Speech mimicking

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I've found that, for some reason, I tend to take on the speech patterns and style of whoever I'm talking to. This also applies on the internet with my style of typing. If I'm talking to a friend from England I take on English patterns of speaking (for example, using words like "quite" instead of the more American "very"). If I'm talking on IM to my friend who is very bubbly and uses lots of smileys, I do that too. In real life I'm loud with loud friends and demure with demure friends (this isn't just social adjusting to make them more comfortable, because I'm not thinking about it, it just happens). I've even noticed the pitch of my voice adjusting to the other person. In a group setting, I take on the pattern of whoever seems "dominant" in the group, or whoever's speech pattern is the most interesting to me.

(For some reason I seem to take on a pseudo-English pattern when posting here, which is odd since I've lived in Florida all my life, and WP doesn't seem to be overwhelmingly English. I'm not sure where that's coming from.)

Does anyone else do this? I can definitely see how this might be sort of unnerving to NTs who see me in more than one situation and notice that I almost seem like a different person. But I seem to do it without realizing. I think it's because I "hear" the other person echoing in my head so that is sort of what comes back out.

Yeah I do it to. I pick up accents and incorporate them in to my own speech. I think NT's do it a little bit, or slowly over time they can gain or lose an accent, but Aspies can do it overnight.

Hey does anybody remember when Madonna moved to England and suddenly started talking with an English accent? I wonder if she has it.

One time I watched "A Clockwork Orange" and "Shaun of the Dead" in the same night and I seriously couldn't stop thinking in a British accent for like 3 days. I know that's not the same as what you're describing but it's somewhat similar.

Actually that kind of is what I'm talking about. I end up thinking in whatever accent or manner of speech someone else uses, and I guess because of that I end up speaking that way too. It also happens when I've been reading or watching interviews with British musicians (which I tend to do a lot).

I do that quite a bit. I tend to pick up accents or even cetain speech patterns from other people, but it wears off pretty quickly.
I've incorporated little bits of the british and irish accents into my natural australian accent by watching too much red dwarf

I don't talk to many people, but when I do, I don't mimic their voice.

I do it so much, I'm afraid to end up in a conversation with any two friends I have who have different accents, because I'm afraid they'll go 'hey! that's not your real accent!' or something. I have a different accent for each person speak to, depending on their accent. In the rare times when that happens I end up creating a bizarre mix of both their accents and I keep getting away with it. Meh.. it's weird, but hey, so am I.

I tend to pick up people's accents as well...

I do that too, but I know a few people who also do that and they do not have aspergers syndrome.

I mimic people more when I feel friendly towards them, but otherwise my own manner gets displayed.

I do it all the time. I can change the style of speech based on who it is directed to, sometime when in a group conversation this happens several times. Some people just smile while others seem to get really freaked out!

Yeah. But I can control it, and switch stock characters. I've also noticed people mimic me though.

I have this problem too. I'm afraid they'll think I'm faking an accent, but really I just have a bunch of different ones.
I can control mine just a little bit, if I really concentrate, but it takes alot of focus and makes me feel drained if I have to worry about it. I would like to be able to just speak however it comes out naturally without having to worry about what people will think. I would be more useful to society and happier myself that way.

I've noticed myself do it before, but it isn't all the time. Frequent, but not all the time. On the other hand, if I'm drunk, I tend to overuse one or two words. I'm told that has irritated people in the past.

That is really odd; I have that exact same behavior myself! If I am with anyone who happens to have a noticable accent, I'll pick it up. It doesn't last long, but I happened to vacation at a camp in Canada for 7 weeks, and when I came back, my family laughed to hear how different I sounded. That lasted for a little longer than a week. I usually notice it as it happens, and don't mind it too much; it seems to be more of a blessing than not. I'm hoping that when I take Japanese at school that it will make things slightly easier pronunciation-wise.

hey, i'm kinda excited! I've always mimicked accents (like, within a sentence of starting the conversation) and didn't know why...I didn't know that was an aspie thing per se...nifty!