If you're from the area yourself, the way you or other people talk wouldn't "stand out", so you'd probably never notice it beforehand. That's how I was until recently. It's adorable when Erin points out little ways I pronounce words. I love it, it's just soooo cute and funny.  :)  :D For instance, I apparently say "yeah" like "yaaaaah". I also use "totally" and "for sure" alot, or if something really interests or excites me, I do a few "ohmygod"s too! That's about as Val and surfer as you can get!

The irony is that I also often tend have a literary way of talking, like a Rolling Stone writer or Jerry Springer doing a commentary, so I guess that's an odd combination, lol.

I'm keeping my Cali style of talking intact. I say, "Like", "Yanno", and "Hella" a LOT. However, I've picked up Midwestern/Chicagoan speak and accent. I draw out my "a" sounds in certain words now, and I've been known to say "pop" for "soda", something I promised myself I would never do when I moved. :P

Southern United States

Officially we don't have one but I can pick up a Tri-State (Northern Il, NE Iowa and Southern Wisconsin) accent. As for dialect it's -Greatlakes- with a smaller influence on NE Atlantic seaboard. I have no idea where that came from since I've never been east of central Ohio.  ???

I'm keeping my Cali style of talking intact. I say, "Like", "Yanno", and "Hella" a LOT. However, I've picked up Midwestern/Chicagoan speak and accent. I draw out my "a" sounds in certain words now, and I've been known to say "pop" for "soda", something I promised myself I would never do when I moved. :P



we totally say, "pop" around here too! ;D I don't really know/think that I have an accent...but then again, maybe I do. :D

I'm keeping my Cali style of talking intact. I say, "Like", "Yanno", and "Hella" a LOT. However, I've picked up Midwestern/Chicagoan speak and accent. I draw out my "a" sounds in certain words now, and I've been known to say "pop" for "soda", something I promised myself I would never do when I moved. :P


  Jess, make frequent trips back to California for re-education...

  Three years in Illinois had me saying things like, "Y'ouns" for "you all" or "all of you"..? ???

I'm keeping my Cali style of talking intact. I say, "Like", "Yanno", and "Hella" a LOT. However, I've picked up Midwestern/Chicagoan speak and accent. I draw out my "a" sounds in certain words now, and I've been known to say "pop" for "soda", something I promised myself I would never do when I moved. :P


Oh yeah I forgot about "hella", I do that alot too. Or its milder cousin "hecka". ;D

I think the western half of the US or so seems to say soda, while the East Coast says pop. Maybe it's more towards New Englang though, because I don't recall any of my Florida relatives saying "pop". I'll have to ask them lol.

Oh yeah I forgot about "hella", I do that alot too. Or its milder cousin "hecka". ;D

I think the western half of the US or so seems to say soda, while the East Coast says pop. Maybe it's more towards New Englang though, because I don't recall any of my Florida relatives saying "pop". I'll have to ask them lol.


it's funny because even within our own state, some say "pop", while others say, "soda".....for instance, I have found (in my travels) that the eastern part of the state seems to say soda....but our area (Pittsburgh area) says pop. ;D

Oh yeah I forgot about "hella", I do that alot too. Or its milder cousin "hecka". ;D

I think the western half of the US or so seems to say soda, while the East Coast says pop. Maybe it's more towards New Englang though, because I don't recall any of my Florida relatives saying "pop". I'll have to ask them lol.


It's the midwest and most of the west mainly that's pop I believe, south say "coke" for all sodas, northeast (upper NE anyway) is soda I'm pretty sure.

I think the western half of the US or so seems to say soda, while the East Coast says pop. Maybe it's more towards New Englang though, because I don't recall any of my Florida relatives saying "pop". I'll have to ask them lol.


All the places I've been to in New England say soda.

I have an accent from the town I was brought up in in the East Midlands of England.  Of course, having moved to the US, I am constantly told how "cute" my accent is.

I don't have a Canadian accent at all, but I do say "eh" alot.  Not like a typical Canadian would say, but I do say my fair share of it

I'm from the Finger Lakes-Western NY region and once saw on TV where are area had no distinguished accent,and they had people try to guess where this gentlemen was from,no one could and he was from Buffalo,NY.

we totally say, "pop" around here too! ;D I don't really know/think that I have an accent...but then again, maybe I do. :D


It bugs the heck out of Rice when I call it "pop". :D


   Jess, make frequent trips back to California for re-education...

   Three years in Illinois had me saying things like, "Y'ouns" for "you all" or "all of you"..? ???


Another month and a half and I will be back in that area. *wild dance*


Oh yeah I forgot about "hella", I do that alot too. Or its milder cousin "hecka". ;D

I think the western half of the US or so seems to say soda, while the East Coast says pop. Maybe it's more towards New Englang though, because I don't recall any of my Florida relatives saying "pop". I'll have to ask them lol.


I've only found the "pop" thing in this area, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Our friend from NY calls it "soda". I guess it's just some quirk of the region. I've also heard "soda pop", but not as often as just "pop".

it's funny because even within our own state, some say "pop", while others say, "soda".....for instance, I have found (in my travels) that the eastern part of the state seems to say soda....but our area (Pittsburgh area) says pop. ;D


It's pop all the way here, I don't think anyone here knows what the word Soda is! Speaking of which I noticed that the "P" word also reaches up into Saskatchawan Canada according to Corner Gas.

As for our regional accent (north of the Quad Cities) it's related to standard Wisconsin\Minnesotan but not as stereotypically heavy with a bit of Southwestern drawl. From what I can tell it draws out a bit any vowel+R sound. Also listening to some of my newscasts I noticed that I was either omiting or combining several sounds. Of course being from this area I probably can't notice all the differences. I've even had someone from Vancouver noticed it when she told me that my accent was "cute". I even heard it once on one of those Iraq war diary type shows when I heard a unit have the same accent. Later I found out it was a Wisconsin National Guard Unit. Yet when I take one of those internet accent quizes it fails to recognize any.

Oh yeah I forgot about "hella", I do that alot too. Or its milder cousin "hecka". ;D



  "Hella" and "hecka" (I used both in HS) must be universal in this country.  I've recently heard children use the milder cousin.  It's good to know "hella" is being kept alive...

Mid-Atlanitic with a touch of Pennsylvania Dutch. :)

There are certain words that I say that you can REALLY hear my New "Yowk" accent (no, that's not one of them even though I joke a lot with that).  Those words are:

Water -I pronounce "war der". When I was kid learning to spell and they would tell me sound out words-I always spelled it w-a-r-d-e-r.  :D ;D ;D
Toy - I pronounce more like "toi-e"
Dog- I pronounce more like "doiwg"
Coffee-I pronounce more like "cowff-e"

There are a few people on this board who has heard me speak (gemini, Mama K, Tam, & Bobby-and of course my love Carlos). Maybe they can tell you more about how I talk than I can. 


Oh and BTW, I say soda.


Cat

I have a New York way of talking.