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I think that accents don't follow state lines but rather influences that tie people together culturally. These influences can be geographic, religious, ethnic, economic, etc.
I would say that southern states have different types of accents. the twang from tennessee and north carolina are very distinct. of course all southern states have accents. northern virginia does not while southern virginia is as strong as anywhere else. its all about the big cities and metro areas with influence from all areas. there you will find fewer people with strong southern accents.
When I first moved down south I worked at a little roadside restaurant just off I-10. Heard all kinds of interesting and unusual new (to me) accents. The only accent that was so thick I couldn't understand it was from a couple of Louisiana truckers. Made them mad when I had to ask them to point out what they wanted, because I couldn't understand what a "lim-pa" was.
Also went with my BF one time to visit some of his friends that turned out to be Cajun. It was very interesting to listen to them talk. I couldn't understand half of what they said.
I'm in northeast TN now and the language and accent is unique. There are a couple of elderly country people I see on a regular basis here, when I listen to them talk I feel like I've taken a step back in time.
WOW. Whats with the stereotypes? Obviously this whole thread is absurd coming from mostly outsiders pondering who has the strongest Southern accent as if being further South as anything to do with it. As far as Louisiana goes, that is not even a Southern accent(I10 area). But as far as the accents in the South goes, it all depends on the person. Also an older person in the South will always have a thicker accent than the newer generations. Ava Gardner, the movie star from the 40s, was born and raised in Fayetteville, NC. It was said that her Carolina drawl was so thick that when she was first discovered and sent to New York she had to have speach classes because no one could understand her. By the way, its always easy to spot an outsider because they pronounce Fayetteville how its spelled. Native Carolinians pronounce it Fevel. I would argue, and im a truck driver and have been all over the south, that southeastern nc has the most long drawn out drawl of any Southern place Ive been to. Remember, drawl and accent are two different things. Eastern NC, particulary southeastern NC has a very strong drawl. Ive found parts of Arkansas do as well. People from Northeastern Alabama have much more of an accent than elsewhere in the state. Lower Alabama they sound similiar to LA many of them
WOW. Whats with the stereotypes? Obviously this whole thread is absurd coming from mostly outsiders pondering who has the strongest Southern accent as if being further South as anything to do with it. As far as Louisiana goes, that is not even a Southern accent(I10 area). But as far as the accents in the South goes, it all depends on the person. Also an older person in the South will always have a thicker accent than the newer generations. Ava Gardner, the movie star from the 40s, was born and raised in Fayetteville, NC. It was said that her Carolina drawl was so thick that when she was first discovered and sent to New York she had to have speach classes because no one could understand her. By the way, its always easy to spot an outsider because they pronounce Fayetteville how its spelled. Native Carolinians pronounce it Fevel. I would argue, and im a truck driver and have been all over the south, that southeastern nc has the most long drawn out drawl of any Southern place Ive been to. Remember, drawl and accent are two different things. Eastern NC, particulary southeastern NC has a very strong drawl. Ive found parts of Arkansas do as well. People from Northeastern Alabama have much more of an accent than elsewhere in the state. Lower Alabama they sound similiar to LA many of them
Lol it must've been ultra thick to the point where it heavily distorted her English. That doesn't even sound like a drawl to me.
Welk thats what its known as, the Carolina drawl. Now I know some Yankees will just find it unfathomable that someone from NC would have "more" of an accent than, say, someone from bama mississippi based solely on the fact that they are a few degrees further south but I guess thats what you get when you stereotype. How do these same people explain the strong southern accent of locals in northern kentucky? Hmmm. This defies their juvenile logic of locations further south have stonger southern accents and it also proves that you cant generalize no group of people, especially Southrons!
alabama, mississippi, arkansas, louisiana, ky, w. va, georgia, tn. the states with weaker southern accents are virginia, nc, sc, fl & tx. coastal south dialect from south carolina to virginia aint as thick. they are faster, not as twangy and along with deep south seem to be more black influenced.
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