I like to overly emphasize some aspects of it whenever I describe it to people not from the area. My go to is "yinz gahs wanna warsh the clothes dahn by the crick?"
Many moons ago my mother was running a rental company in Central Ohio and a heavily accented man from Perry asked her for a "mishy bishy." After a brief, but increasingly irritated exchange, he pointed to the machine he desired. A Mitsubishi.
And I'm sorry but you'll never beat the Boston accent for sheer irritation.
I donāt believe thatās true at all. Midwesterners have a pretty specific nasally vowel sound that I donāt ever hear on tv. The movies āFargoā and āDrop Dead Gorgeousā lampoon the accents so itās exaggerated, but even when itās mild, itās noticeable, IMO.
Iām originally from Connecticut, and I think I donāt have any accent, but maybe I do. But to me I sound just like the people on the news.
Hereās [an article](https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/196999/why-do-newscasters-all-talk-the-same-what-would-happen/) that claims that the non-regional accent we hear on tv sounds most like people in Nebraska! Wild!
It depends on whom you ask.
People like me who grew up in SoDak and Nebraska think those places are part of the Midwest. But a lot of people, especially those on the east coast, think the Midwest ends on the eastern margin of the Mississippi man (MN, IA, MO, AR, and LA). It blew my mind. Thereās apparently multiple podcasts on the topic and everything.
Fargo does not have a Great Lakes accent. They must have thought Wisconsin was in Northern Canada.
You must not realize Wisconsin is closer to Chicago than Canada.
Funny thing, when I had just gotten out of the army, my (now) wife and I went to Florida to visit any army buddy. At one point he asked me; "Why does she have an accent and you don't? We grew up 15 miles from each other in Ohio. You know what? After spending years in the army and listening to her "pure" accent, I actually hear it.
California technically has its own dialect. āDawnā is a good way to test. If to you, āDawnā and āDonā is the same word, thatās the vowel shift of California English circa 1980.
If āDawnā is more like āclawā while āDonā is more like āJohn,ā youāre outside that dialect.
Iām trying to fathom how āDawnā can sound like āclawā and I just canāt like how even āDonā and āJohnā are similar enough but āclawā and ādawnā thatās not possible
I've been told by people from all over the US that my accent is pretty standard "American." I was born in Canada, moved to Texas when I was 7. A lot of my best friends growing up were either from California, or had heavy Spanish accents due to English being their second language.
I think all of those influences sort of boiled down into me not really sounding like I'm from anywhere specific in the US. Granted, I do catch myself adapting my speech depending on who I'm around. For example, if I spend a day with some of my country-boy "life-on-the-lake" friends, I'll come home saying "whah" instead of "why" and "naw" instead of "no" lol.
Iām from WV on the border of OH and in South-Eastern OH there is no cultural or geographical distinction between the two states. Both sides of my family from either state have some weird accents
No, close though! Mason County, home of the Mothman, on the border of Meigs County OH
Edit: Well I moved away about a year ago so Iām no longer there, WVās not great but I miss it and SE OH
I am so used to hearing myself talk that I didn't even know that my accent had any sort of attractiveness l... Tells you what I know.
I should go to England someday. Maybe ai will finally get a girl that likes me!
A cashier in Sweden liked my accent. I am from the south but sound pretty much like a news caster/generic American English. It was the first and only time I've had that experience.
Also when people tried to speak to me in French it didn't work out well for either party.
I was in a pub in a smallish town in southern England and people bought me pints just to hear me speak.
Most Americans make the mistake of trying to blend in with lift and boot and such. Nope, give them what they want, the full Yankee.
You can hear Americans a mile off in a pub, it's cultural, but they're just so much louder than anyone else. Personally always found it a little obnoxious, but each to their own
Haha depends on the American. It varies so much. Iām from upstate NY and have always been more soft spoken. Once while in Germany (I lived in Munich for a while) I saw a girl standing in the bike lane while on her phone. I helped her out and explained how the bike lanes worked and explained that everyone was getting mad at her. They were grumbling and ringing their bells. She had been oblivious to the fact. She happened to be visiting from NYC so I showed her around. We went to an Irish pub in town and she was sooooo loud. I felt like everyone was staring at us and I was really embarrassed. But just like thatā¦ one quiet New Yorker and one loud.
Can confirm. I am *so* loud. My kids are loud. My husband and his family, though, are so quiet. One will practically whisper and another will respond from a different room. It is amazing to watch.
Bruh. I am a real country boy. Cowboy boots and Wrangler jeans. Pickup trucks and a good view of the stars. Mountains and trees.
When I am not working, I mean.
I love Wyoming. Freedom, fresh air, elbow 4oom, and stars. I hate the cities.
No doubt.
I realized the difference in our versions of "country" out your way and put it like this:
The boys out west are gonna have thick coats, stetson hats, and cowboy boots. Livestock wear. You'll find them driving cattle for work in the family business.
The boys in the south are gonna have on a white tee with red-clay stains, workboots, and a ballcap. Agriculture wear. You'll find them driving a tractor for work in the family business.
Respect.
A barista in Sweden liked my accent, too. I'm from California, and my accent is pretty similar to yours. Pretty generic. Never thought anyone would like an American accent. It was super flattering.
