Accents in the USA

[Skullmiester]

Where I live in the north east of England accents are very different for people who live as little as 10 miles apart. You can tell which town some people are from instantly when having a conversation.

Is it like this also over in the USA?

 

[Fletch]

Where I live in the north east of England accents are very different for people who live as little as 10 miles apart. You can tell which town some people are from instantly when having a conversation.

Is it like this also over in the USA?

I don’t really think so. Though it does change a bit from state to state.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Where I live in the north east of England accents are very different for people who live as little as 10 miles apart. You can tell which town some people are from instantly when having a conversation.

Is it like this also over in the USA?

I live in New England (hah Connecticut, but NYC suburbs) and I have a southern accent. Lets just say, I get several comments when I meet new people.

Actually, when I first started working in the financial district as a senior infrastructure engineer back around 2008. Some of my peers (that I had just met) would initially judged me by my accent thinking I was some backwoods uneducated ignorant southern moron. That stereotype doesn't last long. I don't hold ignorance against people. Though I do hold stupidity against them.

 

[CouchCoach]

I live in New England (hah Connecticut, but NYC suburbs) and I have a southern accent. Lets just say, I get several comments when I meet new people.

Actually, when I first started working in the financial district as a senior infrastructure engineer back around 2008. Some of my peers (that I had just met) would initially judged me by my accent thinking I was some backwoods uneducated ignorant southern moron. That stereotype doesn't last long. I don't hold ignorance against people. Though I do hold stupidity against them.

I am just the opposite because ignorance can be fixed.

 

[CouchCoach]

Where I live in the north east of England accents are very different for people who live as little as 10 miles apart. You can tell which town some people are from instantly when having a conversation.

Is it like this also over in the USA?

Love accents of all types except the Midwest accent because it isn't one, that's the radio accent. First thing we did in radio is train the accent out of the jock and they all sounded Midwestern.

Over here, the English accent gets you blokes the nod for being smarter than we are just based on that, it's really funny. And like Sam mentioned, a thick Southern accent is a sure sign of ignorance and in breeding.

Where the American accent gets tricky is in the South from the Texas drawl to the South Carolina drawl, it differs from TX to LA to AL to GA to SC but not within the short distance like you are describing.

 

[CF74]

People from NY and TX speak very differently as do people from Wisconsin. Those are three very distinct accents you can tell apart, it’s quite comical and annoying at the same time....

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I live in New England (hah Connecticut, but NYC suburbs) and I have a southern accent. Lets just say, I get several comments when I meet new people.

Actually, when I first started working in the financial district as a senior infrastructure engineer back around 2008. Some of my peers (that I had just met) would initially judged me by my accent thinking I was some backwoods uneducated ignorant southern moron. That stereotype doesn't last long. I don't hold ignorance against people. Though I do hold stupidity against them.

I'll vouch for you...


I don't think you're backwoods at all.

 

[CouchCoach]

People from NY and TX speak very differently as do people from Wisconsin. Those are three very distinct accents you can tell apart, it’s quite comical and annoying at the same time....

Especially with all 3 in the same conversation. And toss a Canadian in there just for fun, eh?

 

[CF74]

Especially with all 3 in the same conversation. And toss a Canadian in there just for fun, eh?

Take off hoser...

 

[timb2]

Where I live in the north east of England accents are very different for people who live as little as 10 miles apart. You can tell which town some people are from instantly when having a conversation.

Is it like this also over in the USA?

Yes the accents change. In the Northeast it is fast in places like New York,Philadelphia,and Boston...In the South it is slow and almost sounds like they are singing to you,but Texas is different from Tennessee....West places like LA is different from Denver......Accents also change because of the heritage of that person. I am sure you have seen "Fargo" and YAH!! That is North Dakota Swedish and German influence. New York it's "Yeh" possibly Italian influence....In Tennesee it is "Yeeeaaahhh".Most likely Scottish..It is all over the place.

 

[Roadtrip635]

Love accents of all types except the Midwest accent because it isn't one, that's the radio accent. First thing we did in radio is train the accent out of the jock and they all sounded Midwestern.

Over here, the English accent gets you blokes the nod for being smarter than we are just based on that, it's really funny. And like Sam mentioned, a thick Southern accent is a sure sign of ignorance and in breeding.

