Give Your Characters a Distinctive Voice

Use dialect to give your character a distinctive voice. I grew up in California, completely accent-free. In my teens I met a Texan who scoffed at my “accent,” when clearly, he was the one with an accent. The reality is, we always consider our way of speaking as a baseline. Everything else represents an accent. In today’s post I will explore how culture, financial status and line of work affect your characters’ speech patterns.

Culture

Consider the many variations of English across the United States and the world. It sounds different in Cape Cod than it does in New Orleans, different in Ireland than South Africa or Australia. And of course, the patois of non-native speakers expands the possible variations in language. If you capture the subtle differences that underlie a regional or national speech pattern, whether it is pronunciation, vocabulary, or cadence your reader will understand your character is shaped by culture and geography.

Socioeconomics

The way your character uses language can also reveal their financial or class status. If you’re a fan of Downton Abbey, think about the differences in the way the staff speak from those they serve. The language is more colorful and coarse. The pronunciation, vocabulary and even the cadence is different. In the US, laborers’ language will be less refined and perhaps a bit more emotionally honest than managers. Don’t get me wrong, both rich and poor are capable of deception, it’s just that they employ a different dialect to do so.

Jargon

Specialized language that relates to a profession, sport, or other narrow interest is known as jargon. While not technically a dialect, inserting appropriate jargon develops a distinctive voice for your character. For instance, the words opening, draft, and market will mean different things to a banker, a fisherman and a book editor.

Using dialect will enhance your character’s voice by highlighting their culture, financial status and special interests.