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What are some examples of Southern Accents?
What is Southern American English?
What is a South accent?
What sounds were common in the old Southern dialects?
- Y’all. Y’all is an abbreviation for “you all” and is a trademark (distinct common feature) of Southern speech. The way Americans say “you” in the plural is a big indication of where they come from, with Northerners typically saying “you guys” and Southerners sticking with y’all.
- Fit as a fiddle. It may seem silly to compare someone who’s fit (in good physical shape) to a fiddle (an instrument), but this is a common saying. He can run a mile in four minutes.
- Oh, rats! This is essentially a nice way to say, “Oh, darn!” I lost my homework!
- Cut the lights on/off. For grammar nerds, this is a huge pet peeve (annoyance), since standard English would be “Turn the lights on/off.” After all, you can’t physically take scissors and cut a light switch on or off.
Southern American English or Southern U.S. English is a regional dialect or collection of dialects of American English spoken throughout the Southern United States, though concentrated increasingly in more rural areas, and spoken primarily by White Southerners.
- The Southern Accent
- The Southern Drawl
- What Is A Southern Twang?
- Southern pronunciations
- What Is A Rhotic accent?
- Southern Terms and Sayings
- Different Types of Southern Accents
- The Charleston Southern Accent
- Finding The Southern Accent
Living in South Carolina my entire life, I have always been surrounded by the Southern accent and the slow Southern drawl. The accent changes from one Southern state to another and even from city to city. I have a Charleston accent, which is actually quite different from the traditional Southern accent. Many people ask where I am from because it do...
The first noticeable thing about the way a Southerner talks is the speed. Southerners are typically more laid back, and that is reflected in the speech, which has drawn-out vowel sounds. You will also notice words that run together, like gonna (going to) and lem-me (let me). No, we are not "slow" or "backwards," but we usually take our time and enj...
A twang is quite distinctive from a drawl. The drawl, which is more common in the Deep South, tends to drop the "R" sound and sounds softer to the ear as syllables are drawn out. The twang, which is more common as you head further north and west, is faster and sharper to the ear. The twang can sound almost nasally, and the "R" sound is more pronoun...
Southerners don't say I or eye the way you do. It is more of an aah with a short "a" sound. We also say mah for the word my,also with the short "a." So, for example, you may hear "Aah have an aah-lash in mah aah" (I have an eyelash in my eye). The word get does not rhyme with yet here in the South. We say it like git.There is a common rhyme teacher...
Rhoticity in English refers to sounding out the "R" at the end of words and syllables. Some accents, like British English and Boston accents, are non-rhotic accents. Compare sounding out the "R" in the word "car" in a General American accent (cahrrr) as opposed to saying it in a non-rhotic accent (cah). The mid-18th century saw wealthy British peop...
The most famous Southern expression is y'all, which is an abbreviation for you all. The greeting Hey means Hello. A true Southerner would never ever say "Hello, you all" or "Hi, you guys." But, very often, you will hear "Hey, y'all." These are some other common Southern terms and sayings: 1. just pickin:teasing - "Aw, come own now, Aah'm just picki...
The American South is a large area that features many different dialects of the Southern accent. Here are a few different types of Southern accents out there. 1. Coastal/Lowland Southern English: This can be thought of as the classic Southern accent. It is the kind that you often hear in various media, such as films and TV. It features non-rhotic s...
Natives from Charleston, South Carolina, have a unique Southern accent and not so much the slow drawl of our neighbors. Our accent was affected by the local African-American Gullah dialect, as well as different European influences. We seem to avoid final and middle "r" sounds, so the name of our city is pronounced Chaahs-tun. Other words you may he...
If you travel the South, you will notice some areas with a very strong twang, while others are less noticeable. In bigger cities like Charleston and Atlanta, you may not consistently hear the accent because so many people from other places live there now. The stronger Southern accents are more widespread in the smaller towns and communities.
- Southern Sayings.
- “Y’all” Y’all being the quintessential southern phrase has several meanings in its own rights. The word typically refers to a group of people being spoken to.
- “Fixin’ To” This phrase is as southern as sweet tea. When you’re fixin’ to do something, you’re about to do it, and it will get done. It probably won’t get done right away though as you are probably fixin’ to take your sweet time in getting started.
- “Hill of Beans” In the South, a hill of beans is its own measurement. A hill of beans isn’t worth much whether you’re talking about volume or value which means whatever you’re talking about is worth less than very little.
Learn about the distinctive pronunciation of Southern American English, such as the PIN/PEN merger, monophthongization, triphthongization, and non-rhoticity. Listen to examples from the Digital Archive of Southern Speech and compare with other dialects.
Feb 2, 2024 · What is the southern accent? How is it treated by non-southerners? All these questions and more are addressed here!
Learn about the history, origin, and characteristics of the Southern Drawl, a distinctive accent spoken in parts of the American South. See examples of words and phrases that show the drawl, the pen/pin distinction, and the sound of the letter "i".
