okay, this will prove where you're from

[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...stics/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!