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What Kind of American Accent Do You Have?
The Economic Policy Journal ^ | 11-24-2011 | By Xavier Kun

Posted on 11/25/2011 4:19:03 PM PST by blam

What Kind of American Accent Do You Have?

November 24, 2011
Xavier Kun

To most Americans, an accent is something that only other people have, those other people usually being in New York, Boston, and the South. And of those other people, half of the ones you meet will swear they "don't have an accent."

Well, strictly speaking, the only way to not have an accent is to not speak. If you're from anywhere in the USA you have an accent (which may or may not be the accent of the place you're from). Go through this short quiz and you'll find out just which accent that is.

1. What is your age? Under 18 Years Old 18 to 24 Years Old 25 to 30 Years Old 31 to 40 Years Old 41 to 50 Years Old 51 to 60 Years Old Over 60 Years Old 2. What is your gender? Male Female

3. We're going to start with two ordinary words, "cot" and "caught." Do you think those words sound the same or different? Same Different Same, no wait I mean different, well, I don't know...

4. What about "don" and "dawn"? Same Different Same...ish. Maybe a little different.

5. OK, what about "stock" and "stalk"? Same Different Almost, but not quite, the same

6. Now then how do "collar" and "caller" sound? Same Different Almost, but not quite, the same

7. Do you think the word "on" rhymes with "dawn" or with "don"? dawn don Well, I don't think don and dawn sound any different in the first place so on would obviously rhyme with both

8. Moving on, what do you think about "Mary," "merry," and "marry"? All 3 sound different Mary and merry sound the same but marry is different from them All 3 sound the same

9. Our next word is "horrible." How does that first vowel sound? It's just like in the word "whore." It's the same "o" sound as in "hot." Neither one

10. Now for "pen" and "pin." Don't worry about what others say is correct, just tell us how they come out in an ordinary conversation. Same Different Close. Pen sounds almost, but not quite, like pin.

11. What about "feel" and "fill"? Same Different Well, I think they're different even though they sound very, very similar almost to the point of being the same

12. When you say "about," does the "ou" sound like the "ou" in "loud"? No Yes

13. Last question. When you say "bag" does it rhyme with "vague"? Yes No


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: accent; accents; language; linguistics; region; slang
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To: Fresh Wind

Surprised more people than Texans call EVERY soft drink a coke.

“what do you want to drink?”

“coke”

“what kind?”

“Dr Pepper”


261 posted on 11/26/2011 8:27:40 AM PST by gopheraj
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To: oldteen

LOl.


262 posted on 11/26/2011 8:56:28 AM PST by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis (Want to make $$$? It's easy! Pimp your blog for hits on Free Republic!)
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To: gitmo

You sound a bit like my mom. Her dad was in the navy so they moved all over the place. After living in VA for a while they moved to New Jersey where she got teased at school for her ‘southern accent.’


263 posted on 11/26/2011 8:58:12 AM PST by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis (Want to make $$$? It's easy! Pimp your blog for hits on Free Republic!)
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To: blam
Photobucket
264 posted on 11/26/2011 9:08:55 AM PST by mojitojoe (SCOTUS.... think about that when you decide to sit home and pout because your candidate didn't win)
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To: blam
What American accent do you have?
Your Result: The Midland
 

"You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.

The West
 
The Inland North
 
Boston
 
North Central
 
The Northeast
 
Philadelphia
 
The South
 
What American accent do you have?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

265 posted on 11/26/2011 9:13:57 AM PST by Future Snake Eater (Don't stop. Keep moving!)
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To: Fresh Wind

I always say coke. As you can see in the Florida map, the places where they say soda are snowbird counties. Ny’ers and others that screwed up their state them come down here to screw up mine and elect people like Debbie Wasserman Schultz.