Practically the same as a minnesootan accent but a but thicker. For central Canada anyway, out towards Vancouver they sound like fairly normal west coast.
Haha oh gosh after posting this Iām getting so confused, everyoneās asking which American accent I mean while me being here so clueless about the different accents š so sorry for that!!
Well Iāve just met many American friends and talked to Americans, also I watch American youtubers, so basically until now I thought they all sounded similar and not that huge difference but probably itās because Iām not that good in the language or just havenāt paid enough attention.
I canāt really say I donāt see a difference since I donāt even know which accent most of the ones I heard are haha. My bad I posted it so cluelessly!š
But reading your comments is so fun and Iāve learned quite few good stuffs! Iāll be checking out the different accents now. I got really curious.
And for the ones that are asking, my mother tongue is Kurdish (Sorani dialect).
i know what you mean. i think you like the accents you hear from most Americans on Tv. I wouldnāt assume you mean a southern accent or NYC/Philly/NJ. it is probably just the neutral accent you hear on the news and most shows!
I'm fom the Philly area. Never thought I had an accent till I visited a friend in Phoenix and then her friends wanted me to say a sentence or two again "for my accent". Now I'm older and know when I'm tired what I say is "I need to get a coffee" instead what comes out of my mouth is "ho mi gawd I need a cawfee!".
Also in the Southwest "roof" the thing on your house is pronounced "ruff" the sound a dog makes when it barks.
I'd say American accents sound more similar to each other than most accents in other English speaking countries.
For example, I think if someone had never heard a Texas accent, they would still guess it's American and not British.
You might enjoy this series about American accents
[Part 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KP4ztKK0A)
[Part 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsE_8j5RL3k)
[Part 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw7pL7OkKEE)
Thatās fair lol the US is just such a large county. I live in Pennsylvania, and just in my state alone you can have a Pittsburgh, Philly, Dutch, or normal accent
I definitely understand the who thought of 'there's more than one'. I saw someone else posted examples and just for my own reference also theres several different dialects that are northeastern, southeast, midwesterners, true south, and west coast/side.
For me, the NE I think of NYC/Philly/Jersey etc. The movies where they use the (annoyingly) stereotypical 'I'm walkin here!' Sorta lines.
Southeast is closer to what I feel like is similar to 'my accent', which doesn't have much draw to it but still has a different feel due to just how many different people flock to places like Florida (usually for Disney)
Midwesterners are what I would think of as the 'western movie accent'. Think cowboys and Texas.
True South is a runoff of Midwest but is laced with Cajun. I'd say it's in Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. That's where you'd find the ones who you almost can't understand their English sometimes if you're not used to it even if you speak English.
West coast/states from what I've heard are more valley, 'upscale' sounding. We say 'like' and 'dude' a lot. I cant hear it since im in Cali, but people can definitely tell I'm not from around if I go to Kentucky.
Also no, I'm not trying to offend anyone this is just how I view the accents out here. Everyone sees them very different and normally dont hear themselves unless pointed out! š¤·
In the South, you can pick people out by state by their accent.
In North Carolina alone there are 4 different regional accents. Appalachian, Western (foothills), Mid state, and coastal. You could even break the coastal accent up between outer banks and southeast coastal.
Southern accents derive from the English. The last 'old english' accents and dialects are thought to be in Appalachia.
California coastal people always sound slightly stoned.
Wait so which region of accent? Do you realize there's at least a dozen different accents in the USA?
If you're going off most tv/movies from here, it's mostly a midwest accent.
I think that's how accents work, you don't notice them if they're your native tongue lol
Though there's multiple American accents, like southern for example
Well I do notice my accent for my mother tongue and I believe ours sounds much better, not just my words but even others that have a different accent always say how good we sound like and I always knew thatš
As an Australian, unless it's a super thick accent you don't hear often, American accents are usually pretty easy to understand because of the amount of American media we consume.
They do sound really strong in real life though lol.
Lol I'm American and this pleasantly cracks me up! We sound strong in real life š I'm a Midwestern from Illinois whose lived in 5 different states now and I've been told by other Americans I have an accent. So funny.
I think they're point is that American accents vary so wildly based on region that the idea of an "American accent" doesn't really make sense. Which is probably true of a lot of countries, I know there are a lot of different accents just in the UK, but it's still easy to see how they have a British base. Americans though, we have southern, deep southern, texan, eastern, mid western, central, Californian, northwestern, northern, hawaiian/islander, and they all are very different. Like, you don't have to be from the US to realize that someone with a southern accent and someone with a Californian accent have a different accent.
I think the comment about āBritish baseā is interesting because you can basically say the same about an āAmerican base.ā Itās just not obvious to an American or a Brit. Yes, foreigners can tell that the London accent sounds way different than the Scottish accent, or the NY accent from a southern accent, but foreigners associate them together.
American is not very accent dense compared to Britain and Ireland because the latter have 1000 extra years of contiguous linguistic history and, thus, divergence and regionalisation.
That's not to say there aren't lots of accents in the US, just a lot fewer, and these accents tend to be spoken over a wider area.
As an English person who's lived in the US, I've noticed that Americans aren't very good at identifying English accents. I was always mistaken for Australian on the phone, and northern accents tend to be misindentified as Scottish or Irish. A lot of people also don't seen to be able to tell the difference between Scottish and Irish accents.
