Different American accents

[DaveyR]

As an Englishman (sort of some would say being a Geordie ) I can often work out to with a few miles where in England someone is from by their accent.

Years ago I thought all Scots sounded the same until I lived in various parts of Scotland over about a 9 year period. Now I can clearly make out an accent from Glasgow, Edinbugh, Aberdeen, Inverness etc. Some of these place are not that far apart. Glasgow and Edinburgh are around 40 miles apart for example but very different.

I struggle though with American accents. I can just about tell apart an East or West coast accent and a southern accent. Those of you in the US can you pin point an accent quite closely? Or do the accents vary less over greater distances by comparison to the UK?

 

[Alaboner]

Accents vary a lot.

I was often teased when I lived in California for my cajun accent. I was originally from Louisiana. You can usually tell a New Englander apart and those on the west coast speak in a way considered average I spose.

 

[B_Dustydo]

I've talked with several Americans through the wonders of Yahoo and I was so surprised by the difference in the accents (of which I find all enchanting) but I do have to say that the Southern accents are my favorite.

 

[drumstyck]

i can distinguish a North New Jersey accent from a Central New Jersey accent from a Southern New Jersey accent.

 

[Principessa]

I have always had a keen ear for accents. I was fortunate to have a job where I traveled the US for four years. So I have no problem pinpointing an accent to a region. In some cases I can even pinpoint a southern accent to the state.

Even though I have known him for a year there are still times when I have trouble understanding Tex. It's cause he was born and raised in Texas and moved to Georgia when he was like 15. The mix of the two dialects is often confusing for me. :redface:

i can distinguish a North New Jersey accent from a Central New Jersey accent from a Southern New Jersey accent.

As can I. The stereotypical Joisey accent is north Jersey and really just a bastardized Brooklyn/Bronx accent. That's cause many fled those areas in the late 60's after the riots and came to NJ.

 

[Industrialsize]

Come to Boston and listen to the accents of the working class folk..........It's wicked Pissah!(My favorite local colloquialism).......And having lived in this area since 1975 I've acquired it. I used to speak proper Connecticut.

 

[798686]

I love hearing different American accents. Met quite a few Americans over the years from this church I was in.

I can tell major differences apart now. New York seems easy to spot, and Arkansas/Bible belty ones too. Plus south/Louisiana.

From a British point of view, the North-East USA accents sounds the most Europeanised, I think. Mid-west and south the least, I guess. Fascinating tho.

 

[DaveyR]

I'm getting the vibe that you guys can distiguish an accent pretty closely like we can in the UK.

Maybe it becomes easier to distinguish the more time you spend in a Country.

 

[D_Relentless Original]

As an Englishman (sort of some would say being a Geordie ) I can often work out to with a few miles where in England someone is from by their accent.


Wayayman, i love geordie accents, my ex used to say filem for film. sexy accent davey.

I like the american deep south accents.

 

[DaveyR]

Wayayman, i love geordie accents, my ex used to say filem for film. sexy accent davey.

My other half says "fillum" not "film" :biggrin1: Our accents are so very different yet we grew up 15 miles apart.

 

[quercusone]

Just in the south, I can think of 15 or so distinct accents.....Georgia accent, Alabama/ Mississippi, Louisiana, New Orleans has 3 distinct accents, East Texas Twang (my accent), West Texas twang.....the list goes on.....

 

[Countryguy63]

I'm all messed up, lol. Was born in Texas, mainly raised in California. My Grandparents who I spent a lot of time with in my younger years, were transplants from Kentucky and Oklahoma. I've got a southern twang to my speaking and am always getting asked where I'm from.

Out of fear of being teased when I was a kid, I learned to conciously tone it down. As I got older and didn't care what people thought, I just talked natural. Now, when I go down south to visit family and friends for any length of time, I come back with a strong accent, lol.

 

[Bbucko]

Come to Boston and listen to the accents of the working class folk..........It's wicked Pissah!(My favorite local colloquialism).......And having lived in this area since 1975 I've acquired it. I used to speak proper Connecticut.

