San Francisco Accent... (San Leandro: home, gangs, diverse)

[tande1n5]

Originally Posted by NorthernCalifornia

it would you take you several years living in California to learn the different 'accents' of the various regions. a big difference is that the pronunciation, tone and pacing vary which facilitates the use of different vocabulary/slang based on how it sounds within that particular localized accent.

if you want to hear any particular area's accent just get yourself around a group of people from that area who know each other. it'll come out like water. outside of their localized groups most Coastal Californians know how to talk in a standard, plain-spoken American English that in its delivery can be recognized as eastern. The accent is nothing like Jersey, say.

Hm, interesting that I can't pick it out then, must have poorly trained ears... born in SF, and never lived outside of California, and aside from the Valley girl speech where everything ends like a question, or people with drawls simply from laziness, I just can't pick anything up... Californians to me default to "standard midwestern"... the newsman accent... I guess people can pick out the "eastern" delivery in me, however.

[jzt83]

My cousin was born and raised in the East Bay and has a definite accent that sounds east coastish.

[Hobart]

Not sure about a San Francisco accent, but I can tell a California accent by what I call a sunny sounding voice. It is very standard American English, but there is a difference. Several of my friends from California sound the same and I can always guess when I meet new people from California if they have this similarity.

They all seem to sound like the native San Francisco actress Alicia Silverstone. Granted her parents were originally from the UK, but she was born and raised in the San Francisco area and went to San Mateo High School. I call her accent the Sunny Californian accent.

FYI: I am from the Washington DC area.

[jessemh431]

Do you guys have accents? In DC?

[aswedc]

as an east coast native, I think the differences in language consist entirely of one word - "hella". I find it kinda funny that everything else is pretty much exactly the same.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by Hobart

They all seem to sound like the native San Francisco actress Alicia Silverstone. Granted her parents were originally from the UK, but she was born and raised in the San Francisco area and went to San Mateo High School.

I actually grew up with Alicia... we took semi-private ballet classes together, did community theater together, and briefly attended the same school (I went to SM High for senior year). Hate to say it, but she was kind of a snob. And yes, her parents are British, but she was born and raised in the Bay Area - born in San Francisco, grew up in Hillsborough, to be exact. Anyway, I do know what you mean about her "California accent."

FYI: I am from the Washington DC area.

Me too! I was born in Silver Spring, MD, and then lived in Rockville until moving here when I was 7 (1983). And to jesse, yes people from DC/MD have a distinct accent, but it depends on where you're from... people from Baltimore kinda slur their words (it's Baaaallmore, LOL) & say "warsh" for "wash." People from DC & southern MD sound almost like Philadelphians, but with a little southern twang. Hard to explain!

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by aswedc

as an east coast native, I think the differences in language consist entirely of one word - "hella". I find it kinda funny that everything else is pretty much exactly the same.

You're hella stereotyping us... we totally don't say that hella often, dude. I do use that word waaay too much, and my relatives back east often make fun of me for it.

[rah]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

You're hella stereotyping us... we totally don't say that hella often, dude.

C'mon your underutilizing the word!

I think you mean:

"You're hella stereotyping us hella much... we hella don't say that hella often, dude."

That's more like it. Most diverse word in the English language.

[FunForYou]

Originally Posted by jessemh431

So, I've heard there's a San Francisco accent, reflecting that of the East Coast. Is it true? Has anyone noticed it?

I have heard no such thing and I am from here and travel all over the country.

[FunForYou]

Originally Posted by aswedc

as an east coast native, I think the differences in language consist entirely of one word - "hella". I find it kinda funny that everything else is pretty much exactly the same.

Hella is a local word. Southpark stole it when they moved here.