The Tools
WordSleuth: The Accent Dictionary
Your primary tool for quick reference. Enter a word to discover:
- Lexical Set: The word’s broad vowel category.
- For Super-Sleuths: Extra category info, such as subsets and allophonic variations.
- Set Jumpers and Weak Forms: Identify "danger words" that shift categories depending on the accent.
TextSleuth: Script Prep in Seconds
Paste your lines into the tool to generate a customized Accent Map.
- Phoneme Scan: Automatically identify the lexical sets in your script.
- Prep your Practice: Instantly highlight the sounds that are most important for your performance.
VideoSleuth: Find the Sound
Stop scrubbing through hours of footage and jump straight to the sounds you need to hear.
- Isolate the Target: Need to hear how a native speaker handles the BATH vowel across an entire interview? Find every instance in seconds.
- Tune Your Ear: Select multiple sets to compare and contrast vowel sounds.
Key Concepts
What are Lexical Sets?
Lexical sets are groups of words that share the same vowel sound in a particular accent. Lexical sets don’t tell you what the pronunciation is—you have to use your ears for that! But they do tell you which words go together: If you hear someone saying “feesh,” it’s a safe bet they order it with “cheeps”.
What are Subsets?
Broad lexical sets often miss allophonic variations—for instance, changes in a vowel caused by the consonants following it. By tracking subsets like TRAM (TRAP + N, M, or NG), we can account for "vowel raising" and other subtle shifts essential for authentic accent work.
Sources & Methodology
To provide accurate phonemic mapping, AccentSleuth™ triangulates data from several foundational sources:
Transcription Engines:
- Contemporary British English: Sourced from the CUBE Dictionary, edited by Geoff Lindsey and Péter Szigetvári.
- North American English: Sourced from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. Copyright © 1993-2015 Carnegie Mellon University, used under the BSD license.
Linguistic Frameworks:
- Primary Lexical Sets: Based on the system established by J.C. Wells in Accents of English (1982).
- Subsets & Variations: Derived from Eric Armstrong’s Lexical Sets for Actors (2022). Adapted under a Creative Commons License.
AccentSleuth™ is a work in progress! The AccentSleuth™ lexicon is built using dictionary data that may have errors. We are constantly making corrections to the database. Please reach out with comments and suggestions about how to make it better.
About the Creator
Jeremy Sortore is an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan and a professional dialect coach with over two decades of experience in theater and conservatory training. A Certified Teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork and an Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework®, his work focuses on the intersection of technical precision and artistic agency. AccentSleuth™ was developed as a practical extension of his commitment to providing actors with the technical infrastructure they need to focus on the art of performance. Learn more at JeremySortore.com.