Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
- Cot-caught merger exists in all of the West (aside from San Francisco), it's only in transition in the lower Midwestern area.
- Some places in the lower Midwest (not all though) use the pin-pen merger.
I've noticed Midwesterners also speak with a rougher sort of voice.
Dialect-wise, there are obvious diffences in terms used to describe things (i.e. a carbonated beverage can be soda, pop, or coke depending on where you live).
To most Americans. Midwesterners and West Coasters sound almost the same with exceptions for the Great Lakes and Upper Midwestern accents.
But are there any noticeable regional differences the way someone from Kansas City and the way someone from San Diego speak aside from slang?
I used to work for a publishing company that did all of its printing out of a plant in Independence, MO, and I would regularly talk to several different people down there over the phone. To my Minnesotan ears, people in the Kansas City area have just a teeny, tiny hint of a Southern twang. It's only barely noticeable, but definitely not what I would call a "neutral" Midwestern accent.
The areas of the Midwest where I would say there's a "neutral" accent would be in a wide swath from the entire state of Nebraska, the southern half of Iowa, far northern Missouri, central Illinois, the northern half of Indiana, and the northern half of Ohio. Otherwise, the areas south of this area have slightly (or even full-blown) Southern accents, and areas north of this area have Upper Midwestern accents.
However, I wouldn't say that an average person from Lincoln, Nebraska, Peoria, Illinois, or Akron, Ohio have the same accent as an average person from the West Coast. This "midland" area of the Midwest has truly neutral, "General American" accents. The West Coast has a completely different accent.
People up and down the West Coast pronounce their vowels as if everything is an 'O' sound — as if they're talking with a mouthful of food.
"Mohm, con you put thot letter in the mailbohx? Dod forgot about ot".
I used to work for a publishing company that did all of its printing out of a plant in Independence, MO, and I would regularly talk to several different people down there over the phone. To my Minnesotan ears, people in the Kansas City area have just a teeny, tiny hint of a Southern twang. It's only barely noticeable, but definitely not what I would call a "neutral" Midwestern accent.
The areas of the Midwest where I would say there's a "neutral" accent would be in a wide swath from the entire state of Nebraska, the southern half of Iowa, far northern Missouri, central Illinois, the northern half of Indiana, and the northern half of Ohio. Otherwise, the areas south of this area have slightly (or even full-blown) Southern accents, and areas north of this area have Upper Midwestern accents.
However, I wouldn't say that an average person from Lincoln, Nebraska, Peoria, Illinois, or Akron, Ohio have the same accent as an average person from the West Coast. This "midland" area of the Midwest has truly neutral, "General American" accents. The West Coast has a completely different accent.
People up and down the West Coast pronounce their vowels as if everything is an 'O' sound — as if they're talking with a mouthful of food.
"Mohm, con you put thot letter in the mailbohx? Dod forgot about ot".
I'd say this is mostly a California only thing. People in Oregon and Washington don't talk like thot.
They actually do, although it's not quite as exaggerated and severe as in California. Canadians also have a similar accent.
Westerners also pronounce the word "bag" like "bay-og" with a diphthong in the middle, and "pop" like "pohp", instead of "pawp". Experiment sounds like "ex-PAIR-ment" in the West instead of "ex-peer-ih-ment".
They actually do, although it's not quite as exaggerated and severe as in California. Canadians also have a similar accent.
Westerners also pronounce the word "bag" like "bay-og" with a diphthong in the middle, and "pop" like "pohp", instead of "pawp". Experiment sounds like "ex-PAIR-ment" in the West instead of "ex-peer-ih-ment".
Hmm... I've lived in the western portion of the US and Canada for my entire life, and I've never heard anyone say "bay-og"... Likewise the difference between ""ex-PAIR-ment" and "ex-peer-ih-ment" probably just differs by person, but most of the time I've heard people say the second one.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
