Question about American accents, please...?

Question

I'm American, but I've run into an accent in Atlanta (I have recently moved here) that baffles me. Here are the characteristics:

Vowel shift:
short e, long a confusion ("sell" pronounced as "sale")
short i, long e confusion ("deal" pronounced as "dill")
long i, short a confusion ("my" becomes "mah")
dropping of final dark L ("bill" becomes "bee-o")
sk reversal ("ask" becomes "axe")

Can anyone tell me:

Is this accent particular to Atlanta?
Is it particular to the South?
Is it particular to young people?

Or, what?

For reasons that would take too long to explain, I speak with a southern English accent (i.e., between London and Kent).

Answer 1

It is a Southern United States accent with influences from African American Vernacular English. This "Atlanta" accent (Southern American English w/AAVE influence) is found throughout the South in cities with substancial African American communties surrounded by communities of Southern American English, such as, Memphis and Mobile.

Answer 2

That is a typical Southern accent - back when I was in high school, a girl from Mississippi moved here to Seattle. The teacher asked her if she had an accent. Her response - Ah cayn't tale (I can't tell). The whole class burst out laughing! A woman I worked with would say warsh (wash), tars (tires), and a host of other things. They say it that way throughout most of the southeastern states, a holdover of the Old South. Definitely a different sound.

Answer 3

Atlanta has become a mix of North and South...much like Florida, so the accent isn't as intense. Now here in SC, "ask" pronounced "axe" is usually in the black community only. We use "y'all, fixin' to, down there a piece, a country mile, etc." We do tend to draw out our vowels...A LOT!!! I would be interested in knowing where you moved from.

Answer 4

There s no such element as a British accent. Britain is made from 4 international places: Scotland, England, Northern eire and Wales yet when I had to respond to, i ought to assert the southern English accent

Answer 5

I live in the south, But not the deep South, but you still have this kind of accent here. It's just a lilt that is normal for this part of the country. You'll grow accustomed to it, and you might even start to say, ya'll instead of you all or you guys. I used to live in Chicago, and when I moved here, I just dicovered that it was part of the country twang and that it is completely normal. Basically it's particular to the South, and they don't have a speech impediment, if that's what your trying to figure out! :)

Answer 6

It originated in the south but now you will hear young people from all over America pronounce things wrong like that because of the Rap/Hip Hop scene... It is the "cool" way to talk now for some reason

Answer 7

Its a southern thing. Im from Louisiana but i live in Texas.... and thats just how we talk down here. good job explaining the sounds though...sale and sell are definitely pronounced the same. You will definitely pick up on the accent quickly....good luck!!

Answer 8

I find the fact that American accents differs from state to state fascinating. When I was there I couldn't believe how different people from California sound compared to people from New York. In Australia you go from Sydney all the way the other side to Perth and guess what? We sound exactly the same.

Answer 9

There are many different southern accents.Different accents can be heard all over the south;a person's education,social background, breeding,and perhaps other languages spoken can also affect an accent.

Answer 10

Sounds kinda like a normal southern accent.