Do You have a Strong Regional Accent Redux

[Spy Car]

Second try. Apologies to those who posted in the first attempt.

 

Do you have a strong regional accent?

 

This is a public poll.

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

Good grief I made another anonymous poll. I'm so sorry all :blushing:

[PariSarah]

And since I have some training in public speaking, I've eliminated most of those regional differences. So, yes, I've been told that I have "no" accent.

[KIN]

I was born, raised and currently live in Northern Indiana. I have never thought I had an accent until I moved to Oregon. Out there, every now and then, people would tell me I had an accent! I could never hear it myself... :)

[GraceinMD]

Do you have a strong regional accent?

 

 

"other"

 

I don't think I have an accent (although I can, when I want to!). However, when I lived in NJ (I'm from North Florida, which can sound quite southern), they thought I was from Virginia (which seemed Deep South to them, I think).

 

When I lived in Virginia, they thought I was from "the North" because I sounded harsh to them.

 

When I lived in England, they were sure I was from Australia. This was very useful, since there were lots of anti-American protests when I was there in the late '80s; I might have been hesitant to go to the market if I hadn't had SO many people tell me I sounded as though I were from Down Under!

 

And when I visited New Zealand, I had an entire afternoon where the woman from NZ and I simply could not understand one another. At all. She may have indicated that I sounded like I was from Country XYZ, but I can't say that for sure, because I cdn't understand her, either!

 

Interesting question.

[Parabola]

Good grief I made another anonymous poll. I'm so sorry all :blushing:

 

C'mon Bill. Get it together. ;)

 

I'm from midwest, supposedly we have the least accented accent in the states. We still have an accent though, everyone does.

[elegantlion]

I grew up in the mid-west and now live in the south. I've been told people can tell I'm from Missouri. I have also picked up a southern drawl, it comes out more and more lately.

[Spy Car]

I've asked if a mod could fix the poll, I know they are kind of busy. Assume it may go "public" if they are able to get to it OK?

 

Bill

[Kris]

Do you have a strong regional accent?

 

No -- and I'm kind of surprised I haven't picked it up after ten years.

 

Back in the early 80s, when we lived in California, I took a cross-country trip and we came back through the south. I had a southern accent for two weeks afterwards -- and not "Southern Belle" either, which would have been fine with me! Boy, did I get some funny looks. It was some kind of odd mutation -- the southerners were looking at me strangely, too. :lol:

[Kathleen in VA]

Good grief I made another anonymous poll. I'm so sorry all :blushing:

 

Three times a charm?:)

 

I've lived all over and my parents are/were from the midwest so I have no accent. I've lived in northern Virginia for 35 years - there is no southern accent in this part of the state. I'm basically boring.

[Michelle in MO]

at times my accent reflects that northern Scandinavian accent. If you've ever heard it, it's quite unique. If you've seen the movie "Fargo", it's a little like that, but most people do not have quite that strong of an accent.

 

However, my dh tells me that when we go back to Minnesota so I can visit relatives, the accent tends to come out thick and strong at times! :)

[Spy Car]

Hey it's PUBLIC...thanks to whoever took car of that!!! :001_smile:

 

Bill

[Krista in LA]

I was born in Iowa, with no accent. But then I moved to PA and picked up a bit of an east coast accent, then added a bit of TN southern, a little Chicago accent, and have now picked up a slight bit of LA southern. They all generally show up with certain words or phrases (although I refuse to say "fixin' to"). When I'm in the north, they say I have a southern accent, when I'm in the south, I have a northern/eastern accent. I'm pretty much a mutt.

[Zelda]

I live in Northern CA and a surprising number of people peg me as being from MI or the Midwest in general. Surprising to me because I grew up being told that we didn't have an accent.

[Dawn E]

I'm from MS, and when I lived in CA people constantly expressed surprise that I didn't have an accent. Now that I'm back in MS, people ask where we moved from and say, "I knew you weren't from here; you sound like you're from somewhere else." :001_smile: However, when I am with my immediate family I fall into a bit of an accent. Also, I use phrases like "might could" and "fixin' to" that give away my southern roots.

[Karenciavo]

Cut and Paste:

 

I spent the first 9 years of my life on Staten Island, NYC. Sometimes, when I'm tired or tawking mindlessly I slip into a slight New Yawk accent. It greatly amuses my children, "She said dawta (daughter), he he." :lol::glare: Oh, I just remembered something I always say, draw, as in, "Put those socks in the sock draw please."

[Slartibartfast]

I am from Oklahoma.

 

I do say "y'all" and sometimes drop unnecessary consonants. :lol:

[Spy Car]

A mass cut and paste from the first attempt at his thread.

 

Not very strong to my ear (accent? What accent?) but I live in Northern CA and its amazing (amazing!) how many people can pick out that I'm from MI.

