Dialect map of the United States

TerzaRima

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This is about American dialects, not critical theory, but I thought this was the best place to put it. It's a US map shaded according to how the inhabitants of different regions pronounce different words. It's a little clearer to me now why my best friend from college and I sounded so weird to one another.
 

mirandashell

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That's fascinating when you zoom into it. Especially for a non-American.

How can you say had so it doesn't rhyme with bad? Haad? Extended vowel?
 

dolores haze

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Upon arriving in North Carolina from Scotland and meeting my very first Southern belle she said to me: "Oh ma gaaaad! Ah wiyush ah hayud ayun acceeeeeent."

Nothing I could say convinced her that she had one hell of an accent. Nope. Nothing.
 

Little Anonymous Me

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Upon arriving in North Carolina from Scotland and meeting my very first Southern belle she said to me: "Oh ma gaaaad! Ah wiyush ah hayud ayun acceeeeeent."

Nothing I could say convinced her that she had one hell of an accent. Nope. Nothing.


My cousins from Indiana think I drawl like a boss, but I can't hear a thing. Sometimes I hear "nahne" for "nine" and I saw "irn" for "iron", but whatever other drawl I may or may not have is silent in my own ears. :tongue Especially since I actively work to pronounce things without one.
 

GlobalWolf

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When I was on the debate team for my college in undergrad, I had such a strong accent that I had to kind of coach myself to say "terrorism" in a way that wouldn't confuse people into thinking that I was absolutely horrified of biological tourists. I come from the "inland south" region on the map, but my accent is a bit unique, even for where I grew up.
 

ColoradoGuy

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Interesting. This chart from a similar site explains why I pronounce roof, hoof, and root to sound like foot; according to the survey (question #25) you only find that in Minnesota (where I grew up) and North Dakota.

I once had a post-doctoral student from Japan working in my lab who was driven crazy by these sorts of things. "Why," he would ask, "do I put my foot (short, fot) in my boot (long, boooooot), instead of my foooooot in my bot"?


There are 121 other interesting examples at the site, such as soda vs pop, etc.
 
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