US Dialects?

Question

In the UK we can tell where in the country someone has come from most of the time once they speak, could you tell where someone comes from in the US when they speak, could you tell the difference between someone from say New York and someone from Texas?

Answer 1

No you cannot! I have lived in Texas for almost 18 years, and it is impossible for you to tell. South Texans are transplants from other States. There is no identifiable accent. The traditional Southern accent is a derivative of the Queen's English more-so than around the Boston,New England area. The South is composed of the descendents of poor illiterates prisoners and prostitutes from England who were colonized here. The accent lives on ONLY in white Americans. Educated blacks would never want to be associated with talking country. Actually, that is what it is called, talking country. Bush talks this way but has a Texas Twang connected to his accent. Original Texans talk with a twang like they do on Cowboy movies.

Answer 2

Speech and accent differences are beginning to disappear in th U.S. because of things like radio, television and jet travel .

However, there are still enough regional differences that you often can tell what part of the country people come from.

For example, people in New York call tennis shoes (Athletic shoes in England) "Sneakers" which they pronounce "snee-kuz." They often say "GÆSS-leen" for gasoline, with a strong stress on the first syallable, where as most Americans pronounce it "gæss-oh-leen." In some parts of Maryland and Pennsylvania they say "gæz-oh-leen" with the 's' sounding like a 'z'.

In Massachussetts, the word "right" is pronounced like the word "rate" as in "Cut reit he'yuh" ("Cut right here") or "Put it reit around this tree" ("Put it right around this tree."). Massachussets speakers are much like British English speakers in dropping Rs before a consonant. They say quahtuh for "quarter," spahk plug and cahburator for "spark plug" and "carburator" where as the 'r' is quite strong in General American English.

If you here someone say "She's a perdy little theng" for "She's a pretty little thing" they probably come from Texas or Oklahoma.

Californians are recognized not so much by their accents as by their radical vocabulary. For example, I recently heard a woman from California say "The shopping mall looked gross" where as most Americans would say "The shopping mall looked crummy." They have their own definition of "retarded" which is different from the regular English definition. A few years ago I heard a Californian, a young blond girl, say on her cell phone: "We went across the boder and visited this small town in British Columbia and it was so retarded." "Retarded" in this sense meaning "rural, sleepy, backwards, behind the times." etc.

Answer 3

Yes, there are several regional dialects in the USA. That said, the differences in spoken English in America are slowing being lessened as folks get more mobile and are exposed to different variations in speaking.

It is not only dialects, but vocabulary variations as well. "Fireflies" versus "lightning bugs" and "pail" versus "bucket" are just a couple of differences.

An amazing language.

Answer 4

Yes

Answer 5

absolutely. also they might say somethings differently . like most likely someone from New York might say the 'you' plural, you guys. like you guys are funny, but in texas they will say , y'all (you all). Y'all are crazy. that's when u can totaly tell they're from texas too.

Answer 6

of course. besides your example is not the best as there might not be bigger differences as between texan american and new york american.

Answer 7

yep yep, haha i have an Utah / uintah Basin Accent