266 posted on 11/26/2011 9:15:29 AM PST by mojitojoe (SCOTUS.... think about that when you decide to sit home and pout because your candidate didn't win)
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To: Fresh Wind

I always say coke. As you can see in the Florida map, the places where they say soda are snowbird counties. Ny’ers and others that screwed up their state then come down here to screw up mine and elect people like Debbie Wasserman Schultz.


267 posted on 11/26/2011 9:15:50 AM PST by mojitojoe (SCOTUS.... think about that when you decide to sit home and pout because your candidate didn't win)
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To: Bender2

Amenski,mate!!!


268 posted on 11/26/2011 9:29:28 AM PST by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: Charles Henrickson
when I'm battling traffic there, my wife says my Chicago accent gets worse

I know what you mean -- in similar circumstances, my Buffalo "accent" comes out....

269 posted on 11/26/2011 9:40:53 AM PST by mikrofon (Inland North here ... "Right Off The Boat" was not an option ;)
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To: Springman

Self bump for later.


270 posted on 11/26/2011 9:45:42 AM PST by Springman (Rest In Peace YaYa123 and Bahbah.)
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To: blam
What American accent do you have?

Your Result: The Inland North

You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."

Result Breakdown:

100% The Inland North
64% The Northeast
60% The Midland
60% Philadelphia
50% The South
29% North Central
18% The West
6% Boston

What American Accent Do You Have?

Carbonated drinks are called soda. I know very few people who call it pop - maybe a few old timers.

271 posted on 11/26/2011 9:56:40 AM PST by jellybean (Bookmark http://altfreerepublic.freeforums.org/index.php for when FR is down)
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To: RegulatorCountry

I can’t even make myself say it lie that since there are 2 syllables in it.;) RUE END and said as strongly as the caps imply.


272 posted on 11/26/2011 10:16:11 AM PST by chris_bdba
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To: chris_bdba

Oh, it’s not that hard. You can say “burnt,” can’t you? Just merge the word “rural” with the word “burnt” and there you go. Rurnt.


273 posted on 11/26/2011 10:28:06 AM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: ROCKLOBSTER

Obama, is that you?


274 posted on 11/26/2011 10:45:57 AM PST by mojitojoe (SCOTUS.... think about that when you decide to sit home and pout because your candidate didn't win)
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To: blam
9. Our next word is "horrible." How does that first vowel sound? It's just like in the word "whore." It's the same "o" sound as in "hot." Neither one

More loike the *o* in ^ore, mate. And of course the first letter *h* is silent.

Good thing they didn;t ask me about zebras...

275 posted on 11/26/2011 12:09:31 PM PST by archy (I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous!)
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To: blam

Midland?
I have lived in Western Washington all my life.


276 posted on 11/26/2011 12:18:36 PM PST by right way right (What's it gonna take?)
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To: Bender2

“So, I will take my knows the difference... but sound like a hick accent over a East Coast Degree not worth the match it would take to burn it.”

Well said, Bend. Wisdom is where you find it, and I’ve heard precious little come from the Ivy Leagues.


277 posted on 11/26/2011 12:35:31 PM PST by tanuki (O-voters: wanted Uberman, got Underdog....)
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To: blam
What American accent do you have?
Your Result: The South
 

That's a Southern accent you've got there. You may love it, you may hate it, you may swear you don't have it, but whatever the case, we can hear it.




American by birth -
Southern by the grace of God.


278 posted on 11/26/2011 12:47:40 PM PST by Hoodat (Because they do not change, Therefore they do not fear God. -Psalm 55:19-)
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To: blam

Mine was wrong! Results, Southern! But I don’t, I have a Texas accent, ya know where we say nukular!!


279 posted on 11/26/2011 12:50:49 PM PST by PROTESTBYPROXY (The Silent Majority is roaring!!)
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To: Krankor

I am glad you don’t have a low self esteem problem!!


280 posted on 11/26/2011 12:53:36 PM PST by PROTESTBYPROXY (The Silent Majority is roaring!!)
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