okay, this will prove where you're from

[mimitabby]

http://gotoquiz.com/what_american_accent_do_you_have


here's what I got:
what did you get?

Your Result: The Northeast

Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.

(born and raised in NJ left when i was 18)

[Eden]

I got this one

"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.

- pretty well on. Grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and have lost some of the regional accent that comes from there. Though I doubt I have a good voice for radio or TV.....

[SheFly]

:D

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.

Friends from where I grew up claim that I have always lived in MA - aka having a Boston accent. Funny thing about both - I grew up in Toronto ;)

SheFly

[five one]

The quiz identified me as being from the West. I was actually born in Baltimore, but we moved to Colorado when I was four. Except for two years in Alabama when I was 14-16, I've lived in CO or CA. I never thought I had an identifiable accent. But I was back East a couple years ago and several people asked if I was from CA, so I guess I do :) .

[Bikingmomof3]

Well, this definitely makes logical sense. :)

"North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.

I really did enjoy Fargo. Anhway, this above is extremely accurate considering I was born and raised in MN. :cool:

[chickwhorips]

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."

dang and i thought i got rid of the accent. see what happens when you live with a yooper! i don't call my carbonated drinks "pop". my grandma did and i thought it was funny. always called it soda. though does anyone know where the bubbler is? :rolleyes:

dontcha knowder ey?

[Offthegrid]

Guess it got me dead on.


"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.

[Bikingmomof3]

though does anyone know where the bubbler is? :rolleyes:


I know. :) There used to be a joke (growing up in MN) about why some in WI call a drinking fountain a Bubbler. I no longer recall why.

Do you know what a two four is?

[Eden]

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."

dang and i thought i got rid of the accent. see what happens when you live with a yooper! i don't call my carbonated drinks "pop". my grandma did and i thought it was funny. always called it soda. though does anyone know where the bubbler is? :rolleyes:

I grew up in Pittsburgh - got the midland accent too - but we always called soda - pop, never soda, heck I think I used to wonder how soda was different from pop. Of course we had a whole lot of very, very regional words that no one else knew anyway - chipped ham anyone? Not to be "nebby" but btw - what's a bubbler??? - one thing I never picked up though was the habit of saying yins (short for you-all, equivalent to yall in the south)

found a good website www.pittsburghese.com
should be a hoot if you didn't grow up there - may just make me nostalgic

[Offthegrid]

Here's one not in the quiz.

People are waiting to check out at the supermarket. New Jersey/New York folks say they are "on the line." Pennsylvania people say they are "in line."

[silver]

"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.



Hmmmm...pretty close. I live in southern Indiana, but I grew up in Alabama. Maybe that's what it means by I may be from a southern city. But the most recognizable local pronunciation around here (that i do not say) is to pronounce the word "WASH" with an "R" so that it sounds like "WARSH" People who grew up around here don't seem to have much of an accent until they say that word. It's really odd if you ask me

On the soda/pop issue, in the South we say "Coke" no matter what, could mean a Pepsi, Sprite, or Dr. Pepper.

[DebW]

"You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent."

Gotta laugh about "don't have an accent". People from New England think I have an accent. People from the upper midwest think I have an accent. Whenever dh and I used to disagree about the pronunciation of a word, we'd look in the dictionary and both pronunciations would be there, but mine would say (esp. south). Never thought of Missouri as the south until I moved away from it. People around here object to the way I pronounce "adult" (I accent the first syllable). And they get confused when I pronounce "pin" and "pen" the same. But I've finally learned to (sometimes) say "aunt" so it doesn't sound like an insect.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My result was the same as Mimi's. :cool:

[Duck on Wheels]

Hah! I got Inland North, but I'd never even been there for more than a week until last year on sabbatical. Born and raised in California and never left the state 'til I was 16. Maybe it was that one question that got me off track, the Mary, merry, marry one. I couldn't find an answer that fit how I pronounce (or hear myself pronounce) those three. To my inner ear I say Mary and marry the same, but have a tighter vowel sound for merry. Otherwise, I wonder what I should sound like to place me correctly in NoCal?

[Cyclo Kitty]

Inland North

Are you from Chicago?

Yep, I sure used to be. I thought that the multiple years in Missouri & Rhode Island would change the way I speak but no. A guy from Boston pinned my Chicago origins in about 15 minutes one day....when I said a napple instead of an apple.

Fun!

[mimitabby]

Here's one not in the quiz.

People are waiting to check out at the supermarket. New Jersey/New York folks say they are "on the line." Pennsylvania people say they are "in line."

no, silly, it's "on line"
:D

[Meaux]

I ended up as North Central. Oddly enough, I have lived in Texas my entire life. However, my parents are both from Ohio. Maybe that's where it came from? I've had people ask me if I'm from England before too. Weird!