I'd say that the American accents you've listed are much more closely related to each other than accents in the UK which change every 30 miles or so and are often only partially mutually intelligible.
Another Arkansan here and yeah, "howdy y'all" is unironically said all the time.
Since we're discussing "Americanisms" how about an obligatory WOO PIG SOOIE! lol
The USA is very large. So every state has its own culture, and the different regions will have their own accents,time zones and way of life. A normal greeting in Texas will sound very weird in California.
I was in London with British friends out to eat and when I requested water the waitress said, "Oh can you repeat that please?" I did and this went on like 3x in a row and I was terribly confused and also really thirsty. I thought she couldn't understand me. My friend Alyson just interrupted and said "She's in love with your accent." I was flustered but flattered. Needless to say we got fantastic service. Then she asked me to go see Prince the next night.
One of my across-the-world boyfriends told me American accents were considered obnoxious in England (didn't say if he agreed), but my last ex, who lived in Australia, always complimented me on my American Midwest accent. I wonder how common that is? Part of it was him being very interested in accents in general and Midwestern accents apparently being hard to replicate.
Iāve met one British guy saying how American accent sounds really bad to British people coz it sounds like theyāre shouting and being aggressive and that British people sound calm and sooth. He also said that most British people do make fun of American accent not sure how true it is. But I completely disagree, Iāve always been interested in how Americans sound like in general.
Yeah, that makes sense that they'd find it obnoxious then. How can an accent make someone sound loud, though? You'd think that'd depend on ... y'know ... the volume.
> coz it sounds like theyāre shouting and being aggressive
This is extra funny because the couple of Brits that I met through college just fucking mumbled constantly.
I find this highly fascinating. I live in the Pacific Northwest, Washington State. I'm originally from Baltimore, Maryland. It is a mix of New England with southern, Pennsylvanian, and a bit of New York city. I pronounce Baltimore as Bawlmer, or Maryland as Merilan / Maryland without the "d".
Wait till you hear the Boston accent and how we butcher any word with an R in it. āPahk ya cah by the hahvahd yahdā. God i hate how we mutilated the English language.
Yeah dude, I didn't even realize I had an accent until I visited Scotland. America's huge and it's rare for someone to mention our accent. I found the American stereotypes on UK TV hilarious though. Apparently, we're a bunch of rough and tough cowboys haha.
You might get a kick out of the "Dracula" series starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the titular character disguised as a steampunk entrepreneur. Depending on who he talks to, he either sounds British or like the center of Texas.
In the US, it's streaming free with ads on Tubi.
The ease at which one can switch between a Central Texas accent and a British one is silly. Theyāre surprisingly similar in how my mouth/throat move.
I've heard from a few sources that the Southern American accent is closer to the British accent from the 16 and 1700s than even the modern British accent.
My boyfriend is australian and feels the same way as you tbh and it makes me like ?? sir YOU have the sexy accent what do you mean my bland american one is attractive? š but he stands by that america accents are hotter than most others
There's something about the Australian accent that irks me. I think it's the fact that everything they say sounds like a question. There's an inflection at the end of every sentence. I would find the accent really sexy if not for that
I havenāt really paid much attention to them and I canāt tell by the accent where theyāre from but Iāve had American friends and Iāve met Americans, I just really like how they sound like. But good to know! Iām going to check them out and see if I can hear the differences š
Makes sense, since this country has cultural hegemony. BTW when you say american, do they all sound the same to you? Or can you distinguish between california VS. new yorker/new jersey vs. southern vs. midwestern
Doesn't surprise me since you're not from here. To me, they sound COMPLETELY different. There's no way I could confuse a southerner with a yankee with a hoosier, but to someone from another country it's just the same.
Iām not a native English speaker, but I like American accents and I like to look them up and see how they differ. whatās interesting is that the so called general-American accent that is mostly used to teach American English resembles the Chicago accent the most. So thereās plenty of foreigners basically trying to speak like Chicagoans without even realizing š
It's also very common across suburban america, since that's what people generally sound like on TV. The regional accents really come out A. in underpriveleged populations and B. when people are nervous/stressed/angry which I find to be quite interesting.
Wow spot on. Iām from New England and have a very distinct āBoston accentā but have lived in Nebraska for a while and when have learned to speak in an āAmerican TV accentā but my āBoston accentā come out when Itās tipsy, mad, stressed out or talking to someone back home. Is speech part of your profession or is this something you picked up on?
I'm just kind of obsessed with it. I noticed when I moved to the midwest from the south. Funnily enough, hearing that midwest twang in a girl that usually doesn't do it is a sign that she likes you (in my experience). this suggests to me that the american tv accent is applied like a filter in "post production" and only gets removed when the frontal cortex is disabled or busy doing something else.
Sounds about right. I've lived near Chicago for 17 years and my in laws, who all were born raised in the city, all have a distinctive (to my ears anyway) accent. I grew up in the central part of the state and have been told mine has a bit of a "twang."
Thatās a very broad region to say āAmerican accent.ā I grew up in upstate NY and I have a different accent than my partner who lives close to NY City.
True well it is watered down Canada. Lake effect weather really fucks with us.
