People posting on TikTok have developed their own accents, which experts say could be “the future of English.”
Linguistic expert Christopher Strelluf, professor at the University of Warwick, revealed that the new accent includes ‘uptalk’, which is a rising intonation on declarative sentences and ‘vocal fry’, a low, husky sound on vowels.
He reveals that TikTok conversations are mainly associated with young women and claims the new accent has been fueled by female influencers and celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Britney Spears.
Meanwhile, Dr Laura Bailey, a lecturer in English Language and Linguistics at the University of Kent, told FEMAIL that the slower, more deliberate speech style is used ‘to hold the word so people keep watching’.
The TikTok accent, also called TikTalk or internet voice, is when influencers use a vlogger-style voice, meaning everyone sounds the same regardless of their original accents.
People on TikTok have developed their own accent, fueled by Kim Kardashian (pictured) and Britney Spears, and could be ‘the future of English’ according to linguist Christopher Strelluf
Christopher revealed that creators use uptalk because it sounds more personal and compelling and vocal baking as a “floor-holding strategy.”
Speak with National World Christopher said women are often ‘language innovators’, adding: ‘The way young women use language is the future of how language evolves. So all the changes we hear from young women are probably the future of English.”
He added: “We also use uptalk as a politeness strategy. Sometimes when we tell people something or say something unpleasant, we use fuss to soften it up.”
Dr. Laura Bailey elaborated on this, saying, “These all come from the genre: one person speaking to a camera and someone having to hold the word to keep people watching (which is the main point of TikTok).
‘They may use a slower, more deliberate speech style than if they were talking to friends in person, and this can result in lower pitch and more vocal friction.
‘Both are generally seen as authoritative and positive qualities when speakers who are already perceived as authoritative also do so (e.g., older, male speakers). But when young women speak and act confidently in a certain way, people criticize it.
‘Another way to keep the word going is to use so-called uptalk, because it keeps the audience involved as an active participant and checks whether they agree with each other.
“I don’t think these are new to social media, but TikTok encourages a lot more people to broadcast than YouTube or even Instagram, so we’re discovering emerging styles, subgenres and stylistic features of those subgenres.”
Britney Spears (pictured) is known for using ‘uptalk’, a rising intonation on declarative sentences, and ‘vocal fry’, a low, husky sound on vowels
Journalist Sophia Smith Galer from London gave a demonstration of exactly what these two features sound like in a TikTok clip
Journalist Sophia Smith Galer from London gave a demonstration of exactly what these two features sound like in a TikTok clip.
She explained that TikTokers often use these features to keep their audience engaged and avoid sounding condescending.
She said, “We might respond linguistically to what we think will perform well in the algorithm.”
In an article for BBC Future she also noted that during her own radio training, she was given the tip to “never sound like you’re finishing a sentence,” also known as uptalk.
Research by American linguist William Labov, professor at the University of Pennsylvania, has suggested that men tend to lag a whole generation behind women when it comes to language changes.
Gretchen McCulloch, linguist and author of Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language, shared The English Language Institute that the language and behavior of teenage girls greatly influences our culture.
He said: ‘We’re still not sure why young women are reliably leading linguistic innovation.
“Maybe it’s nature, maybe it’s nurture; 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 could translate into a greater potential for language disruption. Women also tend to have larger social networks, meaning they are more likely to be exposed to a greater diversity of language innovations.”