Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,060,466 times
Reputation: 11862
Advertisements
I know it's a general question because there are lots of southern accents, but people generally agree which accents sound southern and which do not. It got me wondering, you would expect the strongest to be in the deep south, but I don't think that's necessarily the case. The Appalachians, for example, are more untouched by modern America. Anyway, depending on demographic characteristics, i think the accent is most pronounced in the following areas:
Parts of the Ohio river valley, like southern OH and northwest KY
Older speakers in the Virginia Piedmont
Most of southern West Virginia
Most rural areas of the Appalachians from Virginia
Mountainous Tennessee such as the Great Smokey Mountains
most of Alabama and Mississippi
southern Oklahoma, central Texas
rural Arkansas and northern Louisiana
The accent seems to be weakest in certain parts of Texas like Houston and Dallas, Atlanta, much of North Carolina, northern and coastal Virginia. Of course many areas never had a strong southern accent to begin with, like far south Texas, New Orleans or Florida.
Anyway this is from someone who's never even been to America, so maybe those who know first hand can add?
I know it's a general question because there are lots of southern accents, but people generally agree which accents sound southern and which do not. It got me wondering, you would expect the strongest to be in the deep south, but I don't think that's necessarily the case. The Appalachians, for example, are more untouched by modern America. Anyway, depending on demographic characteristics, i think the accent is most pronounced in the following areas:
Parts of the Ohio river valley, like southern OH and northwest KY
Older speakers in the Virginia Piedmont
Most of southern West Virginia
Most rural areas of the Appalachians from Virginia
Mountainous Tennessee such as the Great Smokey Mountains
most of Alabama and Mississippi
southern Oklahoma, central Texas
rural Arkansas and northern Louisiana
The accent seems to be weakest in certain parts of Texas like Houston and Dallas, Atlanta, much of North Carolina, northern and coastal Virginia. Of course many areas never had a strong southern accent to begin with, like far south Texas, New Orleans or Florida.
Anyway this is from someone who's never even been to America, so maybe those who know first hand can add?
This is all relative. Because to one person a "strong " accent is not an accent at all to another.
And actually Coastal Virginia has one of the most distinctive Southern accents on the planet- Tidewater!
People from New Orleans have a very strange Southern accent that almost sounds Brooklyn-ese !
I wonder which city outside the south has the most people with southern accents? Of the major cities, some possibilities might be:
Washington, D.C.
Baltimore, MD
Cincinnati, OH
Evansville, IN
Santa Fe, NM
Bakersfield, CA
St. Louis, MO
Springfield, IL?
Some places like Wyoming might have a cowboy accent similar to Texan or something.
-DC had a very Tidewater (Southern) accent many years ago. Now its so transient, there really isnt any definitive accent there-Southern or otherwise. Radio Talk Show Host Diane Rehems has the old DC accent.
-Baltimore still has a weird combo of Northern/Southern Mid-Atlantic accent. The waitresses say "hun". Thats kinda cool
-Bakersfield, CA has a strong "Okie/Tex influence
-Cincinati and DC have sometimes been called "gateway to the South". I would say Cincinati would have a very slight Southern drawl in there
The rest I just dont know. St Louis and Springfield Ill, would have flat Midwestern twang.
I know it's a general question because there are lots of southern accents, but people generally agree which accents sound southern and which do not. It got me wondering, you would expect the strongest to be in the deep south, but I don't think that's necessarily the case. The Appalachians, for example, are more untouched by modern America. Anyway, depending on demographic characteristics, i think the accent is most pronounced in the following areas:
Parts of the Ohio river valley, like southern OH and northwest KY
Older speakers in the Virginia Piedmont
Most of southern West Virginia
Most rural areas of the Appalachians from Virginia
Mountainous Tennessee such as the Great Smokey Mountains
most of Alabama and Mississippi
southern Oklahoma, central Texas
rural Arkansas and northern Louisiana
The accents in many of these places are too different/distinct to generalize in one group. That's like saying which state has the most american accent.
It all really depends who you get ahold of in a particular state. Everyone's accent varies, even if that person has been in their state all of their life.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,060,466 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by WestbankNOLA
The accents in many of these places are too different/distinct to generalize in one group. That's like saying which state has the most american accent.
Yes, the accents themselves vary a lot, but I think there is a degree of "southerness", or rather difference from gen Am.
It's also interesting the accent doesn't necessarily get stronger further in the deep south. I saw a program about the election in Ohio, and some of the rural folk in southern Ohio have an accent far less like standard American than most from Alabama or Louisiana.
Yes, the accents themselves vary a lot, but I think there is a degree of "southerness", or rather difference from gen Am.
It's also interesting the accent doesn't necessarily get stronger further in the deep south. I saw a program about the election in Ohio, and some of the rural folk in southern Ohio have an accent far less like standard American than most from Alabama or Louisiana.
That is very true. Deep South doesnt always mean deeper the accent...
You must be speaking of the "drawl".
I am from Northern Virginia and I have been told I have a very strong drawl. But I have friends from Georgia and Alabama who have almost no drawl at all.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,060,466 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richmonder27
That is very true. Deep South doesnt always mean deeper the accent...
You must be speaking of the "drawl".
I am from Northern Virginia and I have been told I have a very strong drawl. But I have friends from Georgia and Alabama who have almost no drawl at all.
What do you think is the main factor dictating that? Rural vs Urban? Family upbringing? How many generations you've lived in a place? Socio-economics? Or simply a regional thing?
Btw I love most southern accents, more so than the boring standard American i hear on tv all the time.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
