Scottish actor Gerard Butler is desperate to remain true to his roots despite living in the US and is scared that his accent is becoming more American.

The 39-year-old actor admitted that he has noticed more American words creeping into his vocabulary, and fears that his countrymen will never forgive him if he loses his native brogue, Daily Express reported.

"To see anybody being influenced by another culture is a fate worse than death, especially to speak in an American accent," said Butler.

The '300' star has been living in the US while he concentrates on building his Hollywood career and had suffered a panic attack the first time he used the word "soccer".

"I was doing an interview about a year and a half ago in London and I said the word 'soccer' instead of 'football' and for the rest of the interview I could hardly breathe. My face was so red. Whenever I think of it I start to panic," he said.

The star even compares himself to Scottish singer Sheena Easton, who was pelted with bottles at a gig in Glasgow in 1990 after offending the audiences with her American accent.

"When Sheena Easton left Glasgow she talked with a really strong (Scottish) accent. Then she spent a couple of years in the US and she was suddenly talking like an American.

In Scotland, we were like, 'How dare she! Burn her at the stake!' Now I have become that guy," Butler said.