Do you have an accent?

KatieTheMagnificent · January 2010

I (of course) can't hear it, but whenever I hear myself recorded, I always giggle because I don't realize how long my vowels are. Definitely not as bad as some people's, like one of the local news anchors (LOL), but I'll catch myself saying something and be shocked at how southern it sounds.

LukeAndAmanda · January 2010

When I was up north, I was told I have a southern accent. Now that we've moved back down here, I'm told I have "parts" of a northern accent. People usually can hear it when they watch youtube videos when I post them.

kelbrian · January 2010

Everyone that doesn't live in the Midwest says that I do, but I don't hear it at all

betsnup · January 2010

Ug, once when I was waitressing I was told that I have an UP Michigan accent. I'm not sure what exactly that sounds like, but I have fears that it is like the accents in the movie Fargo.

HellsBelle08 · January 2010

I have a really obnoxious NY accent. It's awful. My DH is from Japan/California, and he makes fun of me-often.

*KatieH* · January 2010

I don't think I do but normally people from here in MD can tell I am not from here just based on the fact that I say wooder for water and hoagie.

lpennie16 · January 2010

I don't know, but I've heard my recorded voice and it sounds snobby. if that makes sense?

Shellyburger · January 2010

I didnt think so until we moved to TN. Now I "sound weird" to all of my co-workers.

jenifairies · January 2010

Probably, but it's not too strong. My mom's family all still have their maine accents and my dad grew up everywhere, so I didn't grow up in a home with a drawl.

I'm sure if I talked to some of you, you'd notice it though! And I do say y'all.

DH does have an accent but thankfully it's not as bad as his mom and her side of the family. They invent syllables. His SIL's name is Trina and MIL and GMIL call her Terrina instead of Treena. Ohh and instead of afghan it's af - ih -gan.

tmp-354536812503300 · January 2010

I have a definite Southern drawl. Especially on certain words like iron, oil, ruler, adult, the list goes on. It also really comes out when I'm mad or excited and talking fast. And if I'm around someone or hear someone else with a twang it can't help but come out.

IckyThump · January 2010

I have a South Jersey/Philly accent. I can't hear it in my own head when I'm talking, but if I hear myself on a video or phone message, it's there.

*sallymad* · January 2010

Just a good ol Minnesoootan accents.

felt_tip_pen · January 2010

I am pretty much the standard midwestern, but my husband makes fun of me for having bits of a slightly more northern accent ( He says it sounds Chicagoan but I'm a STL girl). Sometimes, I notice the Okie rubbing off on me and I get a leeeeetle bit southern.

habsoilers · January 2010

I have a nasal southern Ontario accent. Where I work, I come into close contact with a lot of Americans who always tell me that I have a British accent. I think it's partly due to the fact that my dad is British and partly due to the fact that a lot of Americans think Canadians have British/Irish accents.

And FTR, we do not say aboot!

tmp-354536812503300 · January 2010

habsoilers:

I have a nasal southern Ontario accent. Where I work, I come into close contact with a lot of Americans who always tell me that I have a British accent. I think it's partly due to the fact that my dad is British and partly due to the fact that a lot of Americans think Canadians have British/Irish accents.

And FTR, we do not say aboot!

You don't think you do but you do, eh.

karenmarie20 · January 2010

I definitely don't have a North Jersey/NY accent but I don't have the South Jersey/Philly accent either. However I'm sure when I speak with people in other parts of the country they think I have some type of accent : )

Smores730 · January 2010

My parents have really bad New Orleans accents and when i was 1st learning how to write and spell, all my words were spelled phonetically funny. I'd write things like "I went down da stairs wit my dog" hehe

Mrs.State746 · January 2010

Nope. Some people think people in Washington have a Canadian accent because we are so close to the boarder but we don't.

Jen&Len · January 2010

I have a slight NY accent from being raised in queens...not the full blown thing. I also have a slight asian lilt (not really an accent...I don't know how to describe it) from being bilingual.

*Bre* · January 2010

EVERYONE has a dialect. Mine is midwestern and I say "warsh"

There have been many studies that involve calling people on the phone all over the country and tracking the use of certain elements. Dialects vary by age, socioeconomic status, GENDER and region.

Here in Kansas, for example, cot and caught contain the same vowels, whereas in chicago, they are two different vowels. Our school cheer "Rock Chalk Jayhawk" doesn't rhyme for my professor because she is from chicago. the o in chalk is more rounded, if that makes sense.

