# Do you use a different accent or dialect, depending on who you speak to?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-different-accent-or-dialect-depending-on-who-you-speak-to/964016>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 5, 2022, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-different-accent-or-dialect-depending-on-who-you-speak-to/964016 "2022-05-05T17:01:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 32

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**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-a-different-accent-or-dialect-depending-on-who-you-speak-to/964016/32 "2022-07-28T08:59:55Z")

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I don’t think most people in this thread are using the term “code-switching” correctly. This term refers to switching between languages (or dialects, or varieties) in a single conversation (or more commonly a single sentence), but most of the examples of “code-switching” presented in this thread are about using different languages with different conversation partners. (For example, @SmartAleq describes call centre agents adapting their speech to whoever is calling, @pulykamell talks about using his native accent (only) with his childhood friends, @China_Guy says that he adapts his English variety when speaking to native Asians, etc.)

However, since I’m really interested in bona-fide code-switching, and don’t want to hijack this thread, I’ve started a new one: [Do you (unwittingly) code-switch when speaking?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-unwittingly-code-switch-when-speaking/968703)

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