 

Yes. I didn't know I did until I visited Nashville when I was 16. Everyone thought it was hysterical when I wanted to cawl my mom to tawk. BTW, my mom's name is Dawn. Not Don. That's my father's name. Made for much confusion when people outside of the NE would call and ask to speak to either one of them!

 

New Orleans, which, for those who don't know, is kind of like South Jersey.

 

Mine really only comes out when I'm very tired, irritated, or when I go back home.

 

But I've always been a mimic with a good ear. A few hours in a place and my speech patters adapt to the native patois. This has happend in the mid-Atlantic US, North Texas, England, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and the Mediterranean coast of France.

 

I voted that mine only shows up in certain words. I am a New Jersey native living in the south and people are always surprised to hear that I am from NJ. They think that I am from the mid-west. I have to tell them that not everyone from NJ talks like a Soprano.;)

 

I'm the one obligatory other. People never believe I'm from Tx. Ever.

 

People have guessed I'm from NW Am, Canada, Switzerland. But they're always perplexed because *they* say I have no accent. Same was true for my mom & grparents, though, so I guess it *is* inherited, lol.

 

I chose "other," though, because the only choice precluding accent said "typical American accent" or something like that. I'm not sure there is one, & since people have guessed that I'm from another country altogether, I...don't know? :confused:

 

Now I'm feeling silly, though. I guess I should have gone w/ "typical American accent"? Sorry. Seriously overthinking! :lol:

 

I have a very strong accent. The funny thing is, I'm from Philly, but people keep asking me what part of Brooklyn I come from :glare:

 

:lol:

 

I live very near what is considered "Da U.P". Raised with parents for whom "ain't", "t'ree" (3) and "you's guys" is proper English, I have tried very hard to master my diction and enunciation. I'm sure I'm referring more to locale than accent, but it kind of goes along the same lines (think Fargo:D). Ultimately, occasionally I will soften my "s", but not very often, because it really bothers me. I'm confident the only time I've sounded like this is on purpose, for fun (because it is kind of fun ;)).

[TXMomof4]

I don't have much of an accent. But my kids.....holy cow! I'm raisin some Texas belles and I'm not sure where they came from!

[Jenny in Atl]

I have my parents CA non-accent.

[Mom to Aly]

OK, I have the bizarre other. Bizaree in that, when I was young, I had grown up in the US, but had a very strong British accent. My dad, who was from India, had gone to boarding school from a young age in England, and did all his university, through post graduate, in England, and had a very proper British accent. Plus, I went to etiquette school, and other things, with British teachers (my dad thought that was best, don't ask!), my uncles, cousins, most of the relatives I saw on a reg basis had the same accent. My mom and siblings did not have this--well, my sibs did have a lot of words they said with an English accent, but I REALLY got it.

 

When I was 9, I finally convinced my dad to send me to a voice coach to get rid of it, simply because I was teased mercilessly about it. I finished, then went to visit my grandmother in Texas for two and a half months and came back with, you guessed it--a total Texan accent! (they are very similar, actually, vowels, nasals, etc.) Back to the voice coach for 5 more months.

 

So, now, I pick up southern or British accents very easily. I grew up in NYC, and have only been told, twice in my life, that I have a NY accent; once, when I first moved to VA, and once, 3 weeks ago, by a Virginian. My accent is usually hard for people to place, unless I've got the southern twang going--I fight it like anything. I've been living in VA for 16 years, and when I am tired, it comes out in full force, but I still don't sound like a full fledged Virginian. When I speak with a friend from NY, I lose the southern accent within minutes.

 

So, I guess I am a girl without accent--or a girl with many accents, just below the surface, waiting to burst out! :). In a way, I feel more comfortable with French--I've always been told I had a perfect Parisian accent, and most French people think I am French--no one trying to guess where I'm from or anything--even though I'm American ;).

[Mom to Aly]

Hey, Bill, what about YOU? Any accent?

[rockermom]

I have a strong southern accent (and I'm not ashamed). I have also recently been told that I have a deep voice. (I'm not sure what to make of that.)

[mommylawyer]

I grew up in Atlanta, but I'm living in the rural South now. Some of you non-southerners would probably say I have a noticeable accent, but where I live, I practically speak the Queen's English compared to others who dwell around here.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Voted other, I guess..

 

I don't have a *regional* accent.. I have a foreigner's accent! Yup, a lovely French accent when I speak English

 

However in French, I have a very neutral accent. People from France will know I'm not from France, but they'll never guess I'm from Quebec. They'll try some Canton in Switzerland first. Now, Swiss people know I'm not Swiss, but they'll blame me on the Belgians. In their turn, the Belgians will blame some weird France regional accent. (and yes, those are true, I've experienced it!) But when I tell them I'm French Canadian, they don't believe me!

 

And locally, people ask me if I'm from France.

