Do you speak with a city accent?

Originally Posted by Trico

Think 'Fargo'. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkqbGuVLC2Q

Okay, fine.. but that's North Dakota and Minnesota and I don't live there. :P

Originally Posted by Tonchiki

Everyone has an accent.
If you speak differently than someone else, you have an accent.

Pssh.. I still don't think I have one. > >

Originally Posted by Karma

Pssh.. I still don't think I have one. > >

But it's fact. There's no such thing as "not having an accent", not even within one country. People see accents as relative (i.e., anyone who doesn't speak like you has an accent).

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

It is commonly believed that General American English evolved as a result of an aggregation of rural and suburban Midwestern dialects, though the English of the Upper Midwest can deviate quite dramatically from what would be considered a "regular" American Accent.

That seems to suggest the "General American English" accent came about due to other dialects. So it wasn't really "original" or "standard" until it somehow became decided that way (I don't know the history, so whatever). And even before that, American English had to come from British English, so any American accent can't be considered "regular" in the context of English as a whole. And even then, the Anglo-Saxon English came from other dialects as well.

So really, everyone has an accent.

I know, I know.. there's just nothing in my dialect that I really think defines me to the Mid-West or anywhere really. But once again, that's just me.

Originally Posted by Karma

I know, I know.. there's just nothing in my dialect that I really think defines me to the Mid-West or anywhere really. But once again, that's just me.

Same with me, I don't speak the same way as most people in New England.
I'd say I have something close to the "general American" accent.

But that leaves me wondering... exactly WHAT accent is that?

I speak with a Finnish accent, although it's been fading the longer i've been in America.
It's somewhat mixing with what people call the "Minnesota Accent" which I really didn't ever understand
or hear. I really hope I don't sound like a hick.

There is no Minnesota accent. It's just something that people with weird accents made up to confuse us. I personally think that there really aren't many accents in the U.S. the only 'distinct' ones being Southern, Texas (more specifically Fort Worth), and surfer. I actually have traveled around a lot and most people sound normal, just like me in fact. Because Midwestern people don't have ****ING ACCENTS!!

Personally, I think that most of what we think of as accents are made in the media. For example, in King of the Hill, their preacher is from Minnesota and they gave her a totally fake, overblown accent. We don't talk like that.
As of now I am too lazy to post more examples and stuff.

Originally Posted by Hawke

There is no Minnesota accent. It's just something that people with weird accents made up to confuse us. I personally think that there really aren't many accents in the U.S. the only 'distinct' ones being Southern, Texas (more specifically Fort Worth), and surfer. I actually have traveled around a lot and most people sound normal, just like me in fact. Because Midwestern people don't have ****ING ACCENTS!!

Personally, I think that most of what we think of as accents are made in the media. For example, in King of the Hill, their preacher is from Minnesota and they gave her a totally fake, overblown accent. We don't talk like that.
As of now I am too lazy to post more examples and stuff.

I personally think people mix the canadian accent, with whatever minnesota has.
Although I don't even think canada has an accent. Other then the otherwise steriotypical "A" at the end of every sentence. Personally never heard it.

Originally Posted by Peralta

I don't have an accent. And I don't notice any accents except Brooklyn and Chicago. Well at least the ones from America.

My favorite accent though would have to be the Irish.

Originally Posted by ValaVarda

Yeah I am from Cali too but I have no idea if I have an accent. I suppose I have an accent to everyone who doesn't talk like me or other Californians.


I don't say "like" and "hella" too much. Although I won't lie, I do say them quite a bit more than I'd like. I can't help it. Too many people around here who talk like that. I am a valley girl after all. And by "valley girl" I mean I live in the valley =P

Originally Posted by Florina Belmont

Ewww i hate the word 'hella'. It is pretty Bay Area and so is the word 'tight' used in the place of awesome or cool. I use that one on occasion. Living in the foothills of CA doesnt warrent an accent.

