what kind of accent do you have?

[weyes]

ok, i know these "what kind of ____ are you?" threads can be tiresome, but i always wonder what people sound like. a lot of people say, "i don't have an accent," but everyone does, from somewhere (from some part of america, if you're american, smartypantses. just be descriptive.). so, if you can't describe what kind of accent you have, just name someone famous who has your accent.

i, for instance, am from new york city, but people often say, "you don't sound like you're from new york," 'cause they expect me to have an outerborough/long island accent (i don't, 'cause i'm from manhattan).

i pronounce coffee like: cof-fee, not caa-fee
quarter like quar-ter, not quad-der
and whatever like what-e-ver, not what-ev-a

but i can't think of a famous person... i guess, like most national newscaster types - the ones who don't sound southern, midwestern, like they're from new england, or any other place you can safely eliminate, if that makes any sense ...

[velvetgoldmire]

I don't have much of an accent, but at times my Baltimore accent will come out. It's not a heavy one (thank god), but sometimes when I say things like water (wu-ter), it'll come out. For the most part, though, I don't have an accent. I've been told before my accent is like that of Edward Norton, which is a great complinment, and makes sense since he is from Columbia, MD.

[wideskies]

being from washington, i think i have a very non-descript accent... kind of like a news reporter, actually.


i DO, however, tend to pick up accents and speech patterns really easily; for example, i noticed that my phrasing and accent and even word choice changed very slightly after only 6 hours in the car with Highmay, believe it or not (some of you might consider this a significant amount of time to be enclosed in a small space with the man, but i tolerated all the bitchslaps quite well)... :P


i go to school in NYC, but a lot of the people i know and hang out with aren't from there originally, so my accent hasn't changed too much overall. as with the Highmay example, it tends to change on a very short-term basis if i'm spending "intense" one-on-one time with someone. at least, my mom doesn't notice a change... but then again SHE travels to NY a lot and is originally from Manhattan so who knows. *slight shrug*


back in the day or whatever when i spoke French on a daily basis (in class, and then in France), i was told that i sounded like a Parisian with a British accent.

[pluryou]

Me I would say I don't have an accent. if I had to say something I would say Floridian. I talk all different ways though. Anything ending in a ing I only pronounce the in. Like drinking I say drinkin. Who said anything about drinking. It's to early. LOL

[tinybutterfli]

sometimes... you'll hear my southern twang I'm from Texas. But its rare. Its usually when I get angry (rarely) or drunk (um.. not quite as rare *lol*)

I think I've subconsciencely suppressed the accent for 14 years now. Whenever I go south of North Carolina, all bets are off. The old twang comes back like it was never gone.

[crank47]

Originally posted by wideskies
being from washington, i think i have a very non-descript accent... kind of like a news reporter, actually.

i DO, however, tend to pick up accents and speech patterns really easily;

I'd say about the same for me since I'm from the area too, the news reporter accent (this isn't the first time I've heard the "DC accent" described that way). However, when I went to school in upstate NY, they said I had a southern accent. I realized later, after returing to DC that, in fact, I do put a little southerness in a few of my words and that's the norm around here, not a real southern drawl in any way, just a little something here and there. I won't even get into the upstate and various nyc/borough/long island accents everyone else had up there!

For whatever reason, I also pick up accents/speech patterns from other people when I'm around them for awhile (maybe that's a DC thing too). You should have heard me after I lived with a cuban for a few years!

[cookiegirl]

I grew up in Vermont, and it definitely comes out in my voice from time to time. . . tho it's not terribly noticeable constantly. Vermonters tend to drop their t's and elongate their vowels. For example, I grew up in a town called St. Albans, but everyone there pronounces it "S'naaaalbans". . .the town next door is Swanton, pronounced "Swan'un".

guess i can't escape my redneck past.

[malanee]

Velvetgoldmire: Edward Norton = Mmmmm!

Wideskies: That is so funny, I totally pick up people's accents too! It's kind of embarrassing sometimes - because I'm afraid people might think I'm mocking them or something! And don't let me be around flaming gay males because I automatically turn into a drag queen diva! *lol*

I'm from the Northwest and I really don't notice much of an action. I say "pop" and my relatives say "waRshington" - but I don't. Thank goodness!

[wideskies]

i would prefer to have a full-on southern accent than just a touch of one, myself. i don't think i have a twang though, or at least no one i know up north has commented on one.

my MOM definitely sometimes has a bit of south as well as a bit of NY in her accent, mostly because of the frequency that she travels to both areas for business.

[pluryou]

I kinda didn't want to admit it. It's so true though. Like with my friend who is staying with me. She is from NJ and I find myself talking just like her.

[raver_mania]

Hehe...it'll be funny to see you guys talk like me!
I guess an Indian accent mixed in with some British South African.

[malanee]

Originally posted by raver_mania
Hehe...it'll be funny to see you guys talk like me!
I guess an Indian accent mixed in with some British South African.

Krish - I love your accent!

"Dooood"

[vicman]

i sound like cheech

[malanee]

Originally posted by vicman
i sound like cheech

Naaah - more like speedy gonzales! Especially on Friday after a bottle of rip fuel!

"Andale, Andale - arrrriba!"

[vicman]

or