Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accents?

[Spot's Meow]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

It's funny how certain accents seem to be almost genetic. For example, I've lived in California all my life, so have my parents and grandparents, but one set of great-grandparents came from Oklahoma. Even though I or my parents had never even met them, I have a slight Okie accent. It doesn't come out often, but sometimes it will and my boyfriend will mercilessly mock me for it.

Otherwise, I think Californians are pretty non-accented for the most part, though I'm sure there are small regional groups that are different, as in any state. I think for California the difference is more in terminology than accent, such as using the word "hella" or "chillax" (which used to be a teen thing but now even my mom uses).

 

[137th Gebirg]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

I liken the difference between generic northern and southern accents based on the location of the invisible letter "W" in the word, or lack thereof for places in-between.

For example, in the north, "dog" is pronounced "dwog" and "mall" is pronounced "mwall". In the south, however, "dog" is "dowg" and "mall" is "mawll".

I'm not fond of New York accents, m'self, but I can tolerate them. However, Bostonian accents make me want to kick the speaker's teeth in for some reason.

I'm also fascinated how location name pronunciations are affected by regional dialect/accents, like:

• "Missouri" pronounced "Mizurrah"
• "New Orleans" pronounced "Nahluns"
• "Norfolk" (VA) pronounced "Nahfuk"
• "Louisville" (IN) pronounced "Luhvul"
• "New York" sometimes sounds like "New Yak", other times "Noo Yohk" - depending, I guess, on the speaker's location on Manhattan island.

and so on...

Richmond/Central Virginia accents are unique, as they are a mild southern accent, but with a Canadian-sounding flair - "house" and "about" are actually "hoose" and "aboot". Only place in the south I've actually experienced that. Might have something to do with a historical tie to Scots-Irish descendants in that particular southern region, akin to those found in Nova Scotia (New Scotland) in Canada.

 

[scotpens]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

For example, in the north, "dog" is pronounced "dwog" and "mall" is pronounced "mwall". In the south, however, "dog" is "dowg" and "mall" is "mawll".

The latter, yes. The former, I've NEVER heard.

"Norfolk" (VA) pronounced "Nahfuk"

Reminds me of the old joke about two Italians on a train, where the punchline is "No'fokka Virginia! No'fokka Virginia!"

 

[An Officer]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

I live in the UK and have not spent much time with Americans so I cannot tell the difference to be honest... I could probably distinguish a New York accent or a Southern accent if it was strong enough and I listened long enough, but that's about it. I do find different accents sexy though, as long as whatever accent it is not being shouted...

 

[propita]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

For example, in the north, "dog" is pronounced "dwog" and "mall" is pronounced "mwall". In the south, however, "dog" is "dowg" and "mall" is "mawll".

The latter, yes. The former, I've NEVER heard.

Is this "w" thing akin to "kwoffee" for "coffee," with the "w" kinda soft? If so, then I've heard it from my mom--she spent her first 14 years in Rhode Island, then 4 years in Memphis, Tennessee, then almost 60 years in Los Angeles.

I'm Los Angeles born, so I don't have an accent. But we do slur some sounds, like final "g's" in in words like "going" and "being."

 

[137th Gebirg]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

For example, in the north, "dog" is pronounced "dwog" and "mall" is pronounced "mwall". In the south, however, "dog" is "dowg" and "mall" is "mawll".

The latter, yes. The former, I've NEVER heard.

Is this "w" thing akin to "kwoffee" for "coffee," with the "w" kinda soft?

Yep - exact same concept.

I'm Los Angeles born, so I don't have an accent. But we do slur some sounds, like final "g's" in in words like "going" and "being."

The other thing I've noticed peculiar about some New York accents is that the "t" is sometimes dropped, like your "g's", in words like "button" being pronounced "buh-uhn", with the slightest pause between syllables - almost Cockney. I'm a web developer and, as such, deal with a lot of interface widgets like buttons and my former manager was from New York and she said "buh-uhn" and "innerface" (interface) all the time. Drove me nuts!

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

It's a glottal stop. It's common in many American accents, especially east coast ones.

 

[Deckerd]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

It's a city thing. By that I mean almost every English speaking city in the world uses the glottal plosive, although it started in London, I believe, in Victorian times.

