# What is give away that some one has southern US accent ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542 "2012-11-10T01:55:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/61 "2012-11-14T18:36:45Z")
> [@Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](#): > > You are misunderstanding them. They may be talking to you, but they are referencing your family. If I say to a single person “y’all ought to come over and watch the game with us” I am meaning that person and their SO/Family/etc. For a Southerner “Y’all” is NEVER singular. You’re overgeneralizing. As posted above, I’ve heard people here in Durham NC use “y’all” in the singular, unquestionably, with no possibility of misinterpreting it as a plural. Now, you might say they’re simply wrong, but we’re talking about how people talk, not how they should talk. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/62 "2012-11-14T18:58:59Z")
In some parts of New Orleans people sound like they’re from Brooklyn. What’s up with that? As someone from Georgia I’m convicted every time I open my mouth, it’s so obvious. And expresses itself when I least expect it. I was singing “Hallelujah, I Love Him So” one night and it sounded like this: “_In the moanin’ when the sun comes up …_” I was surprised when it fell out like that. I need to clean up my diction but apparently that’s how I talk naturally. So [pardon my Southern accent](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmKRj1vhT70). ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/63 "2012-11-14T23:01:24Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Same here. It’s called an [intervocalic alveolar flap](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intervocalic_alveolar_flapping). If you listen carefully, it’s not exactly the same thing as a “regular” d sound. If I enunciate both “water” (with a “t”) and “wadder” (with a “d,” a voiced alveolar stop) sound different than the way I (and most Americans) say “water” (with a flap.) But it’s a subtle distinction, and “wadder” is a reasonable way to approximate it. Hijack, but… I realized I almost never say the “t” sound if the t is not at the beginning of the word. I say budder and wadder, and then completely leave the t out of ki-en, mi-en (kitten, mitten) and such. Aunt, can’t, hot, but and such all have a sort of pause noise at the end, but it’s not a t. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/64 "2012-11-14T23:40:28Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Hijack, but… I realized I almost never say the “t” sound if the t is not at the beginning of the word. I say budder and wadder, and then completely leave the t out of ki-en, mi-en (kitten, mitten) and such. Aunt, can’t, hot, but and such all have a sort of pause noise at the end, but it’s not a t. You know, it seems I do the same thing. I’m saying “kitten” and “mitten” to myself, and it definitely has a glottal stop. ---
**Author:** ![listedmia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@listedmia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/listedmia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/65 "2012-11-15T01:11:46Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > In some parts of New Orleans people sound like they’re from Brooklyn. What’s up with that? > > . That’s called [“Yat”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yat_dialect). It’s really only common among white, blue-collar people from certain neighborhoods. One of my coworkers talks like this and sounds awesome. There’s just a little bit of drawl in there so it doesn’t sound exactly like a Brooklyn accent. New Orleans has a ton of slightly different accents(IANALinguistics Expert). There are a ton of variations of African American Vernacular English, especially since so many kids spent their formative years as Katrina evacuees in Texas or the North and picked up the accents from those places. They sound different from the Creole people down the street who sound different than the Cajuns and coon-asses from the country who sound different than the old rich folks in the Garden District who still don’t sound like Yat. Oh yeah, also grown men call each other “Baby” a lot. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/66 "2012-11-15T01:48:49Z")
It’s all about emphasis. For example, if the speaker emphasizes his or her point by saying “yessir” and leaning forward in his or her rocking chair as he or she spits across the room into a brass spittoon, that person is probably from the South. ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/67 "2012-11-15T04:19:40Z")
> [@dotchan](#): > > If you’ve seen the movie Forrest Gump, the accent used by young Forrest is the child actor’s actual accent (with the talking speed exaggerated downwards, I’m sure), but off the top of my head I have no idea where he’s from. Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump have a terrible accent and from what I read Tom Hanks does not come close to southern accent . Yes the boys southern accent may be overdone by hollywood .But the girls in the movie Forrest Gump like girl talking to the young Forrest Gump may have more of true southern accent. Here is video clip of girl talking to him on school Bus [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tvKzyYy6qvY/maxresdefault.jpg "Forrest Gump (1/9) Movie CLIP - Peas and Carrots (1994) HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvKzyYy6qvY) That me know how lose that southern accents are of the girl. Here is the one of the movie Fried Green Tomato.You can hear how the girls talk more in the back of the mouth and at lower pitch. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BAXWxuKhcTc/maxresdefault.jpg "Fried Green Tomatoes (8/10) Movie CLIP - Taking the Stand (1991) HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAXWxuKhcTc) https://www.youtube.com/embed/bx4mVVHjExM?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/934iAVn9CKw/maxresdefault.jpg "Fried Green Tomatoes (10/10) Movie CLIP - A Lady Always Knows When to Leave (1991) HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=934iAVn9CKw) Most girls today want to talk more higher pich because sound well more girly. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/68 "2012-11-15T21:13:41Z")
