A linguistics professor has explained why the way the English language is spoken might be affected by high-profile influencers like the Kardashian-Jenners, Britney Spears, and more.

Ever noticed that TikTok and Instagram influencers have a fairly similar style of talking to the camera? If you haven't yet, you might just start noticing it everywhere!

University of Warwick linguistics professor Christopher Strelluf calls the phenomenon "TikTalk" or "the influencer accent."

"'TikTalk' is a feature that's been spreading as an innovative thing young people do – and seeing it online might encourage the continued spread of these features," Strelluf explained to NationWorld in November 2023.

The linguist identified two distinct features of the accent: uptalk and vocal fry.

He describes uptalk as "using a rising intonation in declarative sentences," while vocal fry is simply adding a "low gravelly sound on vowels."

"Uptalk and vocal fry are already very much part of English," Strelluf clarified.

According to the academic, people generally employ uptalk as a "floor-holding strategy" or a move to signal that they aren't done speaking yet. Uptalk can also be used as "a politeness strategy" in order to soften unpleasant news.

Have you ever noticed the influencer accent before? Well, you probably will now! (Our bad.)