“I’m Just Not Good at Accents”: The Myth and the Method

As a dialect coach and accent coach for actors, I hear one phrase more than any other:“I’m just not good at accents.”

It’s often said with a sense of finality, as if it’s a fixed genetic trait. But in my experience, it’s almost never true. What it usually means is, “I’ve never been shown the right process.”

I want to share a story about my client, the fantastic and dedicated actress Kim S Monti, who came to me for help with mastering a Scottish accent for her role as Dundee-born 19th-century astronomer Williamina Fleming in Lauren Gunderson's Silent Sky.

Kim S Monti (foreground) with the rest of the cast of Silent Sky

Like many actors, she felt that accents “don’t come easy” to her.

Her journey is a perfect case study in why, in an age of endless tutorials, there’s still no substitute for the one-on-one, tenacious work of coaching.

The YouTube Fallacy and the “Brain-Mouth Disconnect”

Kim’s experience perfectly illustrates why personalized accent training still matters in the age of online tutorials.

“I want to get it right,” she told me, “and I can’t get that on YouTube.”

She’s exactly right. YouTube is a fantastic accent listening resource, but it’s a one-way street. It can’t listen back. It can’t diagnose why your vowel is off or why a rhythm feels wrong.

Kim calls this the “ear-mouth-brain disconnect” — that frustrating gap where you know what it’s supposed to sound like, but your mouth won’t cooperate.

That’s where a professional dialect coach comes in. My job isn’t just to be a recording; it’s to be more like a mechanic. I can watch and listen and say, “Ah, I see what’s happening. Your tongue is too far back,” or “Let's start with the tongue higher,” or whatever works for that particular actor.

“It’s not the same as having a tenacious coach who’s going to go, ‘Nice — you’re not there yet. Hold your mouth this way.’”

Beyond Parroting: The Power to Improvise

The second, crucial goal of our work is to move beyond simply saying the lines. Any actor can be taught, parrot-fashion, to deliver a few memorized sentences. But what happens when you drop a line? Or when you’re in a high-pressure audition?

As Kim wisely noted, your native accent will “pop right in” at those unguarded moments.

The real test is being able to think and improvise in the accent. That’s when it becomes truly integrated. My goal as a dialect coach is to give actors the tools to “teach themselves a bit” — to hear when they’re “sliding closer to London” and know exactly how to “bring it back.”

When you can think in the accent, you own it. It’s no longer a costume you put on; it’s part of the essence of your character.

The original Williamina Fleming, née Stevens

The Payoff: “An Excellent Scottish Accent”

All that tenacious (and occasionally “painful” — Kim’s word, not mine!) accent work paid off.

When the reviews for her play came out, I was thrilled to see this line from Talkin' Broadway:

“Kim Monti as Williamina Fleming, whose stalwart Scottish practicality and excellent Scottish accent bring lighter moments to the play.”

That right there is a win — the external, professional validation of the work. But as satisfying as that is, there’s one story Kim told me that I love even more.

After one show, she was approached by two couples. One of them said, “We had one disappointment... We thought we were going to meet a real Scot, and you’re a fraud!”

As Kim’s heart presumably stopped, all four of them — total strangers — dropped their American accents and slipped immediately into their native Edinburgh accents. They were messing with her and had come to the show with a critical ear.

Their final verdict?

“Well done. Well done on the accent.”

Moments like that remind me why I love accent coaching for theatre. It’s proof that the process works. It’s not about talent or mimicry — it’s about method, patience, and precision.

See my interview with Kim about our work on Williamina's accent here.

“Warm and Fuzzies”: A Note from Kim

After I shared the draft of this blog post with Kim, she wrote back:

“Oh my gosh! You brought it ALL BACK TO ME NOW!!!! Gave me warm and fuzzies. And yes… I did say ‘painful.’ Hmmm, more than once if I remember correctly. 😜 I’m so grateful to have worked with you on this. I have kept my recording of the whole script and go through it once or twice a month.”

Then she added something that really struck me — something that, I think, captures what I aim to give my clients:

“The other incredible benefit YOU offer is that you’re also a working actor yourself. Your training, exercises, and advice for how to hang on to the accent, stay in character, and recover quickly builds the foundation and confidence to face those ‘off’ moments when they happen. You are such a strong and wonderful coach, and I’m grateful to have you in my corner.”

I’m grateful right back. Watching an actor like Kim take ownership of an accent — to the point where even native speakers are fooled — is the most satisfying part of my work.

Because when an actor learns to think, breathe, and be in another accent, it’s not just a performance — it’s transformation.