# Which American accent do you have? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 20, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850 "2013-05-20T18:26:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/1 "2013-05-20T18:26:07Z")
Take this quiz [http://www.youthink.com/quiz.cfm?action=go\_detail&sub\_action=take&obj\_id=9827](http://www.youthink.com/quiz.cfm?action=go_detail&sub_action=take&obj_id=9827)’ and post the results. Mine is the most horribly boring of all: neutral. Bleh I grew up in Texas where all my neighbors were displaced rust belt workers who moved to Houston to get jobs when the factories closed. My mom was from Kentucky and my dad from California. SO I guess all those crazy influences just cancelled each other out and I get stuck with 'Neutral" ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/2 "2013-05-20T18:46:17Z")
Neutral. I have a bit of a Cleveland accent, though. We say our “A’s” a little weird. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/3 "2013-05-20T18:50:09Z")
Northeastern. Which is not surprising, given that I’ve spent most of my life here. 🙂 I was told by the speech instructor in broadcasting school that I have almost the perfect neutral accent, marred only by the regional habit of talking too damn fast. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/4 "2013-05-20T18:51:48Z")
Western, which is accurate. Not sure how that’s different from Neutral, as linguistically the generic one is “General American.” Pretty much answered “Yes/Same sound/etc.” to all except “pasta” and “horrible,” which I associate with New York/NE, bag/vague which seems upper midwest, and the Southernesque or Midwest tent/tint, heel/hill, Ah’m, and grandpa-English “roof.” ---
**Author:** ![KittenKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kittenkat/32/306_2.png) [@KittenKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KittenKat)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/5 "2013-05-20T18:55:49Z")
Northeastern here, too. Spent the first 8 years living in Northern New Jersey, and the rest in Connecticut, mostly the Hartford area. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/6 "2013-05-20T18:58:12Z")
After leaving in BAW-ston and Joisey most of my life, I score neutral??? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/7 "2013-05-20T19:04:22Z")
It says I’m neutral. I don’t think that’s right, though. I know there’s a Yooper accent, and as much as I try to avoid it, I can’t believe after living here for 10+ years I don’t have any of it. Think “Fargo” only not so pronounced, and more sing-songy. There’s a lot of people here with much more pronounced accents than I have. But even when I lived in Colorado (and had for 10+ years), I’d occasionally have people ask me if I was from Canada, based on my speech patterns. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/8 "2013-05-20T19:04:41Z")
Neutral. Born and raised in Montgomery County, MD (suburbs of DC). ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/9 "2013-05-20T19:08:57Z")
I got neutral too, but I’m more southern than neutral, com what people have said. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/10 "2013-05-20T19:10:15Z")
Neutral. Figures. Dad’s Kansas balances Mom’s Texas mixed with Southern California. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/11 "2013-05-20T19:13:54Z")
Southern. No real surprise there. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/12 "2013-05-20T19:14:39Z")
Western. I do live in the western. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/13 "2013-05-20T19:18:39Z")
Northern. Born and raised in Wisconsin, live outside Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/14 "2013-05-20T19:20:53Z")
I got Northeastern, which I suppose makes sense since I’m eh northeast of the US. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/15 "2013-05-20T19:23:12Z")
> [@](#): > > North Central > > What people call the “Minnesota accent.” Sounds almost Canadian. You may have even been asked if you were from Canada before. I grew up in rural Minnesota north of Minneapolis, but have lived in Chicago for about 10 years now. I don’t have nearly as thick of an accent as I used to. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/16 "2013-05-20T19:23:13Z")
Mid-Atlantic. Considering I spent my formative years in Baltimore and its suburbs, I’d say that’s pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/17 "2013-05-20T19:29:18Z")
It got me. > [@](#): > > Which American accent do you have? Canadian > People from outside North America probably think you`re from the States, but over here we wouldn’t make such a mistake ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/18 "2013-05-20T19:30:38Z")
It says “Northern”, but I think I have a trace of a Philadelphia accent in certain words. I moved out of the Philly area when I was ten years old. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/19 "2013-05-20T19:33:00Z")
Northern, which I guess is what you get when you answer all the questions correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850/20 "2013-05-20T19:34:26Z")
I got Northeastern. (Lifelong SC :eek: ) One I had to fudge on. “On.” I pronounce it to rhyme with “phone” or “bone.” That wasn’t one of the options, but I would never pronounce it to rhyme with “con” or “don.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-american-accent-do-you-have/658850.md?page=2)