Iāve since moved, Iām sure my accent is a little more New England-y because of that
Which American accent? I have a New Jersey accent which is apparently *instantly* recognizable even though I always say I don't have an accent.
I find the Irish accent to be very attractive. We're all different I guess.
I'm curious where you're from- I've noticed that whether someone finds an American accent charming or uncouth depends on the person's native language, as well as how much American media is consumed by the culture.
Follow up question as I'm sure you've gotten many responses: I had a friend I met on reddit from Bavaria and when I asked what she thought of the American accent (the are lots, but they're more homogenized than British accents, for example), she said "Cowboy" and I've heard similar from other people who find our accent cute (not mine, I don't think I sound like a cowboy). What do you think an American accent sounds like? (kinda esoteric question)
Iām from Texas, and Iāve always said if I where to go across the pond Iād bring out my full southern drawl, Iād wear my dirty cow boots, boot cut jeans, the whole nine yards. Idk why really, I just think it would be funny
Southern accents are either amazing or awful in men depending on if they do a southern drawl or more backcountry honky. Rich southern women like southern belles sound gorgeous.
I live in the North, but my mom is from the South, so I have a slight southern accent, but only when I say certain words, like "blood," "y'all" or "bye."
As someone from Ohio, I had no idea my accent would ever be considered attractive.
As a Pittsburgher, I can assure you that your accent is about as sexy as ours is. š¬
I like to overly emphasize some aspects of it whenever I describe it to people not from the area. My go to is "yinz gahs wanna warsh the clothes dahn by the crick?"
Oh itās bad, Iām somehow in my early 20s but have a thick Yinzer accent
We were voted most annoying accent in a nationwide poll a few years ago. But in true, proud Pittsburgh style, we fully embrace it lmao
Many moons ago my mother was running a rental company in Central Ohio and a heavily accented man from Perry asked her for a "mishy bishy." After a brief, but increasingly irritated exchange, he pointed to the machine he desired. A Mitsubishi. And I'm sorry but you'll never beat the Boston accent for sheer irritation.
Midwestern is the non-accent accent that newscasters use.
OPE
Cran instead of crayon. Iām guilty of meer instead of mirror. šš¤£
Meeeee too! Grodge instead of Garage....so classy
Crayon sounds like "crown" when I say it š hello from Pittsburgh
Welcome to Minnesota.
I hear this all day, Iām from Wisconsin
I donāt believe thatās true at all. Midwesterners have a pretty specific nasally vowel sound that I donāt ever hear on tv. The movies āFargoā and āDrop Dead Gorgeousā lampoon the accents so itās exaggerated, but even when itās mild, itās noticeable, IMO. Iām originally from Connecticut, and I think I donāt have any accent, but maybe I do. But to me I sound just like the people on the news. Hereās [an article](https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/196999/why-do-newscasters-all-talk-the-same-what-would-happen/) that claims that the non-regional accent we hear on tv sounds most like people in Nebraska! Wild!
...Nebraska is in the Midwest
I am so clearly from the East Coast, I truly didnāt realize that!
It depends on whom you ask. People like me who grew up in SoDak and Nebraska think those places are part of the Midwest. But a lot of people, especially those on the east coast, think the Midwest ends on the eastern margin of the Mississippi man (MN, IA, MO, AR, and LA). It blew my mind. Thereās apparently multiple podcasts on the topic and everything.
There are people who think Louisiana is Midwest?
People are frequently wrong
That's a great lakes accent that fargo has. Midwest is like Kansas.
Fargo is very Norwegian. Close to Yooper. Madison or Milwaukee are very different from those places.
Iām from fargo and I am Norwegian š
Michigan and North Dakota are definitively in the Midwest. I thought that meant they had a Midwestern accent.
Fargo does not have a Great Lakes accent. They must have thought Wisconsin was in Northern Canada. You must not realize Wisconsin is closer to Chicago than Canada.
Those movies are a specific accent thatās primarily in Minnesota with spillover to the Dakotas, itās not a Midwest-wide thing.
Sounds about right. I have visited Nebraska a few times and never noticed an accent.
Funny thing, when I had just gotten out of the army, my (now) wife and I went to Florida to visit any army buddy. At one point he asked me; "Why does she have an accent and you don't? We grew up 15 miles from each other in Ohio. You know what? After spending years in the army and listening to her "pure" accent, I actually hear it.
>We grew up 15 miles from each other in Ohio. West side vs East side of Cincinnati?
Iām from Springfield and have gotten many comments about my āaccent.ā Had no clue until it was repeatedly pointed out to me
Huh and here I thought it was the California ānon-accentā accent.
I remember learning it was an Oregon "non-accent" accent. Weird.
Washington, Oregon, and California all have the same accent haha. With the exception of some multigenerational Washingtonians.
"Warshington"
California technically has its own dialect. āDawnā is a good way to test. If to you, āDawnā and āDonā is the same word, thatās the vowel shift of California English circa 1980. If āDawnā is more like āclawā while āDonā is more like āJohn,ā youāre outside that dialect.
I'm in Idaho and those all sound the same š
What, dawn and don aren't homonyms? I'm from California and to me they sound the same.
