How many different 'American accents' would you say there are? (schools, living in)

[mcd637]

Recently, I've taken up an interest in different accents, and I just want to hear what other people have to say about it, and how certain things are pronounced in your part of the country. Most people have said that people here, in Colorado (along with most of the Midwest) have the most 'neutral' American accent. Is that true? If there's somewhere else this should have been posted, I apologize.

[MB8abovetherim]

California and Arizona are neutral too. Other than that. I can get blown away by all the types of accents an dialects that go on just in this country.

[annie_himself]

One bazillion different accents.
Much too many to count realistically.

[pw72]

The funny thing is the so-called "neutral accents" are not considered "neutral" in many areas of the country, because that isn't "them".

However, a neutral accent can probably be described best as a "network" accent, in other words, what you hear on national news broadcasts. If that is true, then the Midwest, the Rockies, and the Pacific Northwest probably are most "neutral". The lack of accents is probably most profound in these areas, though I will give certain areas in the midwest, such as Chicago, and Michigan/Wisconsin a pass, as there are certain patterns there.

[danielj72]

Originally Posted by pw72

The funny thing is the so-called "neutral accents" are not considered "neutral" in many areas of the country, because that isn't "them".

However, a neutral accent can probably be described best as a "network" accent, in other words, what you hear on national news broadcasts. If that is true, then the Midwest, the Rockies, and the Pacific Northwest probably are most "neutral". The lack of accents is probably most profound in these areas, though I will give certain areas in the midwest, such as Chicago, and Michigan/Wisconsin a pass, as there are certain patterns there.

Michigan/Wisconsin accent??? Ders no accent in da upper midwest eh. We talk aboout like everyone else eh. lol

[pw72]

Originally Posted by danielj72

Michigan/Wisconsin accent??? Ders no accent in da upper midwest eh. We talk aboout like everyone else eh. lol

touche'

[PA2UK]

A lot more than you might think:

North American English regional phonology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[sunnyandcloudydays]

Any simple explanation with a southern drawl.
Where it originated from and why?

I have noticed traveling the South the variations are distinct.

In addition living in the Midwest accents vary

Wisconsin, MN, Parts of Michigan have a very distinct sound
Parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois almost sound southern but not like the southern variations in SC, TN

I have also wondered on occasion if people in France , Germany and other countries have a dialect and if the foreign people notice our dialect variations or if it all just sounds the same to them.

[PA2UK]

Originally Posted by sunnyandcloudydays

I have also wondered on occasion if people in France , Germany and other countries have a dialect

They generally do. Particularly German, which is spoken in several countries.

German dialects - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

and if the foreign people notice our dialect variations or if it all just sounds the same to them.

It possibly sounds the same to them, especially if English is not their first language. Even here in the UK, most people only seem to notice the most extreme American accents or dialects - a thick southern accent versus a stereotypical NYC accent.

[cab591]

PA2UK is correct. In Germany, the "standardized German" is called Hochdeutsch, and is taught in schools. There are several different "regional accents" though. Most non-native German speakers have difficulty understanding Austrian accents, and Swiss German is nearly considered another language (Many words are said and spelled very differently, and there's a heavy French influence). In German, the word for "I" is "Ich". In the southern state of Bayern, you'll hear the "ch" kind of hiss from the back of the throat, while a Berliner would pronounce it more like "Ik". This is just one of many examples.

As far as hearing English accents, it's exactly what you would expect. Many non-native English speakers cannot tell the difference in English accents! You can have a Brit, an Australian, and an American in the same room, and they wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

Back to the topic of "American accents", I think it's a bit hard to count. For example, I can hear a difference between an Ohioan, and a Kentuckian (Covington area, right across the river from Ohio). Obviously, if we talk about minute differences, there's thousands of "American accents". If I had to group the American accents, it'd be something like this:

Yankee -- New England, mixing down into New York metro area.
Southern -- Tennessee, down. Includes parts of Virginia, stretching West to eastern Texas.
Ohio Valley -- This includes everything from Western PA to IN, up into southern MI, and down to TN.
Midwestern -- Everything between the Mississippi River, west to the California coast.
Northern -- watered down Canadian accent. This is heard in places like Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Midwestern and Ohio Valley could probably be "merged", based on most people's perceptions, but I hear such a big difference that I can easily tell them apart. Ohio Valley's accent is like Midwestern, with some Southern influence, at Yankee speeds. So, dividing them like this, you could count roughly 4 or 5 American accents. Midwestern would be the "typical American" accent. Very neutral-sounding, understood by most Americans.

In order to create these broad groups, though, certain regional accents get tossed in, even though there's large differences. The cajun accent might get tossed in the "Southern" group, even though it has a heavy French influence, unlike any other Southern accent. The Brooklyn/Queens accent, the Jersey accent, and the Boston accent would all be categorized as "Northern", even though locals can easily spot the difference.

A great way to distinguish these accents is with the following phrase:

"I'm going to go walk the dog in the forest."

Also, look for word choices. "Y'all" vs "You guys". "Soda/Pop/Cola/Coke". These differences are easy to spot, and differ regionally.