New England has many accents, including working-class Boston, High-Yankee (Kate Hepburn or Bette Davis) and DownEast (Maine). What I never understood is how Rhode Island manages to sound very New York when most of it's less than an hour's drive from Boston.

Connecticut, for whatever reason, has no accent of its own (aside from ten or so ancient Yankees who'll be dead very soon). FWIW, an Aussie friend, having heard me for the first time on Skype about three years ago, said I sound like the love child of Lauren Bacall and Ted Kennedy.

 

[798686]

Bbucko - I agree about the Rhode Island thing! I know a bloke from there and he sounds like he's from the Bronx or something, lol.

Question for the Americans: Can you guys tell the difference between British accents at all? Irish is pretty distinct, and cockney - but Welsh, Scottish, Liverpudlian, Geordie (Newcastle) , Brummy (Brimingham) and Mancunian all sound pretty different too.

 

[Principessa]

Bbucko - I agree about the Rhode Island thing! I know a bloke from there and he sounds like he's from the Bronx or something, lol.

Question for the Americans: Can you guys tell the difference between British accents at all? Irish is pretty distinct, and cockney - but Welsh, Scottish, Liverpudlian, Geordie (Newcastle) , Brummy (Brimingham) and Mancunian all sound pretty different too.

No, but that's probably because other than two, 6 hour layovers at Heathrow I've not spent anytime in England.:redface: I've always been able to tell English from Irish, from a Scottish accent. Like most Americans, I recognize Cockney from "My Fair Lady." As for Welsh, Liverpudlian, Geordie (Newcastle) , Brummy (Brimingham) and Mancunian. I have no clue, I don't even know where those cities/regions are.

 

[D_Relentless Original]

Strange how the different parts of England have different terminologies. I was in Newcastle long ago and asked this waitress for a burger on a muffin, she hit the roof and nearly duffed me up. Muffins from my town are breadrolls, muffins in Newcastle are only known as fannies.

 

[2322]

Bbucko - I agree about the Rhode Island thing! I know a bloke from there and he sounds like he's from the Bronx or something, lol.

Question for the Americans: Can you guys tell the difference between British accents at all? Irish is pretty distinct, and cockney - but Welsh, Scottish, Liverpudlian, Geordie (Newcastle) , Brummy (Brimingham) and Mancunian all sound pretty different too.

I'm pretty good at it. I can tell regions well, can separate Welsh from Scots instantly. Liverpool is very easy to spot as is Yorkshire. The southern accent variants give me the most trouble. I can also spot accent by class fairly well. I've gotten to be pretty good with Irish accents as well. County Claire, Cork, Galway, Ulster, Dublin, and others are quite clear to me. I'd love to hear Manx and Channel Islander accent; not sure I ever have.

 

[DaveyR]

I've gotten to be pretty good with Irish accents as well. County Claire, Cork, Galway, Ulster, Dublin, and others are quite clear to me. I'd love to hear Manx and Channel Islander accent; not sure I ever have.

Well you are well ahead of me on that one Jason. I can tell to difference between a Dublin and Belfast accent and that's about it for me when it comes to Irish accents :redface:

 

[DaveyR]

Strange how the different parts of England have different terminologies. I was in Newcastle long ago and asked this waitress for a burger on a muffin, she hit the roof and nearly duffed me up. Muffins from my town are breadrolls, muffins in Newcastle are only known as fannies.

Hence why "Muffin the mule" never really took off in the North East :smile:

 

[nudeyorker]

I'm pretty good at it. I can tell regions well, can separate Welsh from Scots instantly. Liverpool is very easy to spot as is Yorkshire. The southern accent variants give me the most trouble. I can also spot accent by class fairly well. I've gotten to be pretty good with Irish accents as well. County Claire, Cork, Galway, Ulster, Dublin, and others are quite clear to me. I'd love to hear Manx and Channel Islander accent; not sure I ever have.

OK Jason, you know where I'm from, would you have guessed If I had not told you?