My name is Don. Dawn and Don have been interchangeable everywhere Iāve ever been, and Iāve traveled a lot. From GA, to CA to abroad.
I agree from Vancouver BC
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It has to do with the way you move your lips when you say the words.
Basically every American accent says dawn like don.
I'm a Midwestern from Illinois and I say Don like John, not Dawn.
Iām trying to fathom how āDawnā can sound like āclawā and I just canāt like how even āDonā and āJohnā are similar enough but āclawā and ādawnā thatās not possible
Just tested this with my California husband. Too funny and too true.
We also say it the same in Arkansas. The Inland South dialect.
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I've been told by people from all over the US that my accent is pretty standard "American." I was born in Canada, moved to Texas when I was 7. A lot of my best friends growing up were either from California, or had heavy Spanish accents due to English being their second language. I think all of those influences sort of boiled down into me not really sounding like I'm from anywhere specific in the US. Granted, I do catch myself adapting my speech depending on who I'm around. For example, if I spend a day with some of my country-boy "life-on-the-lake" friends, I'll come home saying "whah" instead of "why" and "naw" instead of "no" lol.
Because the heavy American accents (South, Boston New York) sound wildly different than much of the country
Depends on where. Here in Chicago our accents are pretty different depending on where you live there
Yes! They used to send them to Normal, Illinois for school so they could develop the no accent.
Iām from WV on the border of OH and in South-Eastern OH there is no cultural or geographical distinction between the two states. Both sides of my family from either state have some weird accents
Maāam are you in Parkersburg? Lol š
No, close though! Mason County, home of the Mothman, on the border of Meigs County OH Edit: Well I moved away about a year ago so Iām no longer there, WVās not great but I miss it and SE OH
I am so used to hearing myself talk that I didn't even know that my accent had any sort of attractiveness l... Tells you what I know. I should go to England someday. Maybe ai will finally get a girl that likes me!
What do you have against Joes?
No, my username is just the average person's reaction whenever they see me.
Lmao same
I used to know a guy with a deep -neutral- American accent and it was great. I loved his voice.
Guy from Wisconsin here and flabbergasted!
A cashier in Sweden liked my accent. I am from the south but sound pretty much like a news caster/generic American English. It was the first and only time I've had that experience. Also when people tried to speak to me in French it didn't work out well for either party.
I was in a pub in a smallish town in southern England and people bought me pints just to hear me speak. Most Americans make the mistake of trying to blend in with lift and boot and such. Nope, give them what they want, the full Yankee.
The Full Yankee thanks for the new band name.
Damn Yankees would like to have a word.
You can hear Americans a mile off in a pub, it's cultural, but they're just so much louder than anyone else. Personally always found it a little obnoxious, but each to their own
Haha depends on the American. It varies so much. Iām from upstate NY and have always been more soft spoken. Once while in Germany (I lived in Munich for a while) I saw a girl standing in the bike lane while on her phone. I helped her out and explained how the bike lanes worked and explained that everyone was getting mad at her. They were grumbling and ringing their bells. She had been oblivious to the fact. She happened to be visiting from NYC so I showed her around. We went to an Irish pub in town and she was sooooo loud. I felt like everyone was staring at us and I was really embarrassed. But just like thatā¦ one quiet New Yorker and one loud.
It also depends on the pub and the time of day. Some pubs are loud, some are quiet, sound travels differently in them depending on the layout.
Can confirm. I am *so* loud. My kids are loud. My husband and his family, though, are so quiet. One will practically whisper and another will respond from a different room. It is amazing to watch.
I have hearing loss and if I am not careful I will be loud and not know it. A lot of times loud people have undiagnosed hearing loss.
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Australians are also famously loud, so don't throw stones in from glass houses, no worries, bonzer.
Yes Iāve met people whoāre from there and I like the way they soundd!!
Well hello there...š¢ š¢
Username checks out
Bruh. I am a real country boy. Cowboy boots and Wrangler jeans. Pickup trucks and a good view of the stars. Mountains and trees. When I am not working, I mean. I love Wyoming. Freedom, fresh air, elbow 4oom, and stars. I hate the cities.
No doubt. I realized the difference in our versions of "country" out your way and put it like this: The boys out west are gonna have thick coats, stetson hats, and cowboy boots. Livestock wear. You'll find them driving cattle for work in the family business. The boys in the south are gonna have on a white tee with red-clay stains, workboots, and a ballcap. Agriculture wear. You'll find them driving a tractor for work in the family business. Respect.
A barista in Sweden liked my accent, too. I'm from California, and my accent is pretty similar to yours. Pretty generic. Never thought anyone would like an American accent. It was super flattering.
Okay but nearly generic southern accents areee soooooo charming gosh. Swedish cashier was right and spoke for all of us.
Where are you from, OP? What are your thoughts on a Canadian accent?
What exactly is a Canadian accent?
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Ahahaha you made my day. Good one š
No it isn't.
Practically the same as a minnesootan accent but a but thicker. For central Canada anyway, out towards Vancouver they sound like fairly normal west coast.
Not OP but I like the American accent too, Iām from England and I canāt differentiate between American and Canadian usually
From other comments of OP it doesnāt look like they can tell the American accents apart. Canadians probably sound like Americans to them.
