[denverian]

Originally Posted by Southlander

This would be the British accent that was current during Shakespeare's time.

Who said the Western accent is "standard?" I've heard Midwestern accents referred to as a type of "standard" because they're prevalent among TV announcers.

But again...who said what is standard?

The people in charge of accents, of course!

Probably because its easy to understand, widely used, and then TV anchors use it across the country. I've never heard a news anchor person speak with a thick, southern accent before, or strong Brooklyn accent, or Minnesota accent. They all sound the same, which is the dominant accent in the West.

[PortCity]

I agree the western accents are nutural so I wouldn`t say they have accents realy.

[Future Trooper]

When I went on a class trip a few years back to Huntsville( I am from Indiana) I was expecting to hear "deep" Southern/Slang accent but was somewhat dissappointed to barely hear it during my stay down there.

[A&M Bulldawg]

I'm in Huntsville right now, and the southern accent is here and strong.

[dimpelss]

Originally Posted by MobileBornAnraised

the southern accent is not dying. I think some are thicker then others but maybe some southerners are to southern to hear southern accent.(when my oldest son was little we called him forrest as in "Gump" because when he talked he sounded like the little boy that played forrest. Now he is almost grown we dont notice him havin a accent. All 3 of my kids have accents and manners. whats starting to die and is missing from the southern way of life seems to be kids with manners. Grandma's peach tree switch anyone? lol

Lol Aman to the peach tree switch

[dimpelss]

Originally Posted by denverian

Oregon and Washington don't have their own accent. They're included in the Western Dialect that stretces from San Diego to Seattle to Denver and Albuquerque. I've never heard anyone dislike it though, as it's considered standard American English!

I can think of one time when someone commented on my accent in the South (being from Denver/Southern California) and a womand said to us, "Y'all must be from the North the way ya'll talk so pre-sahs".

Personally I find some southern accents to be eloquent, while others, especially the "back woods hick" accents that rip apart the English language to be annoying - especially because they're difficult to understand. I don't like North Carolina accents either, the way they would stay, "Right, Fight, Might" like "Rot, Fought, Mot".

Nobody can help how they pronounce their words especially if you have a Southern accent, so yea sometimes they may be difficult to understand but don't call it annoying. Heck all you got was a comment from her well I live in Mi now and I'm from Tx when I first moved here my boyfriends family made fun of my accent all the time, they sounded to proper for me and I sounded too Texan for them and they still talk about me till this day.