and cultural sensitivities. **In simple terms:** Accents in your language can feel like an intrusion. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect linguistic diversity. Themes cultural identity communication bias Mood reflective thoughtful Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - multicultural workplaces - language learning - media representation - social interactions Key Concepts sociolinguistics identity politics Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond to accented speech? - What can we learn from linguistic diversity? A Different Perspective Accents may also enrich communication and reflect cultural exchange. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accents/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Invasion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invasion/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ## Related quotes > [I think audiences are far too sophisticated now to have an English actor putting on a Russian accent - it feels fake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/i-think-audiences-are-far-too-sophisticated-now-to-have-an-english/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [There is no such thing as an ugly accent, like there's no such thing as an ugly flower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-ugly-accent-like-there-s-no-such-thing/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) > [“She's got an accent like yours, right? Like honey on a biscuit?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-w-robertson/she-s-got-an-accent-like-yours-right-like-honey-on-a-biscuit/) [Edward W. Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-w-robertson/) > [I was surprised by some of my French colleagues who immediately assumed that because I spoke English with an American accent, that, therefore, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/i-was-surprised-by-some-of-my-french-colleagues-who-immediately/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [An accent like mine defines you regionally, but it also gives you a class identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bishop/an-accent-like-mine-defines-you-regionally-but-it-also-gives-you-a/) [John Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bishop/) > [I'm from New Orleans, Louisiana. It's not a black-and-white type of thing down there. It's a very cultural place. Everybody has the same accent.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mitchell/i-m-from-new-orleans-louisiana-it-s-not-a-black-and-white-type-of/) [Jason Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mitchell/) > [There is a whole host of people that have got an accent like mine, whether they're from Merseyside or Wales or the North West.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-mcvey/there-is-a-whole-host-of-people-that-have-got-an-accent-like-mine/) [Esther McVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-mcvey/) > [I had this very strict rule when I began auditioning that I wasn't gonna do a thicker accent, because it was like, 'I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-had-this-very-strict-rule-when-i-began-auditioning-that-i-wasn-t/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [“Sometimes his brain works if he can manage it like music, like a song, like a river that does not halt. 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I had a natural talent for selling to people, but without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/my-family-had-been-denied-the-things-his-family-had-taken-for-granted/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [When you see someone as a human being, you begin to understand most people are doing what they believe is right. I ask myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/when-you-see-someone-as-a-human-being-you-begin-to-understand-most/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [I guess that is the strange part of the human brain that people have studied for eons - is hatred and self-hatred. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/i-guess-that-is-the-strange-part-of-the-human-brain-that-people-have/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [“Whilst my mother couldn't give me access to the world, she at least made sure to let me know it existed. 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Comfort provides a floor but also a ceiling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/the-hood-was-strangely-comforting-but-comfort-can-be-dangerous/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) [Explore all 224 Trevor Noah quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) ## More Accent quotes > [“It's not my accent, but my brevity makes me stylish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/it-s-not-my-accent-but-my-brevity-makes-me-stylish/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“Stop it,” Adrian ordered, his strange accent thicker with his vehemence. “I promise, I’m not going to hurt you!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/stop-it-adrian-ordered-his-strange-accent-thicker-with-his-vehemence/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [At first I thought I would have to put on an English accent and try a sort of affected Shakespeare thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/at-first-i-thought-i-would-have-to-put-on-an-english-accent-and-try-a/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [“If you are an alien, how come you sound like you're from the north?' 'Lots of planets have a north!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-t-davies/if-you-are-an-alien-how-come-you-sound-like-you-re-from-the-north/) [Russell T Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-t-davies/) > [I'm a Yente and I have a terrible accent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-samuels/i-m-a-yente-and-i-have-a-terrible-accent/) [Lynn Samuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-samuels/) > [My accent gets more pronounced when I've been talking to people from Derry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roma-downey/my-accent-gets-more-pronounced-when-i-ve-been-talking-to-people-from/) [Roma Downey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roma-downey/) > [I definitely am from Australia...you can tell by my accent!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-simpson/i-definitely-am-from-australia-you-can-tell-by-my-accent/) [Cody Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-simpson/) > [They made me use an accent, which I wasn't thrilled about because a lot of us, obviously, don't have them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/they-made-me-use-an-accent-which-i-wasn-t-thrilled-about-because-a/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [Now, I don't know about my peers, but I get nervous - okay, I genuinely freak out - when an actor starts trying on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-lurie/now-i-don-t-know-about-my-peers-but-i-get-nervous-okay-i-genuinely/) [Rod Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-lurie/) > [I had people who said I was a brilliant producer but I wouldn't get on the news because I was too northern. But there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-had-people-who-said-i-was-a-brilliant-producer-but-i-wouldn-t-get/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [I'm a big fan of the Irish accent. 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But everyone here speaks American as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/hey-i-saw-this-old-british-movie-all-the-people-spoke-so-different/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [I live in L.A. so I worry my kids aren't that connected to Britain, I suppose I don't want them to become American kids.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mckidd/i-live-in-l-a-so-i-worry-my-kids-aren-t-that-connected-to-britain-i/) [Kevin McKidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mckidd/) Browse all 671 Accent quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you hear somebody speaking in an accent, it's almost like they're invading your language while they're speaking to you because if you hear someone speak another language, you almost don't care. But when they speak your language with an accent, it feels like an invasion of something that belongs to you. 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