[Pseudoscience-is-malarkey (OP)]

Can you generally tell where someone is from based on their accent if they're native?

[alancalverd]

Yes. Depends, of course, on your definition of "country". Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish accents are distinct but is the UK one country or four? Within England the Geordie, Scouse, Black Country and Wessex accents are clearly discernible from Yorkshire, East Anglia and "Received Pronunciation" - essentially that of the Thames Valley, which is again distinct from  East London (Cockney) and is considered the basis of taught English.   

[Colin2B]

Can you generally tell where someone is based on their accent if they're native?

Less so with the advent of TV.
My sister in law is a speech therapist and has noticed that local accents are changing due to tv soaps. Despite that she has an uncanny ability to identify where people spent their 1st 5 years.

[evan_au]

The Australian accent is fairly uniform.
- The New Zealand accent is also fairly uniform (but subtly different from the Australian accent).
- Each country has developed its own terms for products based on local brands which have graduated from a Proper Noun to a common noun...
- Trademarks are one area which has not yet come into the internet age - you have to register your trademark in every jurisdiction individually...

[alancalverd]

I recall being told that the word "cocoa" was definitive. A native Welshman pronounces it with just one repeated vowel sound, whilst a Cockney crams all the vowels into one word.

[Colin2B]

The Australian accent is fairly uniform.

That’s interesting because it is responsible for one of the most famous cases of accent drift due to soaps. Over here a whole generation of people who watched Neighbours as children now end their sentences with a rising inflection, which here indicates a question. The official term is the Neighbours Generation.

[Bored chemist]

a Cockney crams all the vowels into one word.

Facetiously?

[Pseudoscience-is-malarkey (OP)]

Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish accents are distinct but is the UK one country or four?

Yeah, that one always stumps me too.

[Bored chemist]

Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish accents are distinct but is the UK one country or four?

Yeah, that one always stumps me too.

Would you consider the four different languages to be a hint?
Ein Tad, yr hwn wyt yn y nefoedd,
sancteiddier dy enw.
Deled dy deyrnas.
Gwneler dy ewyllys,
megis yn y nef, felly ar y ddaear hefyd.
Dyro i ni heddiw ein bara beunyddiol.
A maddau i ni ein dyledion,
fel y maddeuwn ninnau i’n dyledwyr.
Ac nac arwain ni i brofedigaeth;
eithr gwared ni rhag drwg.
Canys eiddot ti yw’r deyrnas, a’r nerth,
a’r gogoniant, yn oes oesoedd.




Ár n-Athair atá ar neamh,
Go naofar d'ainim,
Go dtagfadh do ríocht,
Go ndéantar do thoil ar an talamh mar a dhéantar ar neamh.
Ár n-arán laethúil tabhair dúinn inniu,
agus maith dúinn ár bhfiacha
mar a mhaithimidne dár bhféichiúna féin
Ach ná lig sinn i gcathú,
ach saor sinn ó olc,



Ar n-Athair a tha air nèamh,
 Gu naomhaichear d'ainm.
Thigeadh do rìoghachd.
Dèanar do thoil air an talamh,
mar a nìthear air nèamh.
Tabhair dhuinn an-diugh ar n-aran l� itheil.
Agus maith dhuinn ar fiachan,
amhail a mhaitheas sinne dar luchd-fiach.
Agus na leig ann am buaireadh sinn;
ach saor sinn o olc:
oir is leatsa an rìoghachd,
agus an cumhachd,
agus a' glòir, gu sìorraidh.

And, of course

Oure fadir that art in heuenes,
halewid be thi name;
thi kyngdoom come to;
be thi wille don,
in erthe as in heuene.
Yyue to vs this dai oure breed
ouer othir substaunce,
and foryyue to vs oure dettis,
as we foryyuen to oure dettouris;
and lede vs not in to temptacioun,
but delyuere vs fro yuel.
Amen.

[Petrochemicals]

- The New Zealand accent is also fairly uniform (but subtly different from the Australian accent).

Lol. I find the kiwi accent more like a South African than an Australian one.

[Colin2B]

.....but is the UK one country or four?

Three and a half. Until the half gets back together with the south!
Whoops, forgot about Cornwall, four & a half.

[Just thinking]

Lol. I find the kiwi accent more like a South African than an Australian one.

In New Zealand they eat fish and choops in Australia we just go for the old fish and chips.Lol.

[alancalverd]

Would you consider the four different languages to be a hint?

Not in Switzerland. Nor in India where there are apparently 22 official languages (excluding English), at least 5 of which are spoken by more natives than the entire population of the UK.