[Fredwina]

I got Inland north, even though I'm From Southeast Missouri. and my parents were from Tennessee.
Silver, when I lived in South St. Louis, the joke was that you had a southside accent if you warshed your Farks in the zinc after driving down highway Farty! I can also remeber my cousin being surpized when her son told her wanted a toy Fart for chirstmas (will that get past the moderators?) :o

[Crankin]

According to the test, I have a Midland (i.e. no accent). I guess all those years of living in AZ cured me of my Boston accent (and 5 years in southern FL). I am sure i definitely sound like someone from the northeast, but I do pronounce my "r's" although it is still not natural. When i used to yell at my kids, I would lose all vocal control and scream "get ovah heah!" to everyone's amusement...

[Eden]

Hah! I got Inland North, but I'd never even been there for more than a week until last year on sabbatical. Born and raised in California and never left the state 'til I was 16. Maybe it was that one question that got me off track, the Mary, merry, marry one. I couldn't find an answer that fit how I pronounce (or hear myself pronounce) those three. To my inner ear I say Mary and marry the same, but have a tighter vowel sound for merry. Otherwise, I wonder what I should sound like to place me correctly in NoCal?

Hah - I thought the same thing about the Mary, marry, merry one - they didn't really have the answer I wanted Mary and marry the same, but merry - a little more like mirry?.. not quite the "i" sound, but definitely distinct to my inner ear from the other two..

[Kitsune06]

Inland North. Oh come ON, Chica, you've got da accent. It's not livin' with da yooper, it's just you. Aren't you thrilled?

I'll never completely be rid of mine, either. It's like a plague or something.

Taking the State tests, tho, I'm %49 Wisconsinite and 88% Oregonian. Woohoo!!!

New Yorkers and folks from Jersey cause me physical pain, talking to them. And sometimes folks from the deep south. Sorry. If I can't understand you, or you maul english with such violence that I can't tell we speak the same language... wellllll....

I do really like some dialects, though. the ones that soften some consonants and just gently affect the vowels.... :) I really like the sound of PNW speech, but can't copy it. Oh well.

[guanajagirl]

OMG it says iam a Yankee! NO!!!!!!! ;)

[maillotpois]

I got "The West" . Which is appropriate. Funny.

[chickwhorips]

Inland North. Oh come ON, Chica, you've got da accent. It's not livin' with da yooper, it's just you. Aren't you thrilled?

i just figure i'll blame you for it too! now i feel better. :D

[five one]

According to the test, I have a Midland (i.e. no accent). I guess all those years of living in AZ cured me of my Boston accent (and 5 years in southern FL). I am sure i definitely sound like someone from the northeast, but I do pronounce my "r's" although it is still not natural. When i used to yell at my kids, I would lose all vocal control and scream "get ovah heah!" to everyone's amusement...

Once when I was in college in Colorado, an tourist came up to me on the street and asked where the nearest "pack" was so his kids could play. I was a bit confused and asked him to repeat what he was saying a couple times. I was about to give him directions to the North Face store for backpacks when I figured out he meant "park". That was probably my first experience with a Boston accent.

[Kitsune06]

i just figure i'll blame you for it too! now i feel better. :D

Thanks, sweety, much appreciated. :rolleyes: Glad you feel better.... ;) :cool:

[java]

"The West - Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you are a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta."

I tried, and for the life of me, cannot imagine how Mary, merry, and marry sound different. But then I was born here in Seattle, so I guess it fits.

[nancielle]

I got Inland North :confused: Born, raised and continue to live in Massachusetts. Have never referred to carbonated drinks as "pop". Must be all those years of listening to "A Prairie Home Companion." :D

[SheFly]

Do you know what a two four is?

AHEM - to prove my true citizenship and upbringing...but of course! Ask any TRUE Canadian that question - a case of beer!

Also, of course, a holiday in May (in Canada, we always called Victoria day weekend May 2-4 regardless of whether it fell on our around the 24th or not!)

SheFly

[Trekhawk]

LOL - apparently If I was American I would be from the Northeast.:D
Philadelphia was at the top of the list. Hmm what do you think girls would I blend in in Philadelphia??:

[SheFly]

no, silly, it's "on line"
:D

And in Canada, it's "in line" or "in the queue"....

SheFly

p.s.
Growing up, it was always pop, but living for the past 11 years in MA, now it's soda....

[Pax]

"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.

Guess that's about right. I grew up all over the place but have lived in Central IL a long time (and my Mom is from Southern IL).

[logdiva32]

Inland North:
When I was a kid it was always a pop, back in Buffalo, Ny.
Lived in Colorado at 16 for sports and had to adjust, no one understood me. So majored in English. In a fit you will here the Cuban , New yorker out of me.
My HB laughs every time I say Doll babies (dow, for me) or whataya doen.

[mimitabby]

"The West - Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you are a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta."

I tried, and for the life of me, cannot imagine how Mary, merry, and marry sound different. But then I was born here in Seattle, so I guess it fits.

Java, IM me and I'll call you. I live in Seattle and pronounce them all differently.

