Richard Gere in The Jackal couldn't quite get to grips with the Northern Irish accent
and in this video we’re going to analyse his speech using four clips from the movie.
If this is your first time here, I’m Alister, an English teacher and Northern Ireland dialect
coach.
To know more about English, languages or accents, consider subscribing.
Should you be an actor looking to master your Northern Irish accent then contact me using
the details in the description below.
Before we dive into Richard Gere’s accent a brief introduction about the movie.
The Jackal is a 1997 US-political-action-thriller also starring Bruce Willis.
Richard Gere is a former IRA sniper who the FBI have identified as someone who might be
able to help them find a paid assassin.
And that character is played by Bruce Willis.
Right, let’s get straight into it with our first clip.
Listen again to how the final word is pronounced.
This is a distinctive feature of the Northern Irish accent and in my personal opinion it’s
possibly the easiest to get right, and Gere does a pretty good job, actually.
It's the /ŋ/ sound in words ending in -ing
To make this sound in most English accents you lift the back of the tongue.
/ɪŋ/
saving
/ɪŋ/
However, in Northern Irish English you lift the front of the tongue.
/ɪn/
savin'
ɪn/
Notice how your tongue moves differently.
/ɪŋ/
/ɪn/
/ɪŋ/
/ɪn/
Here’s the clip again:
With a Northern Irish accent:
Whose life would I be savin'?
The second clip:
Notice how he says this word in a fairly typical British English accent - safe.
He uses the diphthong /eɪ/ - safe and doesn’t quite get this right in the Northern Irish
accent - safe.
safe vs. safe
A diphthong is a combination of two vowel sounds in a single movement so the mouth has
to move
/eɪ/.
safe
Now, in a Northern Irish accent this doesn’t really happen, we tend to speak far too quickly
so the diphthong is shortened.
So instead of saying:
Perhaps, a more genuine Northern Irish accent would be:
First, I’d have to be convinced Isabella would be kept safe.
What do you think of Richard Gere’s Northern Irish accent?
Comment below.
Our third clip:
Pay attention to how Gere pronounces the letter “R” in these three words.
The Northern Irish accent is described as rhotic, and that means the letter "R" is pronounced
in all situations.
Personally, I think he’s overcompensating with his first “R” in war - war - because
most English accents don't pronounce the "R” when it appears at the end of words.
I think he's overcompensating, personally.
So instead of saying:
A more authentic Northern Irish accent would be:
It’s not my war. I was never a bomber.
By the way, this video is part of my Northern Irish Accent series.
To discover more about the Northern Irish accent including specific words and phrases
check out the playlist after you’ve watched this video.
Our fourth clip:
This isn’t the finest example of the Northern Irish accent though we’ll just focus on
the last word.
This is probably the most distinct sound in the Northern Irish accent and yet the one
that most natives find the hardest to get right.
And Richard Gere is no exception.
In a more typical British English accent this sound is another diphthong.
/aʊ/
now
This time when you make the sound you should notice the rounded movement in your mouth.
now
/aʊ/
Once more, in a Northern Irish accent this doesn’t really happen, we speak far too
quickly so there's no roundness.
Can you hear the difference?
Can you feel the difference in your mouth?
now vs. now
So instead of saying:
An authentic Northern Irish accent would be:
Best tell him to get his affairs in order because nobody can save him now.
As Richard Gere (and many others) have shown the Northern Irish accent is certainly one
of the trickiest to master and it takes lots of time and effort.
If you’re an actor (or anyone) looking to perfect your Northern Irish accent then contact
me using the details in the description below.
Next, to see how Brad Pitt got on with the Northern Irish accent check out this video.