For many people, work isn’t just about what they do.
It’s about how they sound while doing it.
Speaking with an accent at work often means navigating expectations that are never written down — expectations about professionalism, credibility, and belonging that quietly shape opportunity.
When Communication Isn’t the Real Issue
Most people who speak with an accent are understood clearly at work.
Meetings move forward.
Tasks get done.
Ideas are exchanged.
Yet accents still draw attention.
The issue isn’t comprehension. It’s perception. Some voices are treated as neutral. Others are treated as noticeable — and noticeability often becomes a disadvantage.
How Accent Shapes Workplace Experience
Accent can influence:
- who speaks up in meetings
- who is asked to repeat themselves
- who is perceived as confident or hesitant
- who is considered leadership material
These judgments are rarely explicit. They’re wrapped in phrases like “executive presence,” “clear communication,” or “fit.”
But beneath those phrases is a familiar pattern: sounding like the norm is rewarded.
The Pressure to Self-Monitor
Speaking with an accent at work often means constant adjustment.
People slow their speech.
They simplify vocabulary.
They rehearse before presenting.
This self-monitoring is invisible to others, but exhausting for the person doing it. It turns communication into performance — and performance into pressure.
Over time, that pressure can limit participation, creativity, and confidence.
Why “Sounding Professional” Feels Personal
Professionalism is often framed as neutral.
But in practice, it reflects historical power structures — shaped by whiteness, class, and access to institutions that defined what “professional” should sound like.
When someone is told to “sound more professional,” the request often asks them to move closer to those norms — even if their work speaks for itself.
That’s why feedback about accents can feel deeply personal: it targets voice, not skill.
What Inclusive Workplaces Can Do Differently
Creating space for accented voices isn’t about lowering standards.
It’s about redefining them.
Inclusive workplaces:
- prioritize clarity over conformity
- separate communication from identity
- value contribution over familiarity
They recognize that effectiveness doesn’t depend on sounding the same — it depends on being heard and respected.
Why This Conversation Matters
As workplaces become more global and diverse, accent bias remains one of the most overlooked barriers to equity.
Naming it matters.
Not because accents need to be fixed — but because the systems evaluating them do.
At VOZ NYC, we believe work should be judged by ideas, impact, and integrity — not proximity to a single voice.
Related Reading
These workplace experiences are explored further in Your English Is Great, But…, a VOZ NYC–published book examining how language, identity, and power intersect in everyday life.
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