Dr Geoff Lindsey
Business Inquiries: Dr-Geoff@InTheBlackMedia.com
Hi! I want to share the fascination and fun of speech, language and accents, and I'm so grateful to anyone who feels able to support this work via my Patreon.
I studied at University College London and got my PhD at the University of California Los Angeles. I've taught at universities including UCL, Edinburgh and Cambridge, published research in many areas, and worked as a forensic analyst. I've given invited lectures and workshops around the world.
I wrote the influential 'English After RP' (Palgrave Macmillan), and my blog contains over a hundred audio-illustrated articles. I'm co-editor of the free searchable online pronouncing dictionary CUBE.
I've also worked in film and TV as a screenwriter and director. I wrote the screenplay and arranged the music (performed by Lang Lang) for the animated fantasy Magic Piano, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination.
Dr Geoff Lindsey
Sorry it’s been a while — July and August have been very busy.
What makes you sound young or old, big or small? Marques Brownlee’s voice transformed from teen to adult — and here’s what it reveals about the science of voice change 👇
https://youtu.be/0jac1bgC8g0
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 112
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Dr Geoff Lindsey
SUMMER COURSE IN ENGLISH PHONETICS - PLACES STILL AVAILABLE!
11-22 August 2025 www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-sciences/pals/study/continuing…
Founded in 1919 by the great Daniel Jones, the UCL Summer Course in English Phonetics, of which I’m the Director, runs again this August, online and in London! Our great teachers include YouTuber Simon Roper and Luke Nicholson of Improve Your Accent, and where else could you get a guest lecture from ex-keyboardist of the Korgis, Dr Phil Harrison! Other teachers include myself, Prof Jane Setter (author of Your Voice Speaks Volumes), Dr Kate Scott (Pragmatics in English), and outstanding phonologist Dr Shanti Ulfsbjorninn.
Our unique format comprises an online week August 11-15 (which can be taken alone as a self-contained course), plus an optional further week at UCL in London August 18-22 for those who are able to join us live to deepen their practice. In both weeks there are lectures, ear training sessions and small-group practical classes to work on articulation under expert guidance. The SSB accent is our main but not exclusive focus; transcription practice uses the most familiar orthodox vowel symbols, but the emphasis is on contemporary pronunciation throughout.
All are welcome, both native/L1 speakers and non-native/L2 speakers, from complete beginners in phonetics to specialists: the small-group practicals are offered at a range of levels. The SCEP atmosphere is fun and motivating, with plenty of opportunities to chat and mingle both online and in person – and also, if you can join us at UCL for the second week, to explore all London has to offer.
1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 85
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Dr Geoff Lindsey
The low voice pitch on my new video is
5 months ago | [YT] | 274
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Dr Geoff Lindsey
Can anyone translate this?
6 months ago | [YT] | 587
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Dr Geoff Lindsey
I've now re-posted my new video! (Posting it multiple times was not a deliberate joke, I assure you.) Sincere apologies again for the inconvenience, and if you did the survey yesterday, thank you, and there's no need to do it again!
6 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 599
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Dr Geoff Lindsey
Apologies, there's a technical issue with my new video. I'll re-post tomorrow!
6 months ago | [YT] | 330
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Dr Geoff Lindsey
Even crazier, my Vocal Fry video has just passed 3 million views. Again, thank you all. (Next stop 300k subscribers. What can I do to mark that?)
6 months ago | [YT] | 903
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Dr Geoff Lindsey
Thanks everyone for getting another video to 1M views. Crazy.
6 months ago | [YT] | 936
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Dr Geoff Lindsey
THE NORTH AMERICAN ENGLISH SURVEY www.englishspeechservices.com/survey-north-america…
Apologies for the display problems that a few of the early survey-takers had with some of the options. These are now fixed. If you abandoned the survey, by all means go back and do it again. But if you already completed the survey, please don't do it again! THANK YOU, and please share the survey around 🙂
7 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 340
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Dr Geoff Lindsey
A note on my paid partnership with BetterHelp
My most recent video was supported by the online therapy service BetterHelp. As I expected, this has received some negative comments. Since I’m not going to reply to the individual comments, I thought I’d post a note here.
BetterHelp first approached me a year ago. At the time I’d never heard of them, but as someone with a history of depression I was potentially interested. I researched the brand, as I always do, and watched a number of critical YouTube videos, mainly in connection with a complaint that had been made by the US Federal Trade Commission regarding BetterHelp’s sharing of certain customer information prior to 2021. This was settled in July 2023, with BetterHelp paying several million dollars to consumers and agreeing to ongoing 3rd-party audits and compliance certification for ethical standards. Despite this, rather than be associated with the negativity, I turned the offer down.
Subsequently (as I told several friends), I felt uncomfortable that for ‘image’ reasons I’d turned down a service which provides valuable help to many: I mention in my video how much I wish that such a service had been available to me at my most difficult times in the past. Also, various criticisms of BetterHelp have been addressed at length in research by the Cinema Therapy channel (link below). And, as I mention in the video, I myself am now a (paying) user of the service. When they recently approached me again regarding paid partnership, I felt able to accept.
My experience as a user has been excellent, and I know other BetterHelp users who have a high opinion of it. Some concerns have been expressed about the rates of compensation for therapists, but I know personally of one therapist who considers BetterHelp a ‘godsend’ because of the steady work it provides. Nothing is perfect, and BetterHelp will not be for all clients, nor for all therapists. But, if someone told me that they were struggling emotionally, would I mention to them the option of BetterHelp? Yes.
www.reddit.com/r/cinema_therapy/comments/1dpriql/a…
11 months ago | [YT] | 1,197
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