Why Does Lewis Hamilton Sound ‘American’?

Published 11/10/2020, 5:32 AM EST

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Lewis Hamilton was born in Stevenage, England. The six-time F1 World Champion, with his British origin, has developed an American accent over time. He has a special affinity towards American states since time immemorial. He strikes in the similarities shared between him and the Americans, too.

via Imago

The Briton claims to love the passionate nature of the American people in the arena of sports. The positive vibe sparkled upon Hamilton by the Americans radiates immense positive energy and is of great importance for him.

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Hamilton spent his early boyhood days with his mother, while he moved in with his father at twelve. His father played a prominent role in building his career in racing. He was Lewis’ manager for a considerable period of time until the pair parted ways.

What is the reason behind Hamilton’s accent?

Hamilton having an American accent while being a Brit by origin has been questioned by many. He was asked about it at various press conferences, to which he replied that he used to face significant trouble with speech delivery and formation. He further mentioned that his biological father was bent on him to rectify it.

The racer also revealed how he spent his former years of life in European countries. Residing in European states affected the development of his accent. Furthermore, he moved to the American states, from where he grabbed the entire accent. As time passed, he gained power and eloquence in his speech.

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He also claimed that the pickup on accent was not something he did on purpose but happened naturally to him.  Growing up in American surroundings and listening to American music affected it too.

via Imago

He conveyed, “My dad always gave me a lot trouble, because he said I would mumble so I’d always stutter my words when I was younger.

“Then I started traveling to Europe, so I was a lot in France and Italy and I started speaking a lot of Broken English. Then I spent a lot of time in American Airbase when I was young.

“Naturally, all the music I listen to is American, so sometimes you just accidentally pick up the twang.”

Accent that did not go unnoticed

The Billion Dollar Man’s skills on the American accent have not gone unnoticed. The media wondrously clipped his accent and made it viral in no time. There are tweets where people show their considerate understanding of the situation.

Since the Maestro’s inception in the world of F1, he has performed immaculately well. He, according to records, has strived to reach where he is now.

Having an Americanized accent is not what he apparently considers a base for being a topic for judging him. He has respected and also defended his British origin on several occasions where he was questioned about it.

Hamilton stated in an interview, “This is where my heart is- I am fully British.”

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He further continued, “ I guess over time I will do more positive things for the country. I go to these races and I lift the British flag proudly. There is no-one else in the sport that has raised it so high.”

Considering his British roots and fitting the American accent well around, has been a platform of several controversies. He mentions his earlier speech disorder every time when the question is thrown at him.

via Imago

Moving around the world from a tender age and efforts to amend his faulty speech in an American environment with such culture and accents got him the ‘American accent’.

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Written by:

Debarati Saha

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Debarati Saha is an F1 and NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing English Honours from Calcutta University, she is an avid fan of Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.
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