Different American accents

[HellsKitchenmanNYC]

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.

I'm from Rhode Island and I don't recall ever hearing anyone sounding like they're from New York fer sure. A lighter Boston accent depending on where in R.I. Some are heavy.
To me my cousins in Ct. had accents distinct from R.I.

 

[Pendlum]

I guess the Pacific North West doesn't have an 'accent' as far as America is concerned. I've never had anyone say anything about my accent except once, and that was that it had a slight British effect to it, which I'm not sure how true is. But I guess she would know, her mom is British (no idea what part, sorry). I can tell when an accent is southern, but I can't pinpoint where. There aren't many southerners here. The only one I *might* be able to pick up on a bit is TN, since one of my good friends is from there.

Besides the British part, I've been told I have sort of a cute boyish voice.

 

[jason_els]

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

No, never. I'm pretty useless at discerning the accents of other countries except sometimes I can tell when someone is speaking Spanish and they're from Spain. You also came here rather young and you come from a country where multiple languages are taught from the earliest days so I think it's easier for you, and people in similar situations, to hear and repeat other languages in their accents. You weren't given a chance to develop a lazy tongue.

The only reason I know so much about Irish accents is that I've been there a lot and spent much of that time traveling.

 

[Bbucko]

I'm from Rhode Island and I don't recall ever hearing anyone sounding like they're from New York fer sure. A lighter Boston accent depending on where in R.I. Some are heavy.
To me my cousins in Ct. had accents distinct from R.I.

I think it's a Cranston/Johnston thing, but there's a tendency to put an "oo-aw" where it really doesn't belong (bee-loo-aw-nn-g).

 

[pleasureboy]

I'm a linguist and find the accent differences amazing still. Of course as big as the US is and with 3/4 of all English speakers living here, those 60 million souls in blighty have us beat hands down on the number of different (and sometimes WAY different) accents and dialects.

I personally find most upper-midwest accents about as abrasive as two pieces of styrofoam (polystyrene) rubbing together. At the same time, I find some of the South Louisiana accents soooo sexy!

 

[HellsKitchenmanNYC]

I think it's a Cranston/Johnston thing, but there's a tendency to put an "oo-aw" where it really doesn't belong (bee-loo-aw-nn-g).

Cranston vs. Johnston...I just fell on the floor laffing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jason_els]

I'm a linguist and find the accent differences amazing still. Of course as big as the US is and with 3/4 of all English speakers living here, those 60 million souls in blighty have us beat hands down on the number of different (and sometimes WAY different) accents and dialects.

I personally find most upper-midwest accents about as abrasive as two pieces of styrofoam (polystyrene) rubbing together. At the same time, I find some of the South Louisiana accents soooo sexy!

I find Tennessee accents to be the most abrasive. There's nothing mellifluous about it compared to most southern accents I've heard.

 

[Principessa]

I'm from Rhode Island and I don't recall ever hearing anyone sounding like they're from New York fer sure. A lighter Boston accent depending on where in R.I. Some are heavy.
To me my cousins in Ct. had accents distinct from R.I.

Having lived in the Leominster/Fitchburg, MA area for 4.5 years I did learn to discern a Maine from a Boston accent, and a Boston from the rest of Mass accent. Even after living just 30 minutes from Nashua, I couldn't tell the difference between New Hampshire and Vermont though if you paid me. :redface:


fftopic: Why does Cranston, RI always smell like low tide no matter what time of day it is?

 

[prepstudinsc]

Having lived on the west coast (California), the south central US (Tennessee), and the south east (South Carolina) and working in North Carolina, with family from all over New England, I've learned where many of the accents are based. However, many people think that there is just one southern accent--in my state, there are probably at least 5 accents, depending on the part of the state that you live.
The accent where I live is quite distinct from Charleston, which is different from how they speak just below Columbia, SC. These accents are different from ones you will hear in neighboring states of GA, eastern NC, and the mountainous parts of western NC. In Tennessee, the accent in Memphis is radically different than what you will hear in Nashville. I know some Memphians who are almost unintelligble when they speak.