[Spy Car]

Hey, Bill, what about YOU? Any accent?

 

I think I have a pretty standard accent, but I do live at the very epi-center of "Valley-Girl" America (ground zero) so OMG I'm so sure I, like, totally must have a little accent :D

 

Actually, the only time I've been questioned on my "accent" is people wondering if I'm English :confused:

 

Maybe it's because I tend to enunciate, who knows?

 

I happen to love an Anglo-Indian accent, so back to the voice coach for you :tongue_smilie:

:auto:

[Doran]

..and if I've had one too many glasses of wine. :D

 

 

Born in KS. Moved to NC, later to NY. Father from eastern NC. Mother from NJ. But, darn if that southern doesn't stick like poo on a shoe.

 

That's okay. I could do worse.

[Mom to Aly]

I think I have a pretty standard accent, but I do live at the very epi-center of "Valley-Girl" America (ground zero) so OMG I'm so sure I, like, totally must have a little accent :D

 

Actually, the only time I've been questioned on my "accent" is people wondering if I'm English :confused:

 

Maybe it's because I tend to enunciate, who knows?

 

I happen to love an Anglo-Indian accent, so back to the voice coach for you :tongue_smilie:

:auto:

 

But, like, Dude!!! No way, dude! Although my dd does love the way I say garage--that is one of those words I say with total British accent--just can't ever get it the American way!

 

So, we have a Valley Boy in our midst! Who'd'a thunk it?

[Mommyfaithe]

and I have a STRONG Brooklyn accent...even after not living in Brooklyn for 23 years. It gets worse when I am other New Yawkers!:D

~~Faithe

[Mom to Aly]

Voted other, I guess..

 

I don't have a *regional* accent.. I have a foreigner's accent! Yup, a lovely French accent when I speak English

 

However in French, I have a very neutral accent. People from France will know I'm not from France, but they'll never guess I'm from Quebec. They'll try some Canton in Switzerland first. Now, Swiss people know I'm not Swiss, but they'll blame me on the Belgians. In their turn, the Belgians will blame some weird France regional accent. (and yes, those are true, I've experienced it!) But when I tell them I'm French Canadian, they don't believe me!

 

And locally, people ask me if I'm from France.

 

LOL--I love it--they "blame" the other places for your accent--you are too cute! They must love you in Quebec! When I went there with xh, who is from Paris, they would treat us wonderfully! Then he would proudly announce he was Parisian and I was American--which they would never know, because I do speak perfect French--and they would instantly ignore me, and treat him like a king! We stayed at a little inn, and he told them the first day. After that, for breakfast each day, they would bring him this HUGE platter with eggs, 4 pieces of toast and a huge serving of potatoes--if they remembered to bring my breakfast, it would be one egg, a piece of toast, and a teaspoon of potatoes, seriously! And the woman there never spoke to me, just stood with her butt in my face while she fawned over my xh!! It was something!

 

Nothing against Quebec--seriously, it is one of my fave places--I'd live there if it weren't so cold--I'd like to be a snowbird actually. I found it to be quite funny!

[Philothea]

Living here, made me able to hear anything that was left of my slight Ohio accent. But I don't do it anymore, according to DH.

 

I will never talk like a Bostonian, NEVAH! :D

[newbie]

Totally dude.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

After that, for breakfast each day, they would bring him this HUGE platter with eggs, 4 pieces of toast and a huge serving of potatoes--if they remembered to bring my breakfast, it would be one egg, a piece of toast, and a teaspoon of potatoes, seriously!

 

Oh boy.. I fear you were 'victim' of a local joke. We laugh at the very poor French breakfast. (what? coffee and a croissant is breakfast?) and we laugh at the over-the-top breakfast one can get in the States (I once got a TWELVE eggs omelet for one person!)

[enigma]

I voted other. I have a thick Maine accent that I can turn off and on at will. I also have a thick East Boston accent that slips out when I'm excited, or around cousins. Most of the time, I speak with "correct" American diction, courtesy of a year and a half of speech therapy in childhood. But I live in NC, and the locals often look at me like I'm a freak or an alien.

[Camy-7 boybarians 1 lady]

If you can translate that, you know I'm from the Midwestern state of Michigan.

 

I just hate my accent. I want so much to sound British!

 

Blessings,

 

Camy

[Jill- OK]

I am from Oklahoma.

 

I do say "y'all" and sometimes drop unnecessary consonants. :lol:

 

...and I never thought I had an accent...until I heard myself on tape. :D

 

And my toddler began saying "Bye-buhl" (Bible) "Cuuhkie" (cookie) and "Ayyg" (egg)...even though we lived in Europe, lol.

[Emily in FL]

I am from a very small town in North Florida (or Lower Alabama). I thought everyone talked like me. I don't hear it normally, but can lay it on thick when I want to. My ds' accent is worse than mine I believe, but it is because of the area we live in (again in North Florida, just a different county).

