Is there a such thing as a "California accent"?

Question

If so, what does it sound like, using phonetics ?

Answer 1

Yes, there is a west coast accent. I recently met a guy from Australia and he immediately knew I was from California without me telling him. He said there is a definite accent - the best one in the states! :)

Answer 2

The way I learned it, California has long been home to the motion picture industry, so California pronunciation has been heard just about everywhere and is thus not always heard as an accent. Sometimes actors play characters who are supposed to be from a specific location (particularly the South, New York, or New Jersey) and may then play the part with that accent, but when they are using just ordinary language, they sound like Californians (without the normal person's "uhs" and "mmms"). So, if listen to a lot of filmes and are used to hearing California pronunciation, it won't sound like an accent to you. But of course, it is.
There is a phonetic description in Wikipedia. The symbols won't show if I try to paste them into this text, but here is the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_English

Answer 3

Talking like a valley girl isn't a California accent, it's more a culture. In general California is to large to have a single accent for the state. I can't say that I picked up on one when I moved here. If there is a 'California' accent it surely is more mild than a New York, Texas or southern accent.

Answer 4

I live in LA and I recently went up to SF to check out my campus. Before this I didn't notice that there were different accents within our own state. No offense but the "hella" and "ya'll" really annoy me. I never heard "hella cool" before in my life until I went up to Oakland. When they spoke it'd be "I think ya'll will have lotsa fun and it'd be hella cool if we could go, ya know?"

I don't know if that is what they consider the California accent but in LA it isn't.

Answer 5

I would say no but then again Im in cali we all have the same accent lol .. Ive talked to ppl on the east and theyre like so different .. My ex bf use to make fun of me because I would say things like "dude" or "that's so bad" (bad meaning good) lol he said we have surfer accent... and not to be racist or anything but he was from washington d.c "the other side" lol and he sounded black and wasnt.. But i thought it was sexy..... lol

Answer 6

The accent of Californians depends in great measure on the territory, and the age group...Southern California speak among youth contains a curious univerb, I go, you go, he/she/it goes. And the dreaded, like, you know ,and you know what I'm saying. Conversational crutches that drive one crazy. Left overs from the 60s...groovy and cool. And of course, those who live further south roll our rrrrs.

Answer 7

I'm a native Californian and as far as I know I don't have an accent - only people from other places have accents!

Answer 8

yes/no. California is so diverse & multi-cultral I'd be surprised
if you'd have a Cali accent. People would always ask where are
you from? Because they'd hear that Multi-Cultral twang.

Answer 9

A Cali accent is a little sharp, a little nasal, and some words come out a little too round ....
I met a girl who told me her name was DON. I said, "DON?"
She said, "Yes, DON."
I said, "I never heard of a girl named DON; is it D-O-N, DON?"
to which she replied, "No, it's D-A-W-N, DON."
Well, I'm from the East coast, and we pronounce that DAWN, like when the sun comes up in the morning, and to rhyme with fawn or Shaun.
So that's a Cali accent. :)

Answer 10

people from cali havea similar accent to people from NYC (but ours is a bit stronger)
but other than that you sound ok to me. the only people that might notice the difference is the people from the south since they always have a comment about people, accent... and i dont think its uss that have the accent, i think its them.