People posting on TikTok have developed their own accents, which experts say may be “the future of English.”
Linguistics expert Christopher Strelluf, a professor at the University of Warwick, revealed that the new accent includes ‘uptalk’, which is a rising intonation in declarative sentences, and ‘vowel fry’, a deep, low sound on vowels.
Revealing that the conversation on TikTok is particularly associated with young women, she claims that the new accent has been driven by female influencers and celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Britney Spears.
Meanwhile, Dr Laura Bailey, Professor of English Language and Linguistics at the University of Kent, told FEMAIL that the slower, more deliberate speaking style is used “to keep the word going and keep people looking”.
The TikTok accent, which is also called TikTalk, or Internet voice, is when influencers use a vlogger-style voice, meaning they all sound similar, regardless of their original accents.
People on TikTok have developed their own accent, pioneered by Kim Kardashian (pictured) and Britney Spears and it may be “the future of English”, according to linguistics expert Christopher Strelluf.
Christopher revealed that the creators use positive talk because it sounds more personable and persuasive and vocal levity as a “strategy to stay grounded.”
speaking to National World Christopher stated that women are often “linguistic innovators”, adding: “The way young women use language is the future of the way language evolves.” So any changes we hear among young women are probably the future of English.’
He added: ‘We also use positive conversation as a courtesy strategy. Sometimes if we tell people to do something or say something unpleasant, we use conversation to soften it a little.’
Dr. Laura Bailey further explained: “This is all a result of gender: one person talks to a camera and another needs to hold the floor so people continue watching (which is the whole point of TikTok).
“They may use a slower, more deliberate speaking style than if they were conversing with friends in person, and this can result in a lower pitch and more vocal coldness.
‘Both of these are commonly considered authoritative and positive traits when practiced by speakers who are already perceived as authoritarian (for example, older male speakers). But when young women speak a certain way and behave confidently, people criticize it.
‘Another way to keep the word up is to use so-called uptalk, as it keeps the audience involved as an active participant, checking that they are following and agreeing.
“I don’t think any of these are new to social media, but TikTok encourages a lot more people to stream than YouTube or even Instagram, so we find emerging styles, subgenres, and stylistic characteristics of those subgenres.”
Britney Spears (pictured) is known for using ‘uptalk’, which is a rising intonation in declarative sentences, and ‘vowel fry’, a low, low sound on vowels.
London-based journalist Sophia Smith Galer demonstrated exactly what these two features sound like in a TikTok clip.
London-based journalist Sophia Smith Galer demonstrated exactly what these two features sound like in a tiktok clip.
He explained that TikTokers often use these features to keep their audience engaged and avoid appearing condescending.
She said: “Maybe we are responding linguistically to what we think will work well in the algorithm.”
In an article for future of bbc He also noted that during his own broadcasting training he had been given the advice to “never sound like you’re finishing a sentence,” known as uptalk.
Investigation American linguist William Labov, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, has suggested that men have tended to lag behind women for an entire generation when it comes to linguistic changes.
Gretchen McCulloch, linguist and author of Because the Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language, said The English Language Institute that the language and behaviors of adolescent girls greatly influence our culture.
She said: “We still don’t know for sure why young women reliably lead language innovation.”
‘Maybe it’s nature, maybe it’s education; But we do know that young women tend to be more socially aware, more empathetic, and more concerned about how their peers perceive them.
«This can translate into greater ease for linguistic alteration. Women also tend to have larger social networks, meaning they are more likely to be exposed to a greater diversity of linguistic innovations.’