My family in Connecticut speak with more of a southern Massachusetts accent, because they live on the boder of the two states, yet I know people from southern CT that have a different accent, as do people from Boston, Rhode Island and places just 40 or 50 miles away.

 

[jason_els]

It's really strange but my nephew has a Vermont accent despite the fact neither of his parents do. It seems he was born with it and he's only 5! Neither of his parents have figured out how he got it.

 

[pleasureboy]

What most people call a Southern Accent is actually an Appalachian one. Most Southern Accents are fairly neutral. Of course that Carolina thing with "pee-cann piiiie" and "swate tay" is crazy (not bad, jut crazy)

 

[brainyb86]

Lets not forget us Minnesoootans. Everybody thinks we over pronounce our O's. But yah sure you betcha. Cant disagree with yah there. Though were pretty good at controling it.

 

[JustAsking]

This is all very interesting. I am from Southeastern Connecticut, but have live elsewhere since I was 19. My family back home sounds like they are from Long Island. My accent has been flattened by my time in Upstate NY, Central NY, and now Ohio.

I do think that there is an RI accent from the Cranston area. Not to mentioni the French Canadian influence around the Woonsocket area (which causes it to be pronounced woon-sock-ETT by some).

I also lived in Medford, MA, and then for a long time just south of Lowell, MA. There is a distinct Medford/Somerville accent, and there is a distinct Billerica accent. And then there are the Tappet Brothers on NPR. That is much closer in to the city. "Don't drive like my brothah!"

Has anyone ever experienced the far Upstate NY accent from the countryside?

Here is something Stronzo would appreciate.

And something for Jason.

 

[HellsKitchenmanNYC]

Good post JustAsking...I feel my accent has hit the road alot since moving to NYC and taking many acting classes but I still have t watch it all the time, if I go back home for a weekend or talk on the phone 2 hrs w/my old school pal Lori I end up sounding once again like the Missing Kennedy!

 

[bigbull29]

Western Pennsylvania has a distinct accent, as does Eastern Pennsylvania. I can spot a Western Pennsylvanian a mile away.

Minnesota and Wisconsin have a distinct accent helped along by their Scandinavian ancestors.

 

[HellsKitchenmanNYC]

Western Pennsylvania has a distinct accent, as does Eastern Pennsylvania. I can spot a Western Pennsylvanian a mile away.

Minnesota and Wisconsin have a distinct accent helped along by their Scandinavian ancestors.

One of my best friends, I call her my lil' sis, is from Wisconsin. She has almost no accent, in fact you'd have to search for it to hear it. When her friends and family visit here...THEN we hear it. It''s kinda charming tho with a tinge of Chicago.

 

[Principessa]

Lets not forget us Minnesoootans. Everybody thinks we over pronounce our O's. But yah sure you betcha. Cant disagree with yah there. Though were pretty good at controling it.

Why does Sarah Palin sound like she is from Minnesota when she lives in Alaska? Is that how all Alaskans sound?

 

[Bbucko]

I also lived in Medford, MA, and then for a long time just south of Lowell, MA. There is a distinct Medford/Somerville accent, and there is a distinct Billerica accent. And then there are the Tappet Brothers on NPR. That is much closer in to the city. "Don't drive like my brothah!"

Great ear for subtlety, JA :biggrin1:

My sister's partner is from Malden and has a very distinct Medford/Everett sound to her voice as opposed to my sister, whose voice is pure South Shore (we grew up in Weymouth). There are real differences in their accents.

 

[pleasureboy]

Is that how all Alaskans sound?

All Alaskans sound stupid?

 

[jason_els]

Has anyone ever experienced the far Upstate NY accent from the countryside?

Of course! It's like a Vermont accent only less broad. There's a clip in it. Did it sound like that to you?

I'm in the Hudson Valley, famous for it's non-accent, heh.

Here is something Stronzo would appreciate.

The Locust Valley Lockjaw as documented by Lisa Birnbaum in The Preppy Handbook.

And something for Jason.

For me??