As others have said, there are many different Southern USA accents. Just like there are many different UK accents. I can usually distinguish SE Virginia, SW Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee/Kentucky (they’re pretty similar to my ear), and West Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/69 "2012-11-15T23:49:37Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > We’ve had this discussion before. Allegedly some Texans use y’all as a singular noun, but I’ve never encountered this in reality. Y’all is a contraction of “You all” so using it for the singular doesn’t make any sense. We already have You or Ya for that. > > Standard Southern usage is: > > Y’all: When addressing two or more people. > All y’all: NOT just an emphatic “y’all”, it has a separate function. If I tell Luke and Leia “Y’all are invited to my party”, that means only Luke and Leia are invited. If I say “All y’all are invited to my party” that includes persons who are not present at this very moment: Han, Chewie, Lando, and the rest of the Rebel Alliance. Iif I was by myself and somebody addressed me as y’all, I’d be lookin’ 'round for another person. It’s pretty much exclusively used to address two or more people, I can’t remember ever hearing anybody address a single person as y’all, except in movies or TV. Rural far north Texas. ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/70 "2012-11-16T21:07:14Z")
Well I understand there are hundreds of accents in the south and many in the midwest ,west coast and northeast and just lots in the US .But if I understand hollywood and broadcasters are supposed to confirm to American standard english.And I may not be understanding the accents because I’m not in that state I’m trying to understand. I think I’m also confused of talking style being southern accents or not a southern accents and getting confused:o if it is southern accents or not or what it is example that say I’m in New York a reporter ,office clerk , work at call center you are more than likely will talk fast and less emphasizes on pronunciation of words you are in hurry this talking style emergence and spreads now !!! Now the suburbs of New York you work in factory and you hang around with co workers at work and after work and you have more time and not in a hurry and so you talk slower and draw out the pronunciation of words more and this talking style emergence and spreads . If you hear Bush or Obama they talk slower and draw out the pronunciation of words more so hat sounds like haaat. So I said in one of my post above ( do broadcaster like on CNN go for the flat high pitch? Also the way they speak and the pronunciation of words.) This may be American standard english that broadcasters are supposed to confirm to that is to talk faster , less importance on the pronunciation of words. So when I posted here CNN’s Erin Burnett [- YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--pvo3yV8Y8) that talking very fast and high pitch way of talking she may be confirming to American standard english that broadcasters are supposed to confirm to . Now these two girls talk much slower and talk at a lower pitch and more emphasizes on pronunciation [Accent Challenge: Kansas/Georgia - (1.19.12) - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnbNgQI49M8) Not sure if it is southern accents or not and this what I’m getting confused about. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/71 "2012-11-16T22:14:07Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > Now these two girls talk much slower and talk at a lower pitch and more emphasizes on pronunciation [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnbNgQI49M8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnbNgQI49M8) > > Not sure if it is southern accents or not and this what I’m getting confused about. Those are southern accents. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/72 "2012-11-16T22:28:30Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > As others have said, there are many different Southern USA accents. Just like there are many different UK accents. > > I can usually distinguish SE Virginia, SW Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee/Kentucky (they’re pretty similar to my ear), and West Virginia. Well, accents don’t follow state boundaries as much as topographic and demographic ones. For example, coastal NC and SC accents are more alike than they differ from Appalachian Georgia, SC, and NC accents. Furthermore, there are markedly different coastal accents: people who come from people who spoke Gullah have quite different accents from those who didn’t (who sound more like those from the Piedmont.) Beware generalizations about accents that don’t take demographics into account. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/73 "2012-11-16T22:32:49Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > Now these two girls talk much slower and talk at a lower pitch and more emphasizes on pronunciation [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnbNgQI49M8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnbNgQI49M8) The girl on the left has a lot more distinct southern accent. The accent of the girl on the right is much more subtle, with some southern elements I think I can detect, but probably also a fair bit of Kansas remaining (I probably couldn’t recognize various Kansas accents). My guess is the girl on the right is the older of the two, and her accent changed less when they moved from Kansas to Georgia. She’s certainly not from New Orleans, where they say “Nawlens”. (Well, some of them do!) ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/74 "2012-11-19T06:12:33Z")
> [@](#): > > As others have said, there are many different Southern USA accents. Just like there are many different UK accents. > > I can usually distinguish SE Virginia, SW Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee/Kentucky (they’re pretty similar to my ear), and West Virginia Does one have to travel or be very good at English to pick out the different accents? > [@](#): > > The girl on the left has a lot more distinct southern accent. The accent of the girl on the right is much more subtle, with some southern elements I think I can detect, but probably also a fair bit of Kansas remaining (I probably couldn’t recognize various Kansas accents). My guess is the girl on the right is the older of the two, and her accent changed less when they moved from Kansas to Georgia. She’s certainly not from New Orleans, where they say “Nawlens”. (Well, some of them do!) So it some of the words she is saying that people in North world not say .Both girls trying to get job has a broadcaster would be turn away has broadcaster like to go for the flat high pitch that broadcasters must to confirm to ? Should I be into country music has that would really give me idea of the southern accent ? ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/75 "2012-12-03T22:26:18Z")