A guy named Labov did an experiment where he went to the equivalent of walmart, macy's and Saks 5th avenue. At the time those were from poorest to richest. He asked where something on the fourth floor was to get the salespeople to pronounce r's and say "fourth floor". He found that in the poorer stores there were fewer r's pronounced and the richer stores there were MORE rs because the r is prestigious. BUT older rich women used the r-less dialect because prior to WWII it was the prestige dialect. When the poorer class tried to adopt the r-less dialect, there was a switch in which was the prestige dialect. In other words the rich people didn't want to sound like the poor people.

I can't get a dialect map to PIP, but if you do "google images" for "dialect map" you can see what different rough regional dialects are.

Every region has its own dialect and there is no such thing as a "standard dialect" Wink

*KatieH* · January 2010

Mrs.State746:
Nope. Some people think people in Washington have a Canadian accent because we are so close to the boarder but we don't.

lol yes you do! I heard your voice before you totally have an accent.

southernbelle82 · January 2010

I don't think so but when we travel I've had some people say I do have one.

flgator · January 2010

no, and neither does DH. I wish I had a Southern accent; I love hearing them.

emiliemadison · January 2010

I'm sure I do, but I have no idea what it is LOL! I live in the midwest, but people here ask me where I"m from. I grew up on the East Coast, my family is from Europe, and I live in the Midwest and I probably have a weird mix of those. For the most part, I sound like newscasters on national networks (CNN, etc).

But I'm really GOOD at accents, so I can sound like I'm from anywhere. When I travel I end up speaking with a local dialect almost involuntarily.

MrsJuneHawk · January 2010

I do. I am Cuban and I didn't start learning English until I was 14 years old. My accent is not thick, I guess I am good at this sort of stuff, but you can definitely tell I am not a native speaker. Of course, many argue that my accent has been tainted by my husband's British accent and by having lived in the UK.

crzygirl · January 2010

No

kelbrian · January 2010

MrsJuneHawk:
I do. I am Cuban and I didn't start learning English until I was 14 years old. My accent is not thick, I guess I am good at this sort of stuff, but you can definitely tell I am not a native speaker. Of course, many argue that my accent has been tainted by my husband's British accent and by having lived in the UK.

You sound British to me, and I love it! :P

punkfiction_v.3 · January 2010

i sound like im from chicago usually. the only time people mention an accent is when i have chicago A's (bayckpayck, etc). i do not sound southern

boo-bitz · January 2010

I have been told I speak very Canadian when I am on vacation and then by Eastern Canadians I am told I am definately a western Canadian born and bred. Both are not horrible things so meh...

AutumnGirl07 · January 2010

I grew up in Minnesota and have lived in Tennessee for the last 5 years. Depending on who I am talking to and where I am, one of the two accents will come out. And, sometimes my speech is a combination of both.

tmp-354536812503300 · January 2010

punkfiction_v.3:
i sound like im from chicago usually. the only time people mention an accent is when i have chicago A's (bayckpayck, etc). i do not sound southern

OMG would have never thought of you as sounding like you're from Chicago. From now on Punk = Ditka.

Ravings Rabbids · January 2010

My friends who live in California tell me I have a Southern accent, but I don't believe them.

habsoilers · January 2010

*Bre*:
A guy named Labov did an experiment where he went to the equivalent of walmart, macy's and Saks 5th avenue. At the time those were from poorest to richest. He asked where something on the fourth floor was to get the salespeople to pronounce r's and say "fourth floor". He found that in the poorer stores there were fewer r's pronounced and the richer stores there were MORE rs because the r is prestigious. BUT older rich women used the r-less dialect because prior to WWII it was the prestige dialect. When the poorer class tried to adopt the r-less dialect, there was a switch in which was the prestige dialect. In other words the rich people didn't want to sound like the poor people.

Is it sad that I got excited when I started to read this paragraph? I remember it from Socioling.

lisaNov3 · January 2010

no. i pretty much sound like a newscaster.. ha

*Bre* · January 2010

habsoilers:
*Bre*:
A guy named Labov did an experiment where he went to the equivalent of walmart, macy's and Saks 5th avenue. At the time those were from poorest to richest. He asked where something on the fourth floor was to get the salespeople to pronounce r's and say "fourth floor". He found that in the poorer stores there were fewer r's pronounced and the richer stores there were MORE rs because the r is prestigious. BUT older rich women used the r-less dialect because prior to WWII it was the prestige dialect. When the poorer class tried to adopt the r-less dialect, there was a switch in which was the prestige dialect. In other words the rich people didn't want to sound like the poor people.
Is it sad that I got excited when I started to read this paragraph? I remember it from Socioling.

we don't have a sociolinguist in our department, sadly, but I teach a short bit about it in my 110 class. They find it pretty interesting too! I labov.

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