[Wahine]

So I'm Canadian, married (not merried or maried) to an Cali boy, traveled extensively and I speak 3 languages. The test says I have no accent. The people I work with would beg to differ.

The funniest stuff is the medical terms. I say cervical sir-vike (like bike)-all, with the emphasis on the vike.
My partner says sir- vick-ull, with the emhasis on the sir. Half the time we can't understand each other. The other thing that's funny is that an ACE bandage in Canada is a tensor bandage. I had a heck of a time trying to get one for one of my clients here. And I say bum to refer to my rear-end, which makes everyone laugh.

Finally, no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to say about like an American.

[mimitabby]

So I'm Canadian, married (not merried or maried) to an Cali boy, traveled extensively and I speak 3 languages. The test says I have no accent. The people I work with would beg to differ.

The funniest stuff is the medical terms. I say cervical sir-vike (like bike)-all, with the emphasis on the vike.
My partner says sir- vick-ull, with the emhasis on the sir. Half the time we can't understand each other. The other thing that's funny is that an ACE bandage in Canada is a tensor bandage. I had a heck of a time trying to get one for one of my clients here. And I say bum to refer to my rear-end, which makes everyone laugh.

Finally, no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to say about like an American.

Wahine, you don't have to say about like an american. So that's how we can tell where you're from :D
My husband does a lot of correspondence with Lloyds of London. He showed me an email that he was writing; "Thank you for your advices" and he said it was CORRECT!!

[Pax]

Wahine, you don't have to say about like an american. So that's how we can tell where you're from :D
My husband does a lot of correspondence with Lloyds of London. He showed me an email that he was writing; "Thank you for your advices" and he said it was CORRECT!!

Most of the UK and Canadian folks here on TE don't have to speak for an American to know where they're from...just look for the extra "U's" (colour, behaviour, honour). :D

[wannaduacentury]

Mine said I was from the midwest. Nothing wrong with that except I was born in bred in Ga and have never lived anywhere else. It did say I had a voice for broadcasting. I don't agree. That was a neat quiz. Thanks for sharing. Jennifer;)

[Aint Doody]

Although I've lived in Eastern OR for 15 years, it nailed me as Southern. 'Course I was in Mississippi for 43 years first.

[DrBadger]

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."

dang and i thought i got rid of the accent. see what happens when you live with a yooper! i don't call my carbonated drinks "pop". my grandma did and i thought it was funny. always called it soda. though does anyone know where the bubbler is? :rolleyes:

dontcha knowder ey?

Got the same one :-) Guess it was that growing up near Milwaukee... have picked up a little bit of the MN O after going to high school there, but not enough to be a true Minnesooootan.

Didn't call it Pop either, I think that southern WI always called it soda. As for the bubbler... I remeber the looks I got the first time I asked for it in MN.... whoops, guess it is called a drinking fountain :rolleyes:

Chick: where in WI are you originally from? I was born in Milwaukee and grew up in the 'burbs near Waukesha.

[Trekhawk]

Got the same one :-) Guess it was that growing up near Milwaukee... have picked up a little bit of the MN O after going to high school there, but not enough to be a true Minnesooootan.

Didn't call it Pop either, I think that southern WI always called it soda. As for the bubbler... I remeber the looks I got the first time I asked for it in MN.... whoops, guess it is called a drinking fountain :rolleyes:

Chick: where in WI are you originally from? I was born in Milwaukee and grew up in the 'burbs near Waukesha.

We called them bubblers at school when I was growing up and Im from a little further afield.:D

[Mr. Bloom]

Totally missed me...born in Massachuesetts, raised in Alabama. Lived in the south most of my life...quiz said I was "Inland North":eek: :eek: :eek: If I was from the "Inland North", I'd sound like it...don't ya' know now derhey?


"Hmmmm...pretty close. I live in southern Indiana, ... But the most recognizable local pronunciation around here (that i do not say) is to pronounce the word "WASH" with an "R" so that it sounds like "WARSH" People who grew up around here don't seem to have much of an accent until they say that word. It's really odd if you ask me"

Silver, you're also forgetting the lousy subject/verb tense around here...you know...everyone around here says "I done this" or "I have went to the store"...:mad: :mad: :mad: It's so common that it's almost accepted grammar

[snapdragen]

I came up as Midland :confused: I grew up in California.

[Veronica]

I came up as North Central and I'm from Maine. :rolleyes:

I do NOT talk like the people in Fargo.

V.

[kelownagirl]

North Central. It says most people would mistake me for a Canadian. Good thing - I am one. :D

[Triskeliongirl]

"You definitely have a Boston accent, even if you think you don't. Of course, that doesn't mean you are from the Boston area, you may also be from New Hampshire or Maine."

We never forget our roots, grew up in a Bston suburb, educated in Boston/Cambridge................ But left 20 years ago........

[emily_in_nc]

My results:


Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard.

Strange. I was born and bred in North Carolina, though I don't think I have much of a southern accent. DH is from Ohio.

