There’s a lot to learn when you travel to a new city. New sights, new sounds, new people – but there’s something about spending a few days in a place where an accent overtakes you. For the most part, we’ve got the language down in the United States, but accents are a whole different animal in this enormous country, and we’ve chronicled some of the highlights.
Speech professionals break down the US into five distinct verbal regions, and we’ve chosen two worthy cities in each to crack the code on some of these tongue-twisting dialects.
The West
Hey man, chill. When you visit the Pacific, words are all about roundness and attitude.
Venice Beach, California: In Venice Beach, you’ll get a little bit of everything when it comes to people. From Beat poets to edgy celebrities, the Ocean Front in California is chalk-a-block with personalities galore. While you’re tossing a volleyball on the beach or getting your hands dirty with social change (this place is big on progress), you’ll like totally get into the groove of what’s going on, and we think you might rilly like it, seriously.
Portland, Oregon:If you’re sitting in a coffee house listening to an independent live band, and fastening your hemp necklace while trying to figure out whether to recycle your old Matisse poster, you might be in Portland, Oregon. Art-house vibes and Victorian architecture seep into marketplaces filled with do-gooders with a slow-paced and well-meaning purpose (kind of like their consonants). You’ll hear that long California twang and a little kick to every word that ends in “ing.” And you’ll probably end up recycling the poster, after all.
North Central
Ooh heyyy there. When you’re up in the North Central part of the country, you’re getting a thoughtful concoction of Midwest and Canadian niceness, mixed with some very long vowels. Ya know?
Minneapolis, Minnesota: The kindness of Minneapolis’ residents bleeds into the sincerity in their words, even in small talk. Sometimes called “the artiest town on the prairie,” this Twin City focuses on organic ethics and simultaneous effort to be friendly and quirky. Practice giving your “o’s” and “a’s” a few good stretches, and you’ll be ready to quote Fargo in no time.
Madison, Wisconsin: Here in Madison (or Meahdison) the town is run hand-in-hand by college students and “cheese heads.” The outdoors are well-celebrated, and walking, biking and just plain laying in the grass are common ways to spend an afternoon. For a small city in Wisconsin, this liberal haven has a lot of flair which manifests itself in cafes, boutiques, and bookish establishments. For the record, “good-time music,” “happy music,” and “old time music” all mean polka. How’s dat, for ya, eh?
Northeast
Much like the hustle of north-eastern cities themselves, Boston and New York speech gets where it needs to go, really fast, and with a lot of character. Be prepared to have the break-up talk with the letter “r” and move on.
Boston, Massachusetts: Aside from the Red Sox, the Patriots, and every college sport team known to humankind, Boston is also a cosmopolitan city that knows sophistication on a smaller, more comfortable scale. Entering some of its outskirt towns, though, will bring out the grating sounds of “bros” and “dudes.” It takes a lot more than just dropping an “r” to talk like a native, and most towns you’ll hear of will not even remotely reflect the name’s proper spelling. For instance, anyone will tell you that Worcester “Woostah” is wicked fah away.
New York, New York: If there’s a city that wears many hats, it’s New York. It’s easy to plan a luxurious getaway, and get caught up in bohemian vintage of SoHo, or to visit world-class universities and then drink till 4:00 a.m. in the closest dive bar. It’s unexpected and diverse, and so are its people’s dialects. Most of it comes from the layering of so many immigrants in one place, but either way, you’ll hear plenty of folks in Long Island (“Lawn Guyland”) order some coffee (“cuah-fee”).
Midland
Midland America is kind of a mutt when it comes to accents. Not that it doesn’t have one of its own, it’s just more of a puzzle, made of pieces from the north, south, east, and west.
St. Louis, Missouri: Truly representative of Americana at its best, St. Louis brings out the stars and stripes in its most authentic fashion. Known for its awe-inspiring Gateway Arch, but more for pumping out artists like Chuck Berry and Miles Davis, the city classic in its roots, and its accent is classic in its versatility. Words are full-sounding and a little southern. “To” = “tew”, “friends” = “frinds”, and “ing” sounds a lot more like “eeng.”
Chicago, Illinois: Riddled with opposites, it’s easy to fall into a variety of situations in Chicago, and the same is true with its dialect. Much more Midwest than the southern part of its region, Chicago stretches its “o’s’ and “a’s” a bit like Minnesota, and pronounces words like “beyond” and “beyahnd,” and “college” as “cahllege.” On the other hand, it rolls out long vowels like a southern trap in words like “house”(“howwse”).
South
Y’all are welcome here, where each word is its own tiny little universe, and every letter gets its chance in the spotlight. No one’s in a rush to get anywhere, and neither are their words.
Austin, Texas: Everyone says to keep Austin weird, and we’re fine with that, but its dialect isn’t quite as eclectic or funky as the city itself. Austin residents sound a lot like the rest of big-hair, big-mall Texas, and while their artistic tattoos and creative mindsets break the mold, you’ll probably hear a melodic string of words like “went” (wint), “goose” (gewse), and 360 degree vowels in words like “face” (fayce).
New Orleans, Louisiana: There must be something to say about fast drinkers and slow talkers in New Orleans. From the musicians in Jackson Square, to the bartenders in the French Quarter to the bead-throwers at Mahdi Grahh, N’Walins is a place for vibrancy and flair. No matter how you gaht thayre, you’re sure to have a real good time with these real good folks.
Photo credit/Creative Commons vmiramontes
