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The differences between the accents in these cities among those who have been there several generations are subtle but noticeable. I never thought Clevelanders had an accent until I moved to Minnesota. Now I can definitely pick it up. Our I's and A's sound different. Ann sounds like Ian, as somebody else said. Detroit, to me is the same, but slightly more exaggerated. Chicago is like a mix of Cleveland and Minnesota. They both say the word Bag like Beg. They don't do that in Cleveland, and I don't think they do it in Detroit either.
well im a black male from chicago and if u think we sound country then you couldn't have been to places like memphis,arkansas, mississippi,etc..
i got fam in memphis and we don't sound NUTHIN a like..like some one said before, we may have a mild southern twang or whatever, but you can find that all over the country..its cats out east in D.C and baltimore that sound country as hell..but i notice that blacks on the west coast tend to sound real proper..
my ex from LA and the onlything that stuck out for her as far as how i spoke was how i pronounced "car"..
You're completely out of your mind. The Blacks in Chicago sound COUNTRY as hell. THICK Southern accents. It's crazy. I'm from Baltimore, and the Blacks sound NOTHING like that. In fact, even DC sounds crazy Southern compared to Baltimore.
Although I do have to qualify that the Black Chicago accent seems a function of class. The more middle class Blacks sound like Northerner. It's the poor transplants from the South that have that accent. But back East Blacks don't have that crazy Southern drawl except in DC. Interesting that that's the case even though they also came from NC, SC, GA etc.
Also the Black on the streets of Chicago seem to have that tired ol ghetto style. The Blacks in Columbia, Owings Mills, Montgomery County n DC seem to have a lot more polish and progressive sense of style. I can't attest to Chicago burbs, they may be very different. I have to note however that the South Loop does have some of the most together, professional Black I've seen. Rivaling DC.
I can only tell a very slight difference between Detroit and Chicago, and its more of a tone thing, i.e. Detroiters seem to speak more relaxed and soften vowels and trail off at the end of words. Chicagoans seem to have crisper pronunciation and emphasize their words. All I know is that I don't think I've ever said the word "Ya'll" in my entire life except when parodying southerners.
Chicago, Detroit white sounds NJ, Philly to Canadian
Came across this forum searching online if Detroit or Chicago sounds like New Jersey or thereabouts to anyone. Did so from hearing soccer player Brad Guzan interviewed, who grew up in Evergreen Park. He sounds to me New Jersey or Philly - was surprised to find out he's from Chicago. Then I remembered thinking Eminem sounded NY/NJ to me, but where he's a 'voice entertainer', it could be part of his act.
Part of it is likely because my own accent is removed from the region - I'm from urban Nova Scotia, sound close Ontario, but with less crisp consonant pronunciation. What I'm hearing could just be what linguistics apparently call the 'Northern cities vowel shift'?
I am not a racist....To me the only place i been where the blacks don't have southern accents and speak very polite with a sense of progress is Los Angeles and the northeast, minneapolis and parts of Chicago.
First let me start off with this thread is strictly for comparision between our accents....nothing more
Ok so I've been reading the threads about the midwestern accents and most people say we, Detroit Cleveland and Chicago, sound alike. I don't think we do. I can speak on how Cleveland talks but I don't think Detroit and Chicago sound that much alike besides the fact that the midwest as a whole accent is very flat. But I think Chicago sounds a little more southern than us. Plus we don't even pronounce words alike. I have plenty of family in Chicago and its Metro and we don't sound like them. I'll give examples:
Detroit people will pronounce dog "dawg", car "caar", somebody esle said we pronounce coffee "cowffee" and I agree on that. we also say "blaack" insteaad of block. Oh and we say "yall" very southern like "yawll"
My Chicago family says car like "caa", and usually pronounce words with an "ar" with an "aa" instead (bar is another") they also sound real southern when they say "shawty" to me
All in all though I think we sound flat (both cities) we just may talk fast. What do you all think?
There's also an erudite Chicago accent, that I've noticed in my family since I move elsewhere. It sounds like kinda west coast, with heavy long O's, and deep short vowels. A lot of this hails from the early 20th century.
That said, I'd like to know what Cleve and Detroit accents sound like, as I haven't been in either long enough to get a good read on it.
Just so you know -- this is secluded to areas south of Cleveland some areas East of Cleveland. Majority of Clevelander's don't sound like this. I can literally guess where people are from when they speak like the people above. I can almost bet you they are from Parma -- or around that area. Not one single person I am friends with or know in Cleveland talk like this, but they are all from Downtown Cleveland to the west from Lakewood, Rocky River, and Westlake. Real talk.
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Chicago, Detroit white sounds NJ, Philly to Canadian
. we also say "blaack" insteaad of block. Oh and we say "yall" very southern like "yawll" 