Philly?!? The only accent I've ever been accused of besides southern (by people in the midwest) is midwestern (by people in the south).

Philly!?!?! I don't even know how people in Philly talk! :confused:

Emily

[RoadRaven]

LOL Trek!!!

I am from the NorthEast TOO!!! (Most likely Philadelphia or the Inland North)

Go figure... only visited California and that was over 20 years ago for 5 weeks or so!



For you Northern gals, one of the biggest defining words here is the word six.

If you say it like "licks" - you're from NZ

If you say it like "sex" - you're from Aussie - most probably Sydney

And apparently us Kiwis say fush and chups...

[light_sabe_r]

You north easters must sound Aussie/kiwi...

Just adding my Northeast result to Roadraven's. :P

Road raven it's the other way round! Kiwi's say SEX instead of six. At least that's what our COMEDIANS lead us to beleive

[Kimmyt]

Emily, do you say woooter instead of waaahter? That's my biggest philly-ism

They pegged me for Philly right away, I guess it's pretty noticeable. Well, I have lived here all my life!

K.

[Trekhawk]

You north easters must sound Aussie/kiwi...

Just adding my Northeast result to Roadraven's. :P

Road raven it's the other way round! Kiwi's say SEX instead of six. At least that's what our COMEDIANS lead us to beleive

LOL - I need to go visit just to see and report back.

Hee hee yep Kiwis put sex packs in the chilly bun.:D

[Trek420]

"You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." ..... You have a good voice for TV and radio." .... or customer service :rolleyes: :cool: ;) :D

[Trekhawk]

"You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." ..... You have a good voice for TV and radio." .... or customer service :rolleyes: :cool: ;) :D

LOL - trust me you all have accents.:p

[crazycanuck]

K..you can def tell if someone's a kiwi..They say Sux..not siiiiix like people from Seeeedny..

Ian can't get over the fact i still say pop(sometimes), sidewalk(sidewark), closet..Oh and he loves it when i pronunce mirror..(mir space station here for the premier....) He also notices how strong my accent is when I start talking to other Canucks here or on the phone with my Mom.

DUnno about my accent anymore..:( People think i'm irish.

By the way, do people in Fargo really talk & act that funny? I love accents from the southern US, they're quite interesting to listen to.

Light & RR have you seen anything like this but for us down under folks?


c

[Trekhawk]

Kiwi Accent

http://www.kiwivoice.com/

[jeannierides]

I was born and raised in S.C., have lived in Virginia for 20+ years... but I have a NorthEastern accent??? What goes with that?? I've been around them gol durnned Yankees too long, now, ya heah?!;)

[LBTC]

"North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.

Alright, they got the Canadian bit right, since I am. But we do not talk like the people in Fargo!

And Trekhawk had it right. You all have accents. We don't.
Hahahahaha

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[roguedog]

Hey.. weird...

I always thought you all talked just like me!! At least that's what I hear when I read your posts!


Huh... I have a N0rth Central accent.. but am a native californian.

"Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot."

Hhehe.. musta spent too much time up in BC. I LOVE BC.

Funny thing.. in the middle of a meeting, the CTO asked me if I was Canadian :)

[kelownagirl]

I saw Fargo - I don't think we sound ANYTHING like the people in that movie.

Roguedog - where in BC? Been to Kelowna? :)

About the word "about" - I was in a mall in Spokane. A lady came up to me and asked me if I wanted to participate in a survey. I said "About...?" She said "Never mind, you're from out of town." :rolleyes: I had no idea we said it wrong...

[roguedog]

Hey Kelowna,

Been to Victoria, Vancouver.. and a few times just taken the trans-can over to alberta over to jasper (LOVE jasper), edmonton, banff, calgary... One of my favorite trips. just gorgeous country.. or as you all put it "gods country" :)

I always have an itch to do this trip around the fall.

I've also explored campbell river and then on over to nootka sound. another beautiful trip.

of course have gone up to whistler (drove up in a friggin storm.. yes from california)

wanted at one point to just drive across canada but the winter was coming in and thought i'd better not get stranded up there.

never been to kelowna though.. wouldn't mind exploring the okanagan valley for the wines that are popping up there.

oooh.. getting that itch again....

[roguedog]

HEY! You're IN the Okanagan Valley!

[tehj]

This is too funny!
My results:
"Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard."

I was born in Philadelphia and raised in the Philly suburbs. Until moving to southern California less than 2 years ago, I had never left the area except for vacations.

[kiwi girl]

Another down under girl who would be from the North East if I was American.

I remember a few years ago i was on a club med holiday and went for the morning power walk. I got talking to an Australian guy in his 50s who after about five minutes said to me 'I haven't figured out if you are a kiwi or an aussie because we haven't talked about sex' yet

If you understand how Kiwis and Aussies tease each other that was actually pretty funny - even funnier when the next day i found out he was a priest

[crazycanuck]

The thing said i'm from the Inland North...ok..

c

[Bad JuJu]

Hey tehj--I got the same response you did:

Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard.

