You’ve likely heard the words “Standard American English” used to describe certain accents that lack distinguishing sounds. Well, apparently, that’s not real.
Every single American has an accent. For those who have lived in one part of the country and then moved somewhere else only to be told they have an accent, this is great news.
For a while, people described the accent from Northeastern Ohio as “standard American,” and the Midwestern accent was ascribed the title “General American.” But at some point, maybe during the immigration patterns of the 1950s, people shifted, and the Midwest accent changed.
Here’s the thing about accents: Everybody thinks their own is the most correct. In linguistics, an accent is a particular way of pronouncing sounds. But it’s important to note that this particular way of pronouncing sounds may be associated with a specific stereotype. Ergo, if people don’t want to be associated with a particular stereotype, they will avoid speaking with the associated accent.
If a person from the Midwest is trying to “lose” their accent, it will sound very different than someone from the South trying to do the same. If both lose their most identifying traits, neither will sound particularly accented, but they also won’t sound the same.
There’s another loophole in speech that many newscasters use to sound like they’re from nowhere particular: A precise enunciation, similar to what some may call a “stage voice,” is the same everywhere in the U.S. To reach members in the back of the audience, it is important to clearly enunciate each word. When each sound of the word is very clearly pronounced, it can fool a listener into thinking that the speaker is “accentless.”
But if you don’t walk around all day talking like you’re on Broadway, you’ll most likely sound like where you came from, whether you like it or not. The good news is that Americans are actually pretty bad at hearing accents. We identify each accent with only a sound or two. When most Americans think of New Yorkers, they think of “cwaughfee, and when they think Southerners, they think “y’all.” Many tend not to hear nuances in speech aside from a couple vowels or distinguishing words.
Cailey Rizzo writes about travel, art and culture and is the founding editor of The Local Dive. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @misscaileyanne.
You’ve likely heard the words “Standard American English” used to describe certain accents that lack distinguishing sounds. Well, apparently, that’s not real.
Every single American has an accent. For those who have lived in one part of the country and then moved somewhere else only to be told they have an accent, this is great news.
For a while, people described the accent from Northeastern Ohio as “standard American,” and the Midwestern accent was ascribed the title “General American.” But at some point, maybe during the immigration patterns of the 1950s, people shifted, and the Midwest accent changed.
Here’s the thing about accents: Everybody thinks their own is the most correct. In linguistics, an accent is a particular way of pronouncing sounds. But it’s important to note that this particular way of pronouncing sounds may be associated with a specific stereotype. Ergo, if people don’t want to be associated with a particular stereotype, they will avoid speaking with the associated accent.
If a person from the Midwest is trying to “lose” their accent, it will sound very different than someone from the South trying to do the same. If both lose their most identifying traits, neither will sound particularly accented, but they also won’t sound the same.
There’s another loophole in speech that many newscasters use to sound like they’re from nowhere particular: A precise enunciation, similar to what some may call a “stage voice,” is the same everywhere in the U.S. To reach members in the back of the audience, it is important to clearly enunciate each word. When each sound of the word is very clearly pronounced, it can fool a listener into thinking that the speaker is “accentless.”
But if you don’t walk around all day talking like you’re on Broadway, you’ll most likely sound like where you came from, whether you like it or not. The good news is that Americans are actually pretty bad at hearing accents. We identify each accent with only a sound or two. When most Americans think of New Yorkers, they think of “cwaughfee, and when they think Southerners, they think “y’all.” Many tend not to hear nuances in speech aside from a couple vowels or distinguishing words.
Cailey Rizzo writes about travel, art and culture and is the founding editor of The Local Dive. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @misscaileyanne.