[Jill- OK]

...and I never thought I had an accent...until I heard myself on tape. :D

 

And my toddler began saying "Bye-buhl" (Bible) "Cuuhkie" (cookie) and "Ayyg" (egg)...even though we lived in Europe, lol.

 

...because I can speak neutrally, I think. (Or I'm deluding myself, lol.)

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

Moved around too much. Then lived in Western Canada for a couple formative years. So I mix it up. I have some lazy speech patterns (I say y'all all the time) that some attribute to a southern accent (never lived in the south). I tend to enunciate clearly and retain some Canadian terms...not aboot, but I do slip and say been with the long e and one of my favorite phrases is straightaway....as in I'll get that straightaway...Out here in the Midwest everyone knows I'm not a native as soon as I open my mouth, but when I go home (to WA state) even family says I have an accent now. People accuse me of being a foreigner (not that there's anything wrong with that)

Only one example of how I'm a misfit :(

[RebeccaC]

We always lived in one region of the country during the school year and another during the summer. When I was learning to talk we live the school year in Tulsa OK and the summer in the Chicago area. From ages 5 to 10 we lived in Stockton CA during the school year and in Chicago during the summer. We always lived part of the year in Chicago but I have lived in TX, MS, CO, AZ, NV, UT, and LA. So I can fake quite a few accents.

 

Also in our home growing up German, Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, were spoken. My father always read the Bible in its original language and then translated it into English so I heard long passages every day. My father is fluent in modern German, Hebrew, Greek, French, Arabic, Amharic, and other regional languages of Ethiopia and is proficient in quite a few Fertile Crescent dead Languages like Hittite, Assyrian, ect... all total he speaks or reads 20 modern or dead languages. I have his ear for languages although I have never gotten the guttural sounds of German or Hebrew down as well as he has. His Ph.D is in ancient Biblical languages.

 

My father's father, who we lived with part of every year, was from Norway and I could mimic his accent pretty well. So I am in the other category :D

[fivetails]

I voted for the 'other' - because I don't know.... I don't "hear" an accent in my own speech - but I've had people from out west (I'm from eastern Canada) say that I talk funny.... but then, THEY sound funny to me. :tongue_smilie:

[Melissa in Australia]

I sound like a country Aussie! I went to Canada to meet my in-laws, and nobody could understand me. my husband had to translate everything:lol::lol: I understood them all fine, they sounded like my husband!!!!

[Plaid Dad]

I was raised by Midwesterners on Long Island. Growing up I was proud of the fact that I didn't talk like the people around me. I don't say "Flah-ri-deh" for the state where everyone's grandparents lived, and we don't read "the gospel according to Saint Mawk." I say "eye-lend" not "eye-lint" for a body of land surrounded on all sides by water. I can do the full-on accent on demand, but it really only comes out unbidden when I'm talking to other metro New Yorkers. I have retained a lot of ethnic regionalisms (mostly Yiddish and Italian) that are typical of the NYC area, though.

 

My dw's family all have working class Boston accents. I've adapted to my dw's family a bit by saying "ahntie" instead of "ant" for dw's mother's sister, but that's about as far as that goes.

[mazakaal]

I voted other.

 

I grew up in a suburb of NYC (about an hour north of the city), but people always used to say that I had a Canadian accent. Eventually the Canadian (which came from nowhere because I've never been to Canada - weird) accent faded and I had a pretty standard American accent. I've lived in the UK now for 8 years and now I have an American accent with a British accent sometimes appearing, usually in questions.

[CookieMonster]

I have acquired several regional accents that show up in words, phrases, or particular situations.

 

I lived on two different sides of the US growing up, each with their own flavor. I have family from the northeast, who influenced some of my words. I have family from the midwest and lived there briefly. When around them I get quite the twang.

 

But, otherwise, I have a no-accent style of speech.

[bumbledeb]

My accent is strongly North-East Scottish, since that is where I have always lived. I have an American friend, and she says that when I put on an American accent it is like taking a veil off my voice.

[dawn of ns]

I've got an Eastern Canada accent too. I didn't realize how much of one until we were out west for my brother's wedding and one of the guest commented on it. She then went on to ask if my husband was really from Nova Scotia because he didn't have one at all. He grew up half an hour up the road from me!

[Laura Corin]

I speak BBC British English.

 

Laura

[Tracey in TX]

I've lived in several locations, and have a hint of three particular accents. Mostly, I sound like a midwesterner (Chicago area), but have a bit of Texas twang after 17 years. There are occasions when the British accent slips into conversation, as well.

[catalinakel]

I'm from California, and I don't think we have accents. But when we lived in West Virginia, the locals were blown away by my California accent. And my ability to think outside of the box. I love to guess people's accent, and am often right.