Well, it's close anyway. I did grow up in New Jersey, but in Newark, closer to NY, not south Jersey. Maybe what the thing is hearing is the influence of my having grown up with grandparents from Georgia, and oh yeah, the last 20+ years I've spent living in the south!:D

[bmccasland]

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.

Just because I'm currently living in the southern US, the locals would beg to differ on my accent, they say I have a midwestern accent. For me mary and marry are the same but merry is different, and I wasn't given that option.

I love taking these things 'cause I was raised in the military. Always have problems with the "where are you from?" question. Do they mean where do I currently live, where did I live last, or where did I grow up? I usually answer, "the Air Force".

As for local vernicular - in New Orleans one "makes groceries" instead of going grocery shopping. Sort of a direct translation of the french. The other that just grates my nerves - people "axe" questions. As in "can I axe you something?"

[LBTC]

HEY! You're IN the Okanagan Valley!

And so am I! about a half hour further north than kelowna

Let us know when you're coming to visit!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[IFjane]

currently[/COLOR] living in the southern US, the locals would beg to differ on my accent, they say I have a midwestern accent. For me mary and marry are the same but merry is different, and I wasn't given that option.

I love taking these things 'cause I was raised in the military. Always have problems with the "where are you from?" question. Do they mean where do I currently live, where did I live last, or where did I grow up? I usually answer, "the Air Force".



bmccasland - I have always had the same problem. I was born, raised & still live in VA - raised by a mother who was from South Carolina. However, my whole life people have asked if I am from Philadelphia! Mom says it was because I grew up outside a military base & was taught by Navy wives - most of whom, according to Mom, were Yankees :eek: :eek: :eek:

According to the survey, I have a midland accent - or lack thereof!

[Haudlady]

This explains it!

My result? "The Midland."

I am born, bred, and raised in New England... both of my parents are also native New Englanders...

Yet, somehow, people say I don't sound like I'm from here... or they say "no, really, where are you from originally?"

[spokewench]

http://gotoquiz.com/what_american_accent_do_you_have


here's what I got:
what did you get?

Your Result: The Northeast

Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.

(born and raised in NJ left when i was 18)


It says I have a midland voice. Which includes southern ohio and missouri. I lived in Cincinnati (s. ohio) from the time I was 5 to college age. I'm origially from Kansas

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, do you say woooter instead of waaahter? That's my biggest philly-ism

Nope, wahter. I think the reason they didn't peg me as a southerner is because I was taught by both my parents (who were well traveled, and my mother a trained actor) to enunciate, and the difference between "pen" and "pin" and "Ben" and "been", which a lot of southerners don't get. I guess the Philly thing came in because I say "Mary" and "merry" the same but "marry" slightly differently. I definitely don't sound like a Philly/south Jersey-ite, though, not in any way!

Emily

[chickwhorips]

Chick: where in WI are you originally from? I was born in Milwaukee and grew up in the 'burbs near Waukesha.

small farm town called mukwonago. though currently its not as small. the farm is no longer there and neither is the house i grew up in. :(



The thing said i'm from the Inland North...ok..

this is why i like you so much! you might not be from there, but you fit in with us well. :)

[DrBadger]

[QUOTE=chickwhorips;167405]small farm town called mukwonago. though currently its not as small. the farm is no longer there and neither is the house i grew up in. :(

I know mukwonago... I grew up in Wales before moving to MN! Gotta love being in the kindergarden and having to learn to spell your address when you live on Caernarvon Rd!

I am sure people are reading some of these WI town names and going mukw..ana...what!?! :-)

[chickwhorips]

i told someone that i work with where i was from, and he said where? mukwonago? where? mukwonago. where? muk-won-a-go. hmmm must be native american. yep!

my address i had to learn was S93W27390 Edgewood Ave, mukwonago, wi 53149
i could say the whole thing in one breath too! i was so proud. wow i still can too!

[bcipam]

I was born and raised in California. Never lived out of it. I took the quiz and it first said North East... huh? No way. Tried it again and got North Central like Minnesota... huh? Although close second was West. Does a California accent ( or lack of any thereof) sounds anything like a Minnesota "Don' ya know..." Fargo like accent?

I think not!

[Haudlady]

My favorite is this... my dad grew up in a town called Weare (pronounced "where")... "Where are you from?" "Yes." Just imagine all of the possibilities... "Where are you going?" "No... I'm going to Boston."

Silly, I know... but fun!:D :rolleyes:

[Fredwina]

My favorite is this... my dad grew up in a town called Weare (pronounced "where")... "Where are you from?" "Yes."
Reimionds me of some town near where I grew up. Like Versailles (VER-sales), and New Madrid ( new MAD(not MAH)-rid), MO and Vienna (VI-anna, not Ve-anna) and Renault(RE-noat), IL

[DebW]

Reimionds me of some town near where I grew up. Like Versailles (VER-sales), and New Madrid ( new MAD(not MAH)-rid), MO and Vienna (VI-anna, not Ve-anna) and Renault(RE-noat), IL

My personal favorites: Campbell (pronounced Camel), MO, the town next to Holcomb (Haw-***) where my grandmother was from. And the Courtois River, locally pronounced Codaway.

