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There ARE regional variations, but they are oh-so-subtle. You have to have a real ear for accents in order to pick up on them. Southern California, Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, the Mountain West, and the Southwest all have their own variations.
06-27-2010, 02:52 AM
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To backdrifter: I definitely noticed a general regional accent for Northern and Southern California, the Rocky Mountain Inner West, and Southwest, and for people of all races/ethnicities for the most part for those regions sort of having the same accent but what is the general Pacific Northwest accent!?
In particular, many people say that the Seattle area has one of the most "neutral" regional accents in the country. I think I agree with that. It doesnt really seem that there is a general regional accent. I guess this is since the Seattle area gets people and transplants from all over. But places like Los Angeles get people from all over, but somehow, there just seems to be a more regional accent there. Same with Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco etc.
I've met some native Seattleites whose accents were obviously influenced by the Canadian and/or Upper Midwest accents. I've met some people in Wyoming and Montana that sounded fairly similar to my dad, a native West Texan.
Or does the entire western 40% of America speak a California accent?
To answer that, one would have to define "the West", I would think. States west of the Mississippi River are often considered "western", but they are usually grouped, in terms of history and culture, with "eastern" states with linguistic similarties being part of the reason. For instance, Kansas, Midwest and Texas, South.
I can easily tell a typical Texas accent (even though, really, there isnt one) as being Southern American English. I can tell Kansas is Midwestern. But getting out into the true West (i.e. Rocky Mountain and Interior Soutwest and Pacific Coast) is much harder. It seems a mix that is hard to pin down. Now, my fiance can tell a difference in the true western states...but maybe that is because she is a native of Colorado and lived for quite a while in Nevada and California! LOL
Generally it is not too distinct for the most part once you get west of around the 100th parrallel. I do wonder if there is an exception to the rule as it relates to Utah due to its history?
Californians don't have an accent... But we say certain words differently, at least that's what I'm told.
I have family in SD and spend about 3 weeks there a year and I can tell there is an accent among San Diegans
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