1. Prosody: This refers to the rhythm, intonation, and stress patterns of speech. It's the overall melody and flow of a speaker's voice. For example, the way someone might emphasize certain words or phrases, or the rising and falling tone they use when speaking.
2. Phonetics: This focuses on the actual sounds that are produced. Different accents have different pronunciations of vowels and consonants. For example, the "r" sound in American English is different from the "r" sound in British English.
3. Vocabulary and grammar: While these aren't strictly part of the accent, they are often associated with a particular way of speaking. Certain accents might have unique vocabulary or grammatical constructions. For example, some accents might use specific slang words or phrases that aren't used in other accents.
It's important to note that these components are interconnected and work together to create a unique accent.