[Velobambina]

I grew up in Pittsburgh - got the midland accent too - but we always called soda - pop, never soda, heck I think I used to wonder how soda was different from pop. Of course we had a whole lot of very, very regional words that no one else knew anyway - chipped ham anyone? Not to be "nebby" but btw - what's a bubbler??? - one thing I never picked up though was the habit of saying yins (short for you-all, equivalent to yall in the south)

found a good website www.pittsburghese.com
should be a hoot if you didn't grow up there - may just make me nostalgic

I love you, Eden. I was born and raised in "the Burgh," too. Miss it a lot. How about a hoagie and an ice cold IC? Now yinz go and redd up your room.

[SouthernBelle]

Well, mine said the New York, etc. Which is hysterical. No one would ever mistake me for anything but Southern, a mix of Middle and East Tennessee and Mississippi.

[HappyAnika]

I came up as The West, it fits. I was born in CO and have lived about 70% of my time here. About 12% in AZ and 13% in CA. I'm one of the people who thinks I have no accent and everyone else does.


So I have to ask, does anyone here from PA say "beautiful" like beauty-full? I have a friend from eastern PA and the first time I heard her say that I thought she was joking, I'd never heard it pronounced that way. To me it's butte-ih-full (butte as in mesa, not your backside :D ).

[IFjane]

My personal favorites: Campbell (pronounced Camel), MO, the town next to Holcomb (Haw-***) where my grandmother was from. And the Courtois River, locally pronounced Codaway.

We have them here in Virginia, too. My favorite is the town of Buena Vista - (Beeyouna Vista)...and then way down in Southwest VA there is Dante (Dain't)....and Fries (Freeze)....and locally an intersection where there once was the community of Zeus (Zayus)....

[Duck on Wheels]

Hmm. I tried modifying my answers (sometimes two different answers both seemed to fit). I still came up as Inland North. Not. And my pronunciations never struck me as different from the other kids at school back in the day. So now I'm wondering ... When they ask whether you yourself hear your pronunciation as same or different for, say, cot and caught ... well maybe I hear my pronunciation as different, but that difference is not one recognized by linguists so the test is based on somebody else's "hearing"? Maybe? Or are they basing the California dialect on SoCal, which I vaguely recall as different from NoCal? Anyway ... can somebody from NoCal who got a result Western or California or the like say what answers they gave? I'm just curious.

[Crankin]

Haudlady, another MA town that causes those kind of jokes is Ayer. Pronounced "air," for all you non-New Englanders. When I first moved back here, I was driving around some of the surrounding towns to just sort of figure out how all the local roads were connected. When I crossed the town line, into Ayer, I said out loud, "Oh, we're in Ayer." My kids, who were about 6 and 9 said something like "Gee Mom, what do you mean? Of course we're in air. It's everywhere." This of course, from the child (Scott) who called Scottsdale My-dale for the first five years of his life and Miami, Your-ami. ..

[Kimmyt]

Anika, I've said that before, but it tends to be more of an expression instead of the normal way to say it. Most say it the way you do, but once in a while if I'm feeling over the top or I'm expressing appreciation for something I'll say it that way.

Hmm that doesn't really explain in which situations I would say that word, I don't know if I can describe when I say it that way... I just know that once in awhile it does slip out that way!

:D

[KnottedYet]

Mine was tied: "no-accent" and "west". Grew up in the west just south of the Canadian border, but lived in Scotland for awhile.

Never thought a Canadian or Scottish accent made me sound midwestern!

[Mr. Bloom]

Reimionds me of some town near where I grew up. Like Versailles (VER-sales), and New Madrid ( new MAD(not MAH)-rid), MO and Vienna (VI-anna, not Ve-anna) and Renault(RE-noat), IL

Fredwina: You grew up in Southern Indiana, didn't you?

[LadyinWhite]

Mine said no accent or "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.

Born and raised in Vermont. BUT - I am a speaker by trade and I consciously worked to get rid of any hillbilly sound to my voice. My family all speak with a thick accent.

[eofelis]

"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.

I was born in the North Shore area of Massachusetts. Moved to Wyoming at 25, now I'm in western Colorado. Never have more than passed through the Midland.

I do add an "r" occasionally on to the end of a word that doesn't need one.

Few people would guess that I'm from New England, but I can sure spot a NE accent when they show up around here.

