What Accent Did People Really Have in Shakespeare's Time?
From Vulgar History: Tudors by Vulgar History | Realm
June 10, 2026 · 53 min
About this episode
The episode explores the evolution of English accents and what people really sounded like during Shakespeare's time.
English accents have been evolving ever since the first people started speaking this very strange language. People in historic films often speak with a modern British accent, and when they don't, people think it's inaccurate. But what did people really sound like during Shakespearean times? Or American Revolution times? Author and linguist Valerie Fridland joins us to discuss all these questions and more! Buy a copy of Valerie's book Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents (affiliate link) — Buy a copy of Ann's book Rebel of the Regency — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at commonera.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and…
People in this episode
Host: Vulgar History
Guest: Valerie Fridland
Topics covered
- English accents
- Shakespearean times
- American Revolution
- linguistics
- historical pronunciation
Keywords
- accents
- Shakespeare
- history
- linguistics
- American Revolution
- Valerie Fridland
Sponsors
commonera.com
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents, Rebel of the Regency
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