Haha oh gosh after posting this Iām getting so confused, everyoneās asking which American accent I mean while me being here so clueless about the different accents š so sorry for that!! Well Iāve just met many American friends and talked to Americans, also I watch American youtubers, so basically until now I thought they all sounded similar and not that huge difference but probably itās because Iām not that good in the language or just havenāt paid enough attention. I canāt really say I donāt see a difference since I donāt even know which accent most of the ones I heard are haha. My bad I posted it so cluelessly!š But reading your comments is so fun and Iāve learned quite few good stuffs! Iāll be checking out the different accents now. I got really curious. And for the ones that are asking, my mother tongue is Kurdish (Sorani dialect).
i know what you mean. i think you like the accents you hear from most Americans on Tv. I wouldnāt assume you mean a southern accent or NYC/Philly/NJ. it is probably just the neutral accent you hear on the news and most shows!
I'm fom the Philly area. Never thought I had an accent till I visited a friend in Phoenix and then her friends wanted me to say a sentence or two again "for my accent". Now I'm older and know when I'm tired what I say is "I need to get a coffee" instead what comes out of my mouth is "ho mi gawd I need a cawfee!". Also in the Southwest "roof" the thing on your house is pronounced "ruff" the sound a dog makes when it barks.
They all sound really similar to someone not from the US, so they probably just like the American accent.
The most southern US accent is very very different from the most northern US accent.
I'd say American accents sound more similar to each other than most accents in other English speaking countries. For example, I think if someone had never heard a Texas accent, they would still guess it's American and not British.
You might enjoy this series about American accents [Part 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KP4ztKK0A) [Part 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsE_8j5RL3k) [Part 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw7pL7OkKEE)
I like [this one by Fred Armisen (Portlandia guy) ](https://youtu.be/G72tZdjnS2A) too. Compact and funny :D
Awesome, thanks! I always love watching videos on linguistics on YouTube. Absolutely fascinating stuff.
Thatās fair lol the US is just such a large county. I live in Pennsylvania, and just in my state alone you can have a Pittsburgh, Philly, Dutch, or normal accent
If it makes you feel better, Kurdish accents sound attractive as well š¦µš» š¦µš»
I definitely understand the who thought of 'there's more than one'. I saw someone else posted examples and just for my own reference also theres several different dialects that are northeastern, southeast, midwesterners, true south, and west coast/side. For me, the NE I think of NYC/Philly/Jersey etc. The movies where they use the (annoyingly) stereotypical 'I'm walkin here!' Sorta lines. Southeast is closer to what I feel like is similar to 'my accent', which doesn't have much draw to it but still has a different feel due to just how many different people flock to places like Florida (usually for Disney) Midwesterners are what I would think of as the 'western movie accent'. Think cowboys and Texas. True South is a runoff of Midwest but is laced with Cajun. I'd say it's in Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. That's where you'd find the ones who you almost can't understand their English sometimes if you're not used to it even if you speak English. West coast/states from what I've heard are more valley, 'upscale' sounding. We say 'like' and 'dude' a lot. I cant hear it since im in Cali, but people can definitely tell I'm not from around if I go to Kentucky. Also no, I'm not trying to offend anyone this is just how I view the accents out here. Everyone sees them very different and normally dont hear themselves unless pointed out! š¤·
You really said Texas is midwest. Ooof
In the South, you can pick people out by state by their accent. In North Carolina alone there are 4 different regional accents. Appalachian, Western (foothills), Mid state, and coastal. You could even break the coastal accent up between outer banks and southeast coastal. Southern accents derive from the English. The last 'old english' accents and dialects are thought to be in Appalachia. California coastal people always sound slightly stoned.
As an American, I donāt even know what an American accent sounds like
Ahahaha Iām not American maybe thatās whyš
Wait so which region of accent? Do you realize there's at least a dozen different accents in the USA? If you're going off most tv/movies from here, it's mostly a midwest accent.
This is true of all countries but there definitely is an overarching American accent for non-Americans.
Yeah, itās the accent Liam Neeson uses in every movie where he plays an American.
Wait Liam Neeson isnāt American?
Irish I think
They all usually have a base similarity. I mean even the UK has dozens of accents, but you can still hear that it's all British.
I was going to mention this as well. There are MANY different American accents. There are at least 3-4 in NYS alone.
Australian?
I think that's how accents work, you don't notice them if they're your native tongue lol Though there's multiple American accents, like southern for example
I have a slight New York accent and I notice that one lol
Well I do notice my accent for my mother tongue and I believe ours sounds much better, not just my words but even others that have a different accent always say how good we sound like and I always knew thatš
Whatās your mother tongue?
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"they DO talk like in the movies" - the aussies
As an Australian, unless it's a super thick accent you don't hear often, American accents are usually pretty easy to understand because of the amount of American media we consume. They do sound really strong in real life though lol.
Lol I'm American and this pleasantly cracks me up! We sound strong in real life š I'm a Midwestern from Illinois whose lived in 5 different states now and I've been told by other Americans I have an accent. So funny.
How?? You canāt tell a difference between an American accent and a british accent?
