How many accents does Texas have? (Houston, Dallas: house, neighborhoods, school)

[Trimac20]

This is just conjecture, so I'm asking those who actually know, but it seems they have a type of Gulf accent near the coast of Louisiana, an inland Southern accent near the border with OK and Arkansas (maybe typical Dallas, South Oklahoma accent, more similar to AL, western TN), and a more 'cowboy western' type accent in central and western Texas, with perhaps a Midwestern accent strongly tinged with western southern in the panhandle, Amarillo etc. A Latino/Spanish influenced accent in the South and southwest; San Antonio to Corpus Christi etc. And of course the standard American with maybe a southern tinge for some in Austin, Houston.etc.

[love roses]

You would be correct.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

This is just conjecture, so I'm asking those who actually know, but it seems they have a type of Gulf accent near the coast of Louisiana, an inland Southern accent near the border with OK and Arkansas (maybe typical Dallas, South Oklahoma accent, more similar to AL, western TN), and a more 'cowboy western' type accent in central and western Texas, with perhaps a Midwestern accent strongly tinged with western southern in the panhandle, Amarillo etc. A Latino/Spanish influenced accent in the South and southwest; San Antonio to Corpus Christi etc. And of course the standard American with maybe a southern tinge for some in Austin, Houston.etc.

That's correct. The most notable ones would be between East and West Texas.

[BillyH]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

This is just conjecture, so I'm asking those who actually know, but it seems they have a type of Gulf accent near the coast of Louisiana, an inland Southern accent near the border with OK and Arkansas (maybe typical Dallas, South Oklahoma accent, more similar to AL, western TN), and a more 'cowboy western' type accent in central and western Texas, with perhaps a Midwestern accent strongly tinged with western southern in the panhandle, Amarillo etc. A Latino/Spanish influenced accent in the South and southwest; San Antonio to Corpus Christi etc. And of course the standard American with maybe a southern tinge for some in Austin, Houston.etc.

There is no Latino/Spanish accent from the anglo population is SA, or for many of the Latino population for that matter. Hispanics who grew up speaking English as their first language and learned Spanish later don't have Latino accents like anybody else learning a second lanuage. However the use of y'all can be heard from both groups.

[atxcio]

Three:

1. Texan
2. Californian
3. Spanish

[Pancho Zarape]

Originally Posted by BillyH

There is no Latino/Spanish accent from the anglo population is SA, or for many of the Latino population for that matter. Hispanics who grew up speaking English as their first language and learned Spanish later don't have Latino accents like anybody else learning a second lanuage. However the use of y'all can be heard from both groups.

That's correct. Hispanics born and who have lived most of their lives, or reared and educated most of their lives in these United States have a much better grasp of American English and its idioms, etc. Not to mention that many are bilingual. Usually there is little or no Spanish accent. Many (ignorant) people assume that all Hispanics (never cared for the term Latino) speak like either Speedy Gonzales or Bill Dana's Jose Jimenez!

[BillyH]

^ I am not a native Texan but moved to SA in elmentary school and was quite surprised when over at a friends house they would answer a parent or grandparent back in Spanish. It never occured to me at that age they even knew Spanish, they sounded like me when speaking English.

[AlGreen]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

This is just conjecture, so I'm asking those who actually know, but it seems they have a type of Gulf accent near the coast of Louisiana, an inland Southern accent near the border with OK and Arkansas (maybe typical Dallas, South Oklahoma accent, more similar to AL, western TN), and a more 'cowboy western' type accent in central and western Texas, with perhaps a Midwestern accent strongly tinged with western southern in the panhandle, Amarillo etc. A Latino/Spanish influenced accent in the South and southwest; San Antonio to Corpus Christi etc. And of course the standard American with maybe a southern tinge for some in Austin, Houston.etc.

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

[tstone]

Originally Posted by AlGreen

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

This map shows standard American has been diluting the area (as well as DFW) for quite awhile. See date in lower right:

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/atlas...ct_english.jpg

The drawl is still around, usually among the elderly, blue collar workers, or blacks. Although the AA accent in Houston is usually 'clearer' than around Beaumont. Aside from that, I have never found it to be all that common. With the population encroaching on 50% Hispanic it's more Mexican/South Texas nowadays in the city. Suburbs are all over the place, including all parts of Texas. There is really no correct way to generalize the area.

[AlGreen]

Originally Posted by tstone

This map shows standard American has been diluting the area (as well as DFW) for quite awhile. See date in lower right:

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/atlas...ct_english.jpg

The drawl is still around, usually among the elderly, blue collar workers, or blacks. Although the AA accent in Houston is usually 'clearer' than around Beaumont. Aside from that, I have never found it to be all that common. With the population encroaching on 50% Hispanic it's more Mexican/South Texas nowadays in the city. Suburbs are all over the place, including all parts of Texas. There is really no correct way to generalize the area.

well yeah, but the same can be said for pretty much all the major metros of the south: houston, dallas, atlanta, charlotte, even little rock lol. but like i was telling someone else in another thread, to find the "real" houston you'll have to go into those neighborhoods where there are the least outside influences

and no offense, but i would never call houston south texas (even though it is southern texas). i've even found that mexicans born and raised in houston tend to be very different than mexicans from san antonio. i was shocked, when in houston, after i heard a hispanic person speak with a southern accent for the first time in my life. i didn't even know that was possible