[danielj72]

Originally Posted by idw2s

No, I've heard it too. Only, it's almost like Tennessee with a hint of Fargo.... A mere whiff.

EIghty years ago many many southerners migrated to Michigan for jobs. If you go into some towns, usually places near where a car plant was or is you can hear a hint of southern influence in local speech. This is likely why metro Detroit accents are a little different from those in the rest of the state. Overall Michigans accent is typical midwest/upper midwest, but every once in a while you will hear a hint of that southern influence brought here by the auto boom several generations ago.

[Voyageur97]

Most annoying of all is the "I wish I was British" pretentious accent of Californians. Especially when they say the word "car". Sounds like they're summoning Jeeves to get the Bentley.

Southerners speak so ridiculously slowly that anyone working off the farm doesn't have all day to listen to them utter one simple sentence.

The strongest accent prize goes solidly to the people of Boston and the NE states in general. The Michigan accent, at least among educated folk, is no where near as strong as Minnesota or the nasal Wisconsin accent.

I lived for 20 years in MI, 6 in Chicago, and 11 in NC so I've had a pretty good sampling. Please, let's argue more: Voyageur972aol.com

[DaniellaG]

I agree it is the A. I have lived in a few other states and people tell me that. I remember when I waited tables in NJ I said would you like a pop and they were like what? I still say soda now.

[mkfarnam]

No one in Michigan has an accent .............to me. But if someone has an accent to you, you can be sure that you have an accent to them.
I found later after moving to California that it's not always a different twang in the voice, but the choice of words different states use or how they use them.
Like in Michigan, you guys say, just that "you guys" and "pop".
In California people use "you people" "you all" and "soda" instead of "pop".

In Oklahoma, all born an Okie has a soft southern drawl. They say Y'all and "pop and soda".
If you've heard Reba McEntire or Garth Brooks. You've heard an OK accent.

I've been all over this country. I think that the NJ "New Joisey" is one of the stongest accents and Georgia second. But that's my opinion. There are some states that I've never beent to, like some of the New England states.

[mrslovettstailor]

EVERYONE has an accent, it changes by geographic areas as small as several miles. No one hears it in themselves so no matter where you are from most people don't think of themselves as having an accent because you cannot hear it, unless you purposely exaggerate your words.

[cuteangel79]

i know it differs where in the state you are as to how you talk as in the speed northern vs southern michigan is different. I grew up and now live back home in Stockbridge, MI and went to school at CMU so i noticed that

but maybe its just us that dont think we have an accent cause all the other accents seem to stick out more to us than ours or we just blend in up here.

[cuteangel79]

wow that video about the flooding sound so much like the people around where i live so i guess im rural michigan and to me that doesn't sound like an accent lol

[jeffredo]

Originally Posted by O.F.C.L.N.

Bot and bought, tot and taught, and not and naught are also homophones for most Californians. They literally cannot comprehend how these could be different sounds. Michiganders were taught proper English, and maintain a distinction between these words. San Francisco is the only urban area on the West Coast resisting the low-back merger (bless them).

Thanks for that comment. I was reading another post saying we have that "low-back merger" in California and listing those commonly merged words. I kept thinking "I don't do that!". Fourth generation San Franciscan here. As a matter of fact, my grandparents on my mom's side had an almost Brooklyn type accent - especially grandpa. Even though that San Francisco accent is dead (or nearly so) it may explain why we haven't succumbed to that merger.

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by jeffredo

Thanks for that comment. I was reading another post saying we have that "low-back merger" in California and listing those commonly merged words. I kept thinking "I don't do that!". Fourth generation San Franciscan here. As a matter of fact, my grandparents on my mom's side had an almost Brooklyn type accent - especially grandpa. Even though that San Francisco accent is dead (or nearly so) it may explain why we haven't succumbed to that merger.

I was born and raised in Michigan.
In "1972" I moved to So California and lived there until 2007.
Through the years, I've noticed that the So Cal accent isn't much different that then Michigan accent. One difference is: example: the word DIVORCE is pronounced D-EE-VORCE, or the I is EE in So Cal.
In some other states, it's more of a change in words,.......or in other words, it's "what's" said, instead of "how" it's said that makes a difference.

[jmlowman]

Originally Posted by Voyageur97

Most annoying of all is the "I wish I was British" pretentious accent of Californians. Especially when they say the word "car". Sounds like they're summoning Jeeves to get the Bentley.

I've lived in southern California for 35 years and have not heard any Californians speak this way. Most annoying here is the Valley Girl/surfer dude-speak.

Southerners speak so ridiculously slowly that anyone working off the farm doesn't have all day to listen to them utter one simple sentence.

California is just the opposite. In the teens and 20s, it's like a speed-talking contest. That, and slurring syllables and words together.