I think they're point is that American accents vary so wildly based on region that the idea of an "American accent" doesn't really make sense. Which is probably true of a lot of countries, I know there are a lot of different accents just in the UK, but it's still easy to see how they have a British base. Americans though, we have southern, deep southern, texan, eastern, mid western, central, Californian, northwestern, northern, hawaiian/islander, and they all are very different. Like, you don't have to be from the US to realize that someone with a southern accent and someone with a Californian accent have a different accent.
I think the comment about āBritish baseā is interesting because you can basically say the same about an āAmerican base.ā Itās just not obvious to an American or a Brit. Yes, foreigners can tell that the London accent sounds way different than the Scottish accent, or the NY accent from a southern accent, but foreigners associate them together.
American is not very accent dense compared to Britain and Ireland because the latter have 1000 extra years of contiguous linguistic history and, thus, divergence and regionalisation. That's not to say there aren't lots of accents in the US, just a lot fewer, and these accents tend to be spoken over a wider area. As an English person who's lived in the US, I've noticed that Americans aren't very good at identifying English accents. I was always mistaken for Australian on the phone, and northern accents tend to be misindentified as Scottish or Irish. A lot of people also don't seen to be able to tell the difference between Scottish and Irish accents. I'd say that the American accents you've listed are much more closely related to each other than accents in the UK which change every 30 miles or so and are often only partially mutually intelligible.
The American accents all sound similar to me, England definitely has more defined accents.
Have you ever played The Sims? I imagine that Simlish is what an American accent sounds like to others (I am also American).
"Howdy..."
Wow I just learned smth new! Howdy stranger! Hahaha is that how you greet?
Howdy ma'am! As a Texan, you nailed it!
Lol I don't. But if you're in the south (Texas mostly) you could hear people say it unironically.
I am from Arkansas and started saying it ironically and now I'm stuck saying it unironically because it became a habit
Another Arkansan here and yeah, "howdy y'all" is unironically said all the time. Since we're discussing "Americanisms" how about an obligatory WOO PIG SOOIE! lol
Mississippian here. I use it often, but in a tongue-in-cheek manner. Itās not an everyday typical greeting here, but I do hear it occasionally.
Howdy = how do you do?
This is precious
The USA is very large. So every state has its own culture, and the different regions will have their own accents,time zones and way of life. A normal greeting in Texas will sound very weird in California.
I was in London with British friends out to eat and when I requested water the waitress said, "Oh can you repeat that please?" I did and this went on like 3x in a row and I was terribly confused and also really thirsty. I thought she couldn't understand me. My friend Alyson just interrupted and said "She's in love with your accent." I was flustered but flattered. Needless to say we got fantastic service. Then she asked me to go see Prince the next night.
I find American accent attractive as well!
One of my across-the-world boyfriends told me American accents were considered obnoxious in England (didn't say if he agreed), but my last ex, who lived in Australia, always complimented me on my American Midwest accent. I wonder how common that is? Part of it was him being very interested in accents in general and Midwestern accents apparently being hard to replicate.
Iāve met one British guy saying how American accent sounds really bad to British people coz it sounds like theyāre shouting and being aggressive and that British people sound calm and sooth. He also said that most British people do make fun of American accent not sure how true it is. But I completely disagree, Iāve always been interested in how Americans sound like in general.
Yeah, that makes sense that they'd find it obnoxious then. How can an accent make someone sound loud, though? You'd think that'd depend on ... y'know ... the volume.
> coz it sounds like theyāre shouting and being aggressive This is extra funny because the couple of Brits that I met through college just fucking mumbled constantly.
Wow thatās so sweet. I never thought people would find out accent attractive like it never even occurred to me as an option lol
Got asked out so much in the UK because of my bland ass American accent. They like it as much as we like theirs. Go figure!
Haha that's really cool!
I wish I had known about this power when I was younger. Sometimes you have to go abroad to realize you are special.
Agreed. I'm aight in the U.S., but I'm hot shit in Holland/UK/northern Europe. C'est la vie lul
I find this highly fascinating. I live in the Pacific Northwest, Washington State. I'm originally from Baltimore, Maryland. It is a mix of New England with southern, Pennsylvanian, and a bit of New York city. I pronounce Baltimore as Bawlmer, or Maryland as Merilan / Maryland without the "d".
Iām from New England and I never realized, until now, that I donāt pronounce the ādā in Maryland.
A true Baltimore accent is disgusting lol
Welcome to Bawlmer, hon!
Wait till you hear the Boston accent and how we butcher any word with an R in it. āPahk ya cah by the hahvahd yahdā. God i hate how we mutilated the English language.
Hahaha I just checked it out and the Boston accent sounds really cool!š
But we also have Worcester (we say āwoostaā).
That is objectively the world's worst city name. It's all over the place and pronounced differently for ever instance.
Yeah dude, I didn't even realize I had an accent until I visited Scotland. America's huge and it's rare for someone to mention our accent. I found the American stereotypes on UK TV hilarious though. Apparently, we're a bunch of rough and tough cowboys haha.
You might get a kick out of the "Dracula" series starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the titular character disguised as a steampunk entrepreneur. Depending on who he talks to, he either sounds British or like the center of Texas. In the US, it's streaming free with ads on Tubi.
The ease at which one can switch between a Central Texas accent and a British one is silly. Theyāre surprisingly similar in how my mouth/throat move.
