What does the American accent sound like?

Question

I am an American that enjoys listening to people from other countries speak. I love the differences in accent! How can you describe the American accent as sounding? Do you hear a difference in the accents between Americans from the northern part of the country and the south? Can you tell a difference between the African Americans and the Caucasians?

Answer 1

I Have lived in UK for 46 years and find the west country English mixed with the Irish accent the closest to USA American. They were probable the earliest settlers to that part of America.

Answer 2

I think American English is a mix of all the different dialects that settled in the various parts of the States. Texans and Southerners have the most pronounced drawl. I've also noticed the differences between those from Oregon and those of, say, New York. Having worked on the phone, you get so you notice these little variations in people's voices. I'm from Canada, and my American cousins tell me I have an accent.

Answer 3

Depends on what part of America. Even Americans can usually distinguish easily between southerner or northerner, I would say. Also, east coast or midwest, or west coast. Black Americans in many cases, wherever they live today, tend to sound a lot like the white Americans from the deep South. Or vice-versa.

Answer 4

I describe the Calafornian accent as sounding patronizing with the Texan accent a full blown out drawl. But both clearly understood not like some parts of the UK and other countries, we the UK have so many accents for such a small country - u n b e l i e v a b l e really.

Answer 5

I love different accents too! I live in the south and I went up to Boston about 2 years ago and yeah there is a change. I want to say there isn't much of a change in th accent but there is. I think it is because we Americans pronounce things differently in different parts of the US. Like some of the ppl in Boston pronounced car like cah.

Answer 6

I think it depends on what part of the US you're in. Texas is pretty identifiable, same with Cali. But if you're in places like Alabama, everyone sounds like they just came out of an old western movie. Spots like Louisiana kind of have that little 'swampy'-type accent, and the way people from New Jersey say things like merry christmas and stuff. lol.

My friends were talking about being in a part of the ghetto once, and that some african american was trying to sell a building, but instead of putting up a 'for sale' sign, he just spraypainted FO SALE. Haha, it made me giggle a little bit. :P

Answer 7

That depends on where you are from. I was born and raised in NYC so people here my accent where I live now (in butt f_ck fl), and I here there's. Then you have the people on the west coast totally different accents. Then people from places like chicago, michigan, monatana each having it's own accent. So you cannot generalize in America as far as accents go. It depends on where you come.

Answer 8

there isnt a difference between blacks and whites except for the usage of ebonics, which both races speak them

we have many accents in our country.
southern
californian
new york
its crazy

Answer 9

the american accent is a mixture of the Sena dialect in mozambique with undertones of modern Alaskan slang.