How many accents does Texas have? (Houston, Dallas: high school, military, shop)

[Tom Lennox 70]

I've visited DFW and Abilene and the accent there definitely feels more "western" and lighter than southern accents in Virginia, North Carolina, or Arkansas. I imagine East Texas would be more like Arkansas and Louisiana though. I was also surprised how many Hispanics from Texas do NOT speak with a Spanish accent and many have the southern and western accents even. This was cool cause in Maryland here almost all Hispanics are recent arrivals and don't speak much English at all.

In Dallas it seems there's not much of an accent and people sound like they could be from anywhere. On that note, Fort Worth and westwards does feel more western while Dallas feels like it can be anywhere in the country despite its Southern roots. The interesting thing is I've travelled to many places and Dallas especially has an all-American feel with little regional distinctions, at least compared to the southern genteelness of Richmond, the Bible Belt feel of southern VA, or the abrasive Northeast feel of New York and DC.

[Denda]

I was born and raised in Texas. I have never lived anywhere else.
I have NEVER called coke - soda or pop! To me that is a Northern thing.
Oil is not "all". I would "take someone to the store" not "carry them".
I did have a Pap-pa and a Mam-ma.
I grew up around Lubbock and now live North of Amarillo. To me the young people from the Dallas or Houston areas sound nothing like Texans.

[catman]

My grandfather called it "pop", but that was long ago. He died in 1984 at age 87. Everyone I know calls a soft drink by its specific brand name.

[BillyH]

Originally Posted by Denda

I was born and raised in Texas. I have never lived anywhere else.
I have NEVER called coke - soda or pop! To me that is a Northern thing.
Oil is not "all". I would "take someone to the store" not "carry them".
I did have a Pap-pa and a Mam-ma.
I grew up around Lubbock and now live North of Amarillo. To me the young people from the Dallas or Houston areas sound nothing like Texans.

I grew up in Texas and my kids are natives and we say Mom and Dad.

[Texasboy123]

Originally Posted by AlGreen

i honestly haven't heard enough native austinites speak to know what their accent sounds like, but assume it's just like the rest of central texas

the houston accent is definitely NOT standard american, and many born and bred (probably not most) houstonians have a considerably thick southern drawl. usually, the only ones who speak "standard american" are those who might of grown up in the outskirts or more upper class areas where there might be a high concentration of people not from the area

I was born and raised in Houston and I do not have a southern accent!!! And everyone that I talk to here was born here!!!!
YouTube - Texas accent

[Texasboy123]

YouTube - Texas accent (with music)
i was bored haha I did not mean to say that not everyone here in Texas talk with a country accent!!!

[Canine*Castle]

Texasboy123 ... You speak very well and sound just like I do and I'm from California. I really never understood why some people raised in the south speak with an accent and some don't. I live in rural Texas and many of the kids around here speak as you do but there are some who have accents so thick, I can hardly understand them.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

Texasboy123 ... You speak very well and sound just like I do and I'm from California. I really never understood why some people raised in the south speak with an accent and some don't. I live in rural Texas and many of the kids around here speak as you do but there are some who have accents so thick, I can hardly understand them.

Exactly. It's not just the big cities that have neutral accents in Texas ,but small cities as well. In Waco; you can find many people who sound like Texasboy. I want to post up my accent because I don't think I really have a southern accent because many people say I sound like I'm from NOVA or DC.

[AlGreen]

Originally Posted by Texasboy123

I was born and raised in Houston and I do not have a southern accent!!! And everyone that I talk to here was born here!!!!
YouTube - Texas accent

lol okay that's fine, but many born and bred houstonians do have a heavy accent. it's usually going to be people from lower income neighborhoods where there are not as many outsiders. it's pretty clear that the way you talk is influenced by the many transplants in the houston area

[Redlionjr]

I love accent threads here's my take

Houston/Beamount/PAT area-has a southern accent mixed with some South Louisiana dialect(trust me trace back alot of the fam tree of ppl who live in Houston esp black people and there fam will more then likely come from Louisiana or east texas) ex: here>>> heya/ down>>>dwon(or somethin like that)..just listen to those down,town,round sounds you will def. only find that in that area of Texas and that I-10 stretch

DFW metroplex area- def. has a southern accent on top of some dialect that you would find in east texas and the midwest or specifically the black ppl... ex: here>>>hurrrr/ there>>>thurrr

Central Texas(Waco/Temple/Killeen)- I think Waco has the thickest southern accents out of Cen. Texas and surrounding small towns like Mexia,Hillsboro and plus it's pretty close to Dallas and is pretty much right dap in the middle of Texas..but when it comes to places like Killeen or Temple..you hear an accent but not as thick..well Killeen it's so many transplant I don't really hear it unless there from another southern state

Austin/San Antonio- I think this area has it's fair share of southern accents but it will probably be more neatural then any part of the state..even alot of brothas n sistas coming out this area the accents arent as thick..it's more like pockets of southern accents more so then droves like other areas

East Texas- the area I was born and raised at the accents are super thick..esp. the smaller the area..I noticed certain words we pronounce at times sound like ppl from Southeast, ex: block>>>blOOOck(put the emphasis on the O and sometimes people don't pronounce the s in words(but it's not as bad as in Georgia)

As far as me growing up in East Texas aka Southern South aka Ark-La-Tex I've heard the countriest of the country(and that might have been country)..I've heard Oil pronounced with a r somewhere in there..matter fact a R is thrown anywhere in words it has no business being associated with..but I hear this from alot of black ppl all over Texas

Houston>>>Hureston
North>>>Nawf
Down>>>>Dwon or Dine
Talking about>>>>Talm'bout
You don't know>>>You aint know or Yeean know
I almost>>>>I damn near li'(like but without the ke)ta(to)

and yes people where i'm from always call a shopping cart a buggey and a refrigerator is a frigedeya oh not to mention Sodas are also call Sodar(with an ar) watwaaaaaa(water) not to mention again Whataburger is Waterburger

hopefully some people understood that..ha

also does anybody else call a cockroah a waterbug?? and use the term "fixin to go or finna go??"