I made thread some weeks ago on what is give away that someone has southern US accent. And now I cannot find the thread :o I think it got buried of high number of threads being posted here every day. What I read the main give away is the vowel sounds and letter R. \*\*But I’m confused what they mean by the letter R . What is hard R than soft R? \*\* Also I was saying broadcasters talking very high pitch and really fast almost like speed talking and after doing some more reading and home work they have their own way of talking and accent . This has nothing to do with southern or non southern accent ( that I got confused ) has Americans do not talk like that or any of the Hollywood movies like that at all. I thing in end only way I’m going understand the southern US accent is watch some movies and TV shows of good southern US accent or closer to what true southern US accent sound like . It interesting to find out how American accent change over time in the US and so different from the UK . Also because my English is not that good it may be harder for me to pick out southern US accent other than some really strong southern US accent. But non native English speaker or UK accent is really noticeable than US accent. I also wonder if many of southern US accents are more modest other than some that may more apparent. may be why not so noticeable to my ear .Some of the Boston , Chicago and New York accent is more noticeable to my ear even if don’t understand the accent. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/76 "2012-12-03T23:08:42Z")
Your previous thread was here: > **[What is give away that some one has southern US accent ?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=671803)** > > What is give away that some one has southern US accent ? What I read on the internet is the vowel sounds and the letter R is main giveway. Anyone know here? Also anyone know of any movies , TV shows or good US presidents with southern US accent... ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/77 "2012-12-03T23:47:00Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > What is give away that some one has southern US accent ? There’s more than one. > [@sweat209](#): > > What I read on the internet is the vowel sounds and the letter R is main giveway. > > Anyone know here? > > Also anyone know of any movies , TV shows or good US presidents with southern US accent that may help me? Click on the ‘Play’ button located beneath the words “Listen to a sample now” on [this page](http://www.accenthelp.com/products/american-southern-soft-r) for some examples. > [@sweat209](#): > > What I have seen is people in the suburbs ,towns and country talk slower and in city talk fast and less pronunciation of words almot like they have to say it very fast and talk fast like the world is coming to end. In general, that’s an accurate summary of things. Lots of outliers, of course. > [@sweat209](#): > > I seen the movie Fried Green Tomatoes some guys in that movie I think may have bit of thinker accent or southern US accent . But girls in that movie not so noticeable the accent at all . Based on my memory of the film, some characters have less of an accent than others. Some characters may have a _different_ version of the southern accent than others as well. I’m hazy on that part. I will note that in the scene I’m about to link, Kathy Bates has a mild southern accent while the staff member (in white) who speaks at second 22 or so of the clip has a pronounced accent. This [rather sad](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tubelk9UZo) scene. > [@sweat209](#): > > The girls in the movie mississippi burning have bit more noticeable accent.:o Perhaps, but it’s not the SAME accent. Here’s [a depiction of one Mississippi accent](http://www.howcast.com/videos/500509-How-to-Do-a-Mississippi-Southern-Accent). I don’t have time to research it, but the scenes in Fried Green Tomatoes are set in Tennessee and Georgia. They’re also set in different eras; due to radio, TV and urbanization, some areas in the south may have drifted towards the ‘baseline’ American accent. > [@sweat209](#): > > But it help me understand the vowel sounds and the letter R has that is good place to start find out if some one has southern US accent or what to listen for in movies. > > I also hear the letter t in would get change to the d so butter- budder in the south and most people say supper than dinner in the south. The letter t changes, but probably less than the letter r. There is regional variation in choosing to use the word ‘supper’ at all. Some folks do not use it. Ever. I am an American, and I never use it unless I’m quoting someone else. Some folks use supper and dinner interchangeable, and others use feel that they have separate meanings. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/78 "2012-12-04T00:01:35Z")
Um, inexplicably, I just answered your old OP in the other thread. Sorry about that, but it’s in my nature. Here are two handy links that may help you understand the various types of “R”. > **[American Southern: Hard-R Accent](https://www.accenthelp.com/products/american-southern-hard-r)** > > AccentHelp coach Jim Johnson leads you through all of the details for learning an American Southern accent, plus recordings of Southerners! 100% money-back guarantee. > **[American Southern: Soft-R Accent](https://www.accenthelp.com/products/american-southern-soft-r)** > > AccentHelp coaches Jim Johnson & Kate DeVore lead you through all of the details for learning a classic American Southern "non-rhotic" accent, plus recordings of Southerners! 100% money-back guarantee. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/79 "2012-12-04T00:06:22Z")
I don’t know the terms exactly, but in Southern accents R’s at the end of word are often dropped or become barely audible. Sometimes a schwa replaces it. The word ‘hear’ (or ‘here’) might come out as ‘he’ or ‘he-uh’, or just a tinge of an R at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542/80 "2012-12-04T01:19:30Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > I made thread some weeks ago on what is give away that someone has southern US accent. And now I cannot find the thread :o I think it got buried of high number of threads being posted here every day. I have merged the new thread with the previous one. Colibri General Questions Moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-give-away-that-some-one-has-southern-us-accent/640542.md?page=5)