Add Your Accent
How to Record Your Accent
Created by Sarah Valentine, The Actors Accent Coach
Thank you for contributing to The Accent Bank — a free, actor-friendly accent library helping actors, casting professionals, and creatives access real, authentic accents from around the world. This project is about truthful voices, not performance or perfection.
It's simple: read the guide, record your script, and send it over.
Keep It Simple
You do not need professional equipment or a studio setup. Your phone, tablet, or computer is more than good enough.
Please keep in mind
Quiet Space
Choose a quiet space with minimal background noise for clear audio.
Close Microphone
Place the microphone or device close enough for clear audio capture.
Speak Naturally
Speak naturally, just as you would every day. No performance needed.
Under 3 Minutes
Aim to keep your recording under 3 minutes. Quality over quantity.
No Perfection
Don't worry about perfection — real voices are exactly what we're looking for.
You Do Not Need to Show Your Face
If you'd prefer not to appear on camera, that's absolutely fine. You are welcome to:
- Place your phone or camera face-down on a table, or
- Record audio only, as long as your voice is clear
The Accent Bank focuses on accent and sound, not visuals. When editing, we may use an image of your local town, city, or region instead of on-camera footage.
Your comfort always comes first.
Your Script
The script below is designed to give actors a clear sense of your vowel sounds, rhythm, and musicality.
Please:
- • Read it in one relaxed take
- • Don't "perform" the accent
- • Don't slow it down unnaturally
- • Sound like you
Take a Moment to Think Ahead
Halfway through the script there's a section called "Talk About Your Life & Local Phrases". Have a think before you get to that part about what you might say — where you're from, what you do, and any phrases or sayings that are common where you live.
It's entirely up to you. If you'd like to chat about your life there, please do — it's a lovely way for actors to hear your natural voice. And if you'd rather not, that's completely fine: just carry on with the script. There's no pressure at all.
Don't overthink it or write anything down — it should sound natural, exactly as you'd talk to a friend.
🎙️ The Accent Bank Script
Please insert your own details where indicated.
Introduction
Hello and welcome to The Accent Bank, created by Sarah Valentine, The Actors Accent Coach. My name is [your first name]. I was born in [place of birth], and I grew up in [town or city, region, country]. This is my natural accent.
Everyday Speech (Vowel-Rich)
I usually wake up early in the morning and make myself a coffee before starting the day. If I have time, I'll sit by the window, check my messages, and think about everything I need to do. I enjoy good food, good company, and having a laugh with people I trust.
Core Vowel Sentences
I parked my car near the large dark garage at the far end of the road. The weather today is warm and bright, but the air feels calm and light. I like walking along the beach, listening to the waves, and watching the sky change colour. Would you like a glass of water, or would you prefer some juice?
Connected Speech & Flow
When I travel, I enjoy noticing how people speak differently from place to place. Some accents sound sharp and quick, while others feel slower and more relaxed. Often, it's the small vowel changes that make the biggest difference.
Talk About Your Life & Local Phrases
This part is optional — if you'd rather skip it and carry straight on with the script, that's completely fine. But if you'd like to, now's your chance to speak naturally, in your own accent, about whatever you like. This is where your real voice comes through — so don't prepare it, just chat.
You might talk about:
- •What you do day to day — your work, studies, or hobbies
- •Where you're from and what it's like there
- •Up to five short phrases or sayings that are common where you're from — the funny things people say
Keep it light and general — remember this will be shared online, so please don't give away anything personal. And please keep everything PG and suitable for all ages.
Numbers
Now I'm going to count from one to twenty. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty.
Alphabet (Vowel-Forward)
A for Apple
B for Banana
C for Coffee
D for Door
E for Evening
F for Father
G for Garden
H for Holiday
I for Ice-cream
J for Journey
K for Kitchen
L for Language
M for Mother
N for Number
O for Orange
P for Paper
Q for Question
R for River
S for Sarah
T for Tomorrow
U for Umbrella
V for Valentine
W for Water
X for X-ray
Y for Yellow
Z for Zebra
Closing
Thank you for listening. If you'd like to learn accents for acting or voice work, please visit actorsaccentcoach.com.
Optional Personal Mention
At the end of your recording, you may include a brief personal mention (for example: your name, location, website, or social handle). This must be appropriate and non-offensive.
Recording Guide by Sarah Valentine — The Actors Accent Coach
Ready to Upload your Video
Please send your recording using WeTransfer — it handles large video files easily and reliably, so nothing gets lost along the way.
- 1
Go to WeTransfer.com
- 2
Add your video and send it to sarah@sarahvalentine.com
- 3
We'll take it from there — thank you!
Release Agreement
Please read before submitting
Copyright & Permission to Use
By submitting an accent recording to The Accent Bank, you agree to the following:
1Voluntary Submission & Intent
You confirm that you are voluntarily submitting your recording with the intention that it be used, published, and shared as part of The Accent Bank.
2Copyright Assignment
You assign and transfer all worldwide copyright and intellectual property rights in your recording to Sarah Valentine, theaccentbank.com, and their successors and assignees.
This includes the right to use, edit, distribute, license, sell, sublicense, and commercially exploit the recording in any format, now or in the future.
You understand that you will not be the copyright owner of the submitted material.
3Publication & Monetisation
You acknowledge that your recording may be published online and may be distributed or offered for sale as part of free or paid resources.
No payment is provided for submissions unless agreed in writing.
4Public Availability
Once content is publicly available online, control over third-party sharing or reuse cannot be guaranteed.
5Release of Liability
You release Sarah Valentine and theaccentbank.com from any liability related to the publication or dissemination of your submitted content.
Agreement Confirmation
By submitting your recording, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these terms.