[eofelis]

Haudlady, another MA town that causes those kind of jokes is Ayer. Pronounced "air," for all you non-New Englanders. When I first moved back here, I was driving around some of the surrounding towns to just sort of figure out how all the local roads were connected. When I crossed the town line, into Ayer, I said out loud, "Oh, we're in Ayer." My kids, who were about 6 and 9 said something like "Gee Mom, what do you mean? Of course we're in air. It's everywhere." This of course, from the child (Scott) who called Scottsdale My-dale for the first five years of his life and Miami, Your-ami. ..

I went ot high school in "Hayvrill." My mom grew up in "Glosstah." I've never been to "Wistah."

[eofelis]

This explains it!

My result? "The Midland."

I am born, bred, and raised in New England... both of my parents are also native New Englanders...

Yet, somehow, people say I don't sound like I'm from here... or they say "no, really, where are you from originally?"

As a native New Englander (Ipswich, MA), I got the same result.

[Fredwina]

Fredwina: You grew up in Southern Indiana, didn't you?

"I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockle burs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me!"
Getting that out of the way,
I'm from the City of Jackson, Mo(not to be confused with Jackson County,MO) population when I Graduated High school : 7827. It's about 120 miles south of Saint Louis and is next door to Cape Girardeau(Cape Ge-RAH-do, or just Cape:) ) Some towns did manage to avoid the mangled french pronunciation. OF course , you should hear my try and pronounce Rancho Cucamonga (she's still at Cocomungo :rolleyes: )

[laughlaugh18]

Or are they basing the California dialect on SoCal

If they are, it's not the SoCal I grew up in. My answers made me "Midland", but I'm a born and bred Valley Girl, from long before Moon Unit came up with the song!!

OTOH, I took their Los Angeles quiz (under their State quizzes), and on that quiz I came up as "100% Angeleno and proud of it". Go figure.

And, yes, SoCal is different from NoCal.

[Crankin]

Surly Pacer,

Apparently only people who live in or next to Worcester say "Wister." I worked in Shrewsbury (Shoosbry to some) and that was the first time I heard that pronounciation. I spent some time in Worcester as a kid, my mom's family was from there, and none of them said that! Yes, my dad worked in Hayvril when I was a kid... I used to make fun of my husband when we first moved back here. He would pronounce everything like an outsider "Haver-hill."
When I had been here a week, I called a bakery in Lowell for directions to get there from Rt. 3 (I was living on the NH border at the time). First, all I heard was a muffled "blah, blah, blah." Then when I asked for the nearest cross street, the woman said "What's that?" I hung up in frustration. Here I was, a native New Englander, and I could not understand her. I was not used to giving directions by land marks. In AZ, especially in the east valley, people give directions by, well, direction; like I live one block south of Elliiot Rd., between Rural and McClintock. Well, now after 17 years, I am used to it! But, I have to say, around where I live, very few people have the Boston accent anymore.

[SheFly]

Haudlady, another MA town that causes those kind of jokes is Ayer. Pronounced "air," for all you non-New Englanders. When I first moved back here, I was driving around some of the surrounding towns to just sort of figure out how all the local roads were connected. When I crossed the town line, into Ayer, I said out loud, "Oh, we're in Ayer." My kids, who were about 6 and 9 said something like "Gee Mom, what do you mean? Of course we're in air. It's everywhere." This of course, from the child (Scott) who called Scottsdale My-dale for the first five years of his life and Miami, Your-ami. ..

When I first moved here from Canada, the biggest challenge I had was passing road signs telling me No. Reading. I couldn't figure out why they didn't want me to read there... From there, I passed another sign saying Reading - so now it was ok? Totally flabbergasting until I figured out that it was North Reading (pronounced Red-ing)...

SheFly

[7rider]

As a native New Englander (Ipswich, MA), I got the same result.

I finally did this test. I got "Inland North" and never set foot in Chicago (well, I've sat in their airports a time or two waiting for connections, but that's it) or come remotely close to Wisconsin. I was born and raised in New England (Connecticut - although I did live for a time in Ipswich, MA - and Gloucester!). When I first moved to Gloucester from CT, folks asked me if I was from New York, as I have - to their ears - more of a New York accent. Maybe it was just my attitude as I think the comment usually came after I yelled at the Gloucester drivers! :o

[7rider]

I was not used to giving directions by land marks.

Old timers in Gloucester MA give directions by where things USED to be. Like "Oh, it's down by where the Finast was. Right next to the old Radio Shack." Well, uh....there hasn't been a Finast in town for 20 years, nor is there a Radio Shack nearby!!!

[tattiefritter]

Mine was tied: "no-accent" and "west". Grew up in the west just south of the Canadian border, but lived in Scotland for awhile.

Never thought a Canadian or Scottish accent made me sound midwestern!


I'm Scottish, grew up near Edinburgh but now live in England. I have visited Boston once! I can perceive differences between American and Canadian accents but I think they are pretty subtle in comparison to British accents.

[Kimmyt]

Robyn, re: the directions thing

I think us east-coasters, especially those of us from near the old cities, give directions by landmarks because, well, with all those twisty turn city streets you can never be sure if you're going north, south, east or west!

