Thread: how to do a russian accent

Hello,

This may seem rather weird to some folks, but here's the upshot of my request:
I want to learn to do a Russian accent.
I want to speak English like Russians do, that is to imitate standard Russian talk, like when they've just arrived in America and start getting around.
How do I go about this task?

Here's the skinny I already know (picked it up from the coffers of the internet):

Pronunciation:
1. Use V for W: say "vest" in lieu of "west"
2. Use z/s for th: say "zis/sink" in lieu of "this/think"
3. Use i: for i: say "seek" in lieu of "sick"
Grammar:
1. Skip 'the/a/to': say "I live in country/I want buy car" in lieu of "I live in the country/I want to buy a car"

But I have a hunch there's more to that, maybe you know more and can give me some heads up on the subject matter so I can improve on my Russian accent.
I don't have an eye for accents, so I can't really distill anything from just listening to Russians speak English, I need solid advise.

think and that are not zink and zet in Russian, that's too French.
Russians would pronounce think and that like "phink and phet"

The last movie I watched, with russian "bad" guys, was SALT with Angelina Jolie.... she even was supposed to be russian and some dialogs are in russian. I think in the movie are starring some real russian guys. Yet, one can understand that Angelina is not russian

Итальянская актриса Mariangela Melato в научно-фантастическом фильме "Flash Gordon" (1980):

YouTube - The fabulous General Kala - Flash Gordon

"Hhhhhwat do you min, Flesh Gor-r-r-don approachink?"

Yep, this is a Russian accent. Strongly exaggerated but still genuine.

LoL He screwed up faking some words, like "choice" has been said purely non-russian.
I could record the same said in the neat russian manner just for fun.

How to Do a Russian Accent:

Watch Red October a few times and then do EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of everything Sean Connery does.

That's a really useful diagram by the way.

I think you must copy pronunciation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTgLxvKxRJ0.

gsold
Им чтобы скопировать - нужно годами произношение учить. Это не русский акцент, а русская речь. Им это архисложно.
Звуки все у Мутко абсолютно русские, он не пытается даже произносить вещи по-английски.

Eugene-p
Понятно, что это не акцент. Ну забыл я поставить смайлик.

AlexB -- I remember seeing a TV interview with the members of ABBA back in the late '70s or early '80s; it was on the American Sunday-evening news program 60 Minutes, and described ABBA as "Sweden's #2 export" (after the Volvo!).

Anyway, Bjorn and Benny spoke English quite well, but the two girls were definitely much less fluent and seemed uncomfortable with English -- and they gave very very short answers.