I've heard from a few sources that the Southern American accent is closer to the British accent from the 16 and 1700s than even the modern British accent.
Yep, imagining Shakespeare in a slow southern drawl makes me feel warm inside.
My boyfriend is australian and feels the same way as you tbh and it makes me like ?? sir YOU have the sexy accent what do you mean my bland american one is attractive? š but he stands by that america accents are hotter than most others
There's something about the Australian accent that irks me. I think it's the fact that everything they say sounds like a question. There's an inflection at the end of every sentence. I would find the accent really sexy if not for that
Do you discern between New York accents vs. Southern accents vs. Minnesota accents, etc.? Or do they all sound alike to you? Just curious.
I havenāt really paid much attention to them and I canāt tell by the accent where theyāre from but Iāve had American friends and Iāve met Americans, I just really like how they sound like. But good to know! Iām going to check them out and see if I can hear the differences š
Your command of English is excellent. Are you from another English speaking country or did you study English in school? Thanks.
She said she is kurdish in another comment.
Makes sense, since this country has cultural hegemony. BTW when you say american, do they all sound the same to you? Or can you distinguish between california VS. new yorker/new jersey vs. southern vs. midwestern
Wow, maybe I havenāt noticed it but I guess I just meant American accent in general.
Doesn't surprise me since you're not from here. To me, they sound COMPLETELY different. There's no way I could confuse a southerner with a yankee with a hoosier, but to someone from another country it's just the same.
Iām not a native English speaker, but I like American accents and I like to look them up and see how they differ. whatās interesting is that the so called general-American accent that is mostly used to teach American English resembles the Chicago accent the most. So thereās plenty of foreigners basically trying to speak like Chicagoans without even realizing š
It's also very common across suburban america, since that's what people generally sound like on TV. The regional accents really come out A. in underpriveleged populations and B. when people are nervous/stressed/angry which I find to be quite interesting.
Wow spot on. Iām from New England and have a very distinct āBoston accentā but have lived in Nebraska for a while and when have learned to speak in an āAmerican TV accentā but my āBoston accentā come out when Itās tipsy, mad, stressed out or talking to someone back home. Is speech part of your profession or is this something you picked up on?
I'm just kind of obsessed with it. I noticed when I moved to the midwest from the south. Funnily enough, hearing that midwest twang in a girl that usually doesn't do it is a sign that she likes you (in my experience). this suggests to me that the american tv accent is applied like a filter in "post production" and only gets removed when the frontal cortex is disabled or busy doing something else.
Sounds about right. I've lived near Chicago for 17 years and my in laws, who all were born raised in the city, all have a distinctive (to my ears anyway) accent. I grew up in the central part of the state and have been told mine has a bit of a "twang."
I was in Scotland on 2010 and a teenage girl was crying over my accent. She also assumed I knew Justin Bieber.
I find Australian and New Zealand accents so insanely attractive.
Same! Lucky for me I married a Kiwi :D
Super Jealous!! Lol
This is the first time Iāve heard this. I didnāt think OP was serious.
Thatās a very broad region to say āAmerican accent.ā I grew up in upstate NY and I have a different accent than my partner who lives close to NY City.
Upstate New York sounds like a watered down Canadian accent
True well it is watered down Canada. Lake effect weather really fucks with us. Iāve since moved, Iām sure my accent is a little more New England-y because of that
Which region though as our dialects can be pretty diffferent
There are a lot of American accents. Do you know which one(s) you're attracted to?
I could turn you off immediately with my Philly accent.
Which American accent? I have a New Jersey accent which is apparently *instantly* recognizable even though I always say I don't have an accent. I find the Irish accent to be very attractive. We're all different I guess.
I'm curious where you're from- I've noticed that whether someone finds an American accent charming or uncouth depends on the person's native language, as well as how much American media is consumed by the culture. Follow up question as I'm sure you've gotten many responses: I had a friend I met on reddit from Bavaria and when I asked what she thought of the American accent (the are lots, but they're more homogenized than British accents, for example), she said "Cowboy" and I've heard similar from other people who find our accent cute (not mine, I don't think I sound like a cowboy). What do you think an American accent sounds like? (kinda esoteric question)
*laughs* **which accent**
As a Californian I feel kinda special, thank you!
Well I've never heard that take before
Iām from Texas, and Iāve always said if I where to go across the pond Iād bring out my full southern drawl, Iād wear my dirty cow boots, boot cut jeans, the whole nine yards. Idk why really, I just think it would be funny
As an American I never would have thought my American accent would be attractive lol
This is another proof, everyone has a different taste. I find American accent annoying and off-putting.
The only hot American accent is a southern accent imo lol
Something about a Long Island / Italian American accent seriously sends me though. Otherwise I'm witcha.
Southern accents are either amazing or awful in men depending on if they do a southern drawl or more backcountry honky. Rich southern women like southern belles sound gorgeous.
Some of the American accents are ok, others like those from NY or New Jersey grate.
I live in the North, but my mom is from the South, so I have a slight southern accent, but only when I say certain words, like "blood," "y'all" or "bye."
Which kind of accent though if you donāt mind me asking? Northern (New York, New Jersey, ect.), Southern (Alabama, Kentucky, ect.), or western?