My bf is from Indiana. He's used to going 'ok so I need to end up North of here. So I'll take this road North and it'll take me there'. Whereas, around here a N-S road may at any point in time turn into a W-E road, take you an infinitely long time to get you anywhere (but sure does look pretty doing so), or turn into another road completely! There's a few roads near where my parents live that have at least 3 names. When he first came here, it sure got him confused trying to get somewhere!

K.

[uk elephant]

I got placed in Wisconsin....not too out of place I suppose. Spent 4 years in Madison and almost 5 years in Illinois. Although my accent is getting more confused now. I'm picking up more and more English pronounciations, even Northern English (which always makes BF very happy as he is from the Wirrall near Liverpool). Our plan is to hopefully move to Wales next year. could give me a very strange accent....

[East Hill]

Born in Swinton, Lancashire. Dragged to the United States at a young age (10 months!). Started off in Norwalk, California. Up to San Jose, California by age 11. Shook the adobe off my heels around age 20 for the slightly greener hills of Santa Rosa, California.

After the week when the temperature NEVER got below 100 degrees Fahrenheit, I decided it was time to move on. Have lived in Puget Sound since 1980.

Quiz told me I was from the Northeast.

Could it be the British parents, who influenced my speech patterns until I started attending school?

East Hill

[Crankin]

Well, about the giving directions according to be what USED to be there. I had not run into that before, and I grew up in Newton and I lived in Tyngsborough and Boxborough before moving to Concord last year. I discovered that in my neighborhood, your house is referred to by the name of the original owner! So, according to them, I live in the "Jone's" house. Now this neighborhood is not a bunch of old Victorians from the 1700s. They are all contemporary houses built in the 70s. I got really mad at a woman at a neighborhood meeting when she asked which house I lived in. When she said "Oh the Jone's house," I replied, no I live in MY house.

[HillSlugger]

The quiz told me I have an "Inland North" accent, but anyone who knows me can peg that I'm from Long Island (and no, I don't pronounce that as Lawn Gyland) even though I swear I don't have a Long Island accent.:rolleyes:

[ace]

wow. it pegged me. I've lived in California for 20 years, but it knew I am originally from Boston :-)

[Deanna]

It got me all wrong - born and raised in California, but it says I'm a midland. For those who are interested in American dialects, visit:

http://cfprod01.imt.uwm.edu/Dept/FLL/linguistics/dialect/

This was an advanced dialect survey conducted over the internet with many, many more detailed questions (I think it took me almost an hour to complete it). The survey is now closed but the results can be fun to explore. Maybe I'm nerdy this way, but I think it's fascinating.

[Dianyla]

Another dialect mutt here. I was raised in SoCal until the age of 16, then lived in Spain and Canada for a year each, then have lived in Portland for the last 11 years. Anyway, this quiz thinks I'm Inland North, runnerup being the Midland. A few years ago I took another similar quiz that pegged me as having a southern twang. I think I know what the problem is... it's my friends and coworkers!

When I used to work with this woman from Georgia, I got the "are you southern?" question all the time. Last year I had a coworker from Minneesohda and even though she's been gone for 9 months now I'm still working on recovering from that one. Just last week at the doctor's office the receptionist said "Oh your accent is so cute where are you from?" and I just said "huh??" She couldn't quite place it, though. She just knew I wasn't from 'round here.

The other thing that happens - I tend to intentionally pronounce words somewhat literally. So when my mind knows that "collar" and "caller" are written differently, I consciously pronounce them in a way that makes sense to me. I don't like ambiguous homonyms! :rolleyes:

[singletrackmind]

If I've got this midland thing going on as stated then why do people always ask if I'm from Canada, Michigan or the Northeast? :confused:
(From Maine, living in the midwest)

[bmccasland]

So I've lived here 4 years... after living in Phoenix for 10 (with a detour to far NoCal inbetween). In Phoenix directions and streets are N, S, E, & W for the most part.
But not in N.O., oh no! Up river, down river, towards the river, or towards the lake. Technically you drive east to the "west bank" if you go across the bridge closest to the "CBD" (central business district). I still get lost.

I miss mountains, and topography.

[bikerz]

Your Result: Philadelphia

Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard.

Hmm - I've only visited Philadelphia once (but I do like cheesesteak).

I was born in NYC, lived in East Africa until I was almost 9 (with a very British accent), then outside DC until high school, went to high school in Maine, and have lived in Northern CA ever since. Maybe Maryland + British = Philadephia?

[chickwhorips]

In Phoenix directions and streets are N, S, E, & W for the most part.
But not in N.O., oh no! Up river, down river, towards the river, or towards the lake. Technically you drive east to the "west bank" if you go across the bridge closest to the "CBD" (central business district). I still get lost.

thats what i loved about phoenix. you could never get lost! i always knew how to find my way home. pick that one road you know where it goes, and follow it back home. thankfully anchorage is similar, only a few roads your not sure about.