Originally Posted by LinksShadow66

Uh, I don't think Las Vegas has an "accent".

Originally Posted by King Sparty

I'm from Montana, and some people say we have accents.
I don't believe it, though.

Originally Posted by Xeno

I can safely say I don't have an accent.

Originally Posted by Hawke

Really, we have accents? I've always read/heard that Midwestern people don't have accents.

Originally Posted by Karma

This would be my answer if people from other places would stop telling me I have an accent.

I'M FROM THE MIDWEST! WE DON'T HAVE ACCENTS!

Originally Posted by Ciroton

I don't find it surprising, considering Ottawa is RIGHT ON THE ONTARIO/QUEBEC Border. =P

As for Toronto, I'm not sure we have a unique accent. =/

Although, I personally can do various accents if I hear enough of it. =P

Originally Posted by Dread

I wouldn't say I have an accent, but I if I have to I'll say I have a slight Southern accent with some British in there to spice things up. I sometimes say things in a slightly more sophisticated manner, but I also say things like ain't quite a bit.

Originally Posted by Karma

Okay, fine.. but that's North Dakota and Minnesota and I don't live there. :P

Pssh.. I still don't think I have one. > >

Originally Posted by Hawke

There is no Minnesota accent. It's just something that people with weird accents made up to confuse us. I personally think that there really aren't many accents in the U.S. the only 'distinct' ones being Southern, Texas (more specifically Fort Worth), and surfer. I actually have traveled around a lot and most people sound normal, just like me in fact. Because Midwestern people don't have ****ING ACCENTS!!

Personally, I think that most of what we think of as accents are made in the media. For example, in King of the Hill, their preacher is from Minnesota and they gave her a totally fake, overblown accent. We don't talk like that.
As of now I am too lazy to post more examples and stuff.

Yay for mass-quoting.

I know Tonchiki already said it, but...

Everybody has an accent, even if they can't hear it.

I can't stress that enough. Until I was corrected around a year ago, I too, thought that I had no accent. It is all a matter of what accents you are used to which defines what you hear as an accent and what you don't.

Originally Posted by Sabbo

Yay for mass-quoting.

I know Tonchiki already said it, but...

Everybody has an accent, even if they can't hear it.

I can't stress that enough. Until I was corrected around a year ago, I too, thought that I had no accent. It is all a matter of what accents you are used to which defines what you hear as an accent and what you don't.

I wouldn't know what my accent is. There is no "Miami" accent, unless you count a Hispanic accent which I don't have.

I guess by no accent I mean a standard American accent. If there is such a thing.

Of course it's easy to think you don't have an accent because you are so used to the way you talk, hey hooser.

There's no real specific accent to my voice. I just speak Americanized English (minus the lingo). There's no city/state accent, no regional accent, just plain 'ole English. Standard American, if you will.

I'm from Grand Rapids, MI. I moved here from San Diego, CA. Apart from some different figures of speech that are used, the accents sound a lot alike.

It may have been said already, but for the record, there is no such thing as "no accent".

Whatever a city accent in southern California sounds like, I must have it since I've lived in San Diego for most of my life. I picked up the "ya?" mannerism when I lived in Hawaii, and I tend to slip into fob and Engrish since I lived in the Philippines and Japan. Then again, the latter is more of me making fun of it than anything else.

I'm pretty sure I have some kind of accent, though I'm not sure what. I grew up in conn. and now live in Florida. I can't tell the difference though because most everyone is southern Florida is from the northeast. Hell, I can't even tell some New york accents apart having grown up with parents who had a New York accent, it just sounds like talking to me now.

And I'm sure the Brits will call me out on this, but for some odd reason every once and awhile I'll Brit-a-fy a word for no reason. I don't know how authentic it is, but I have been asked why I sound British sometimes. I've never been to England, and even though I'm a quarter British genetics don't mean squat when it comes to accents.