284. Hear Me Out: How Understanding Accents—Ours & Others—Improves Communication

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Think Fast Talk Smart

Education, Career Growth, Career, Improv, Public Speaking, Influence, Career Skills, Communicating, Careers, Language Learning, Business, Communication, Leadership

4.7 • 805 Ratings

🗓️ 27 April 2026

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Understanding the accent you didn’t know you had.
Whether communicating in our mother tongue or practicing a new language, we all speak with an accent. But that’s not all, says Valerie Fridland — we hear with an accent as well.

Fridland is a professor of sociolinguistics at the University of Nevada, Reno, and author of Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents. According to her, we don’t just sound a certain way, we hear a certain way too, affecting how we understand others. “We’re hearing with an accent — a bias shaped by our own language and experience,” she says. But instead of expecting others’ communication to fit our preconceptions, Fridland says to meet people halfway. “If we want to make communication successful, it’s not just their job as a speaker, it’s my job as a listener.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Fridland and host Matt Abrahams discuss how empathetic listening opens the door to understanding. Whether you’re communicating in a context of mutual intelligibility or attempting to bridge cultural and linguistic divides, Fridland’s insights show how connection is a collaboration — shaped by accents on both sides of the conversation.

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Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction
(02:32) - The Role of Filled Pauses
(04:56) - When Fillers Become a Problem
(06:18) - Why We Don’t Hear Our Own Accent
(07:43) - Language Rhythm & Intonation
(12:33) - Listening with an Accent
(17:31) - The Final Three Questions
(24:26) - Conclusion

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, Matt here. We have two days left before we close our listener viewer survey. A big thank
0:05.3	you to all of you who have already provided feedback. Please take a few minutes to share your input
0:10.0	on the show. We still have a few prizes left to give to lucky respondents. Go to faster
0:15.4	smarter.io slash survey to give us your input. That's faster smarter.io.com.com slash survey. And now a word from one of our
0:23.8	sponsors, their support allows us to bring you quality content free of charge. If you've ever thought,
0:31.8	I know I can do more, but something's holding me back. You're not alone. Whether you're navigating
0:36.9	career growth,
0:37.8	seeking better balance, or wanting to communicate with more confidence, coaching can help you
0:42.3	bridge the gap between intention and action. At strawberry.me, you'll get matched with a professional
0:48.5	coach who's trained to help you clarify your goals, build lasting confidence, and make
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0:57.5	This is not therapy, it's not consulting. It's a thought partnership designed to help you take
1:02.8	action with more clarity and purpose. I strongly believe in the value of coaching. All of us can
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1:12.4	Visit strawberry.me slash smart to get matched up with your coach today. That's strawberry.
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1:25.0	to see if coaching is right for you.
1:37.2	How you sound and what you say is critical to communication success.
1:40.2	Let's put an accent on accents.
1:45.5	My name's Matt Abrahams and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
1:49.0	Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast.
1:52.9	Today I look forward to speaking once again with my friend Valerie Fridlin.
	...

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