 

[SmoothieX]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

I'm not fond of New York accents, m'self, but I can tolerate them. However, Bostonian accents make me want to kick the speaker's teeth in for some reason.

I've lived in both places and it's painful.

If I had to pick one that irritates me more I'll go with Boston.

 

[scotpens]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

. . . I'm a web developer and, as such, deal with a lot of interface widgets like buttons and my former manager was from New York and she said "buh-uhn" and "innerface" (interface) all the time. Drove me nuts!

Glossing over the "T" (or dropping it altogether) is fairly common in many parts of the U.S., e.g. "the Sanna Monica Moun'ains."

What I find odd is that many Americans drop the "R" in forward, pronouncing it "fo'ward," regardless of what regional accent they have.

It's a city thing. By that I mean almost every English speaking city in the world uses the glottal plosive, although it started in London, I believe, in Victorian times.

But the glottal stop is most noticeable in the U.K., specifically in Northern English, Scottish and Cockney dialects.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_Sj9o7DWJU[/yt]

 

[thestrangequark]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

It's a city thing. By that I mean almost every English speaking city in the world uses the glottal plosive, although it started in London, I believe, in Victorian times.

Indeed, different accents just use it with different words. An American wouldn't use a glottal stop in 'bottle' but all Americans do when saying 'Manhattan'.

As for dropping the r in forward, that was something I picked up living in New York.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

^^^ Hmmm...in analyzing my own speech, I notice that I say "Manhattan" much like I say "button" (from my previous post), by saying the first "t" and dropping the following vowel, like "Manhat'n" and "but'n".

"Forward" for me sounds like "forw'd".

I definitely seem to be dropping the last vowel in many of my words. Weird...before this thread, I never really objectively evaluated my speech patterns. Pretty cool actually...

 

[thestrangequark]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

^Are you saying the 't' as you would if it were at the beginning of a word, though? Button is also pronounced with a glottal stop in every American accent I know -- a glottal stop is a sound that is made in the back of your throat.

And I meant that I pronounce 'forward' 'fo'ward'.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

Let me see if I can try to describe what my mouth is doing when I say the word "button" (this is kind of complex, actually).

I am pronouncing the "t", but as the tip of my tongue is already at the roof of my mouth, I skip the "o" sound and just go straight to the "n" sound by pressing the rest of my tongue upwards. I guess I have a "lazy tongue", as I don't feel the need to drop the tongue down to make the "o" sound before moving it back up again to make the closing "n" sound.

Going back to my manager who dropped the "t"'s, the same thing is happening, but in reverse. For her, the tongue was still in the "down" position to make the flat "u" and used the glottal block to "emulate" the "t" without raising her tongue to the roof of the mouth to make the correct noise. The tongue was already down for her to go into the "o" and moved it up for the "n".

In listening to the word "button", it actually sounds kind of odd and wrong to pronounce every letter properly.

I hope I described this in a way that makes sense, as I'm not too sure.

 

[thestrangequark]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

^I guess the question is whether you are using a complete glottal stop or a partial. Does the 't' sound, as heard in a word like 'tight' ever get made? I drop the o in 'button' too, so that it is 'buh-glottal stop-nnnn'. Actually...I can't imagine how one could drop the o and still make the t sound...

And now I remember why I was bored to tears in linguistics class -- the psychology aspect is fascinating, but determining the position of the tongue at every noise is so tedious!

 

[137th Gebirg]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

This is hard...I guess maybe I might be making a partial glottal stop now that I'm analyzing this in far greater detail than I have in my entire life. I'm just not making the "o" sound and going straight into the "n", although the tip of my tongue does hit the roof of my mouth (making me "feel" like I'm saying the "t") and rolling the rest of the tongue up. Or maybe I'm saying "but"<pause>"n". Shit, I don't know anymore!

It's like that feeling you get when you say a word enough times that it starts to lose its meaning...

 

[thestrangequark]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

^Semantic satiation -- that's the term for that! Your tongue would go to the top of your mouth to make the n sound, so it is likely you are using a glottal stop. Say 'tee' and feel what your mouth is doing: not only will your tongue be pressed to the roof of your mouth, but you will have a non-voiced bit of air forced out (the voiced version of this tongue position, of course, results in a 'd'). When you say 'button' you should feel the air being forced against your throat (the glottal stop), and that the tongue position is a result of pronouncing the n.