Where the American accent gets tricky is in the South from the Texas drawl to the South Carolina drawl, it differs from TX to LA to AL to GA to SC but not within the short distance like you are describing.

There are different southern accents within Texas too, the central/south TX drawl is different from east TX and different from north TX.

 

[CouchCoach]

There are different southern accents within Texas too, the central/south TX drawl is different from east TX and different from north TX.

North TX is New York. I remember when the great move in from New Yawkers took place with the relocation of several corporations beginning with American Airlines, didn't take long to bring some of their culture with them. Had a bunch of good ole boys asking each other "w t f is a deli"? And eying those pregnant sugarless donuts.

About that time, the I Love NY campaign started and some enterprising young Texan had bumper/window stickers made, "Love NY? Take I-30 East". Saw quite a few of those around Dallas but my favorite was made by a young guy in Plano in response to the "My Child Is An Honor Student", which was created in Plano. He made two, the first one was "My Kid Can Beat Up Your Honor Student" but the second was my favorite, "My Kid Went to School 3 Days in a Row".

 

[Roadtrip635]

Especially with all 3 in the same conversation. And toss a Canadian in there just for fun, eh?

It gets more fun throwing in multiple languages. Years ago I dated a Finnish girl and we were talking with her parents, who spoke very limited English, but her father did speak Spanish. I'm speaking to her father in Spanish, to my GF in English and she's speaking to her mom in Finnish. I was learning a bit of Finnish, but only speak/pick up bits and pieces of those conversations. Then her brother joined in the conversation and decided to speak Swedish and that got me totally confused.

 

[GMO415]

Where I live in the north east of England accents are very different for people who live as little as 10 miles apart. You can tell which town some people are from instantly when having a conversation.

Is it like this also over in the USA?

Yes. I was born in Cali but people think I'm from Louisiana because I picked up the accent from my folks.

 

[CouchCoach]

Yes. I was born in Cali but people think I'm from Louisiana because I picked up the accent from my folks.

You are our resident Calicoonass.

 

[Skullmiester]

It's fascinating reading all of your replies lads and lasses. I've always been interested in accents, migration and pretty much anything historical so I'm learning loads on here.

I can pick a new york accent and southern accent but I've clearly got alot to learn.

Over here you can tell pretty quickly if someone is from Sunderland or Newcastle and these cities are only 15 miles apart. There is also a place called Ashington near to me where the people who live there have there very own accent from the rest of the UK which is pretty mad.

 

[Roadtrip635]

It's fascinating reading all of your replies lads and lasses. I've always been interested in accents, migration and pretty much anything historical so I'm learning loads on here.

I can pick a new york accent and southern accent but I've clearly got alot to learn.

Over here you can tell pretty quickly if someone is from Sunderland or Newcastle and these cities are only 15 miles apart. There is also a place called Ashington near to me where the people who live there have there very own accent from the rest of the UK which is pretty mad.

Talking with that Finnish GF would lead to some confusion with the accents. I was going to change the oil in my car and she asked what I was going to do the next day. I told her I was going to change the "ol" in my car. She asks the "old" what. I say the "ol", she asks again the old what? I tell her the 'ol "ol", she looks at me very confused and asks the "old old"? I'm like what? It was like an Abbott and Costello routine. It finally clicked and say the old "oyl" and she's laughing and asked why I just didn't say that from the beginning......I thought I had?

 

[CF74]

There are different southern accents within Texas too, the central/south TX drawl is different from east TX and different from north TX.

Excellent point, I forgot most people that grew up in South TX between San Antonio and Brownsville have a Latin accent...

 

[Skullmiester]

I live in New England (hah Connecticut, but NYC suburbs) and I have a southern accent. Lets just say, I get several comments when I meet new people.

Actually, when I first started working in the financial district as a senior infrastructure engineer back around 2008. Some of my peers (that I had just met) would initially judged me by my accent thinking I was some backwoods uneducated ignorant southern moron. That stereotype doesn't last long. I don't hold ignorance against people. Though I do hold stupidity against them.

It's the reverse in the UK, those in the South tend to look down on us Northerners. In general we might not be as wealthy but the North of the UK is far more friendlier I would say.

 

[CowboyStar88]

Not really an accent, but here in CA it’s easy to know when someone is from NorCal when they use the word “hella”.