What type of american english do you speak?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the results of an American English dialect test taken by participants, exploring the variations in dialects across different regions of the United States. Participants share their results, reflect on their linguistic backgrounds, and comment on the implications of their scores.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants report high percentages of General American English, with varying degrees of other dialects such as Yankee and Dixie.
  • Several participants express surprise at their results, particularly those from regions traditionally associated with different dialects.
  • One participant notes a perceived flaw in the test regarding regional terminology, specifically the term used for a water fountain.
  • Some participants reflect on their experiences with accents and how they perceive their own speech in relation to others.
  • There are humorous exchanges about regional phrases and pronunciations, indicating cultural differences in language use.
  • One participant suggests that General American English may be influenced by media, particularly television and movies.
  • Multiple participants share their diverse backgrounds and how they believe these have influenced their dialect results.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the implications of their dialect results, with various opinions on the accuracy and relevance of the test. There is a mix of agreement on the diversity of American English and disagreement on the significance of specific dialect features.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention that their results may have changed over time due to relocation or exposure to different dialects, indicating that the test may not fully capture their current linguistic identity.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in linguistics, regional dialects, or cultural differences in language may find this discussion engaging.

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55% General American English
35% Yankee
5% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern

Edit: that would have been substatially different two years ago when I lived in Pascagoula, MS...
 
50% General American English
25% Yankee
20% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern

Is that bad?
Are Upper midwesterners good people?
 
70, 15, 10, 5, 0 --- last time I saw this, G. Amer. was called "midwest," and there was a distinction between "NE" and "Yankee."
 
55% General American English
20% Yankee
10% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern

considering I am from Glasgow Scotland originally that blows that test right out of the water :-)
 
65% General American English
15% Upper Midwestern
15% Yankee
5% Dixie
0% Midwestern


Which is funny because I am from the Midwest, but got 0% Midwestern.
 
75 - General
15 - Dixie
10 - Yankee

The last time I took it I had 5% dixie.
 
75% General American English
15% Upper Midwestern
5% Dixie
5% Midwestern
0% Yankee

Just because you can speak English, doesn't make you a citizen. Could you pass the US citizenship test? I got 10 of 10, but I have to admit, one was little more than a guess (I knew when it was approved, but not when it was written).
 
Last edited:
arildno said:
50% General American English
25% Yankee
20% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern

Is that bad?
Are Upper midwesterners good people?
No.

They don't like it when someone from Kansas ("Can's Ass") says "warsh" or "fal" or "chock-lit". They think those words are pronounced "wahsh", "fowul", and "chocolate".

Of course, a lot of Upper Midwestern folks are of Scandinavian descent, so they might like you. Edit: My bad, I didn't notice the 20% Dixie you speak. You're hosed - they'll tie you up and leave you abandoned in a fishing shack on Lake Woebegone.
 
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  • #10
60% General American English
25% Yankee
15% Dixie
0% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern

I had to just choose some of the answers at random, because for some of them I wouldn't say any of those words (it's not a shopping cart, it's a trolley! :p :))
 
  • #11
50% Zoobie
30% Grey Space Alien
10% Weird, Purple Jellyfish
5% Standard American Gibberish
5% Inaudible To Human Hearing
 
  • #12
Anttech said:
55% General American English
20% Yankee
10% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern

considering I am from Glasgow Scotland originally that blows that test right out of the water :-)
Well I'm 25% Scottish, so it makes sense that yours and mine are close. :rolleyes:
 
  • #13
For #2, we called it Goosey Night in NJ.
 
  • #14
50% yankee, 40% Gen Am. (that seems to be Southern Connecticut in a nutshell), 5% dixie (that must've been my 5 years at UVA),
0% midwestern. (No surprises, I freaked out the first time someone asked "Do you want a sack for your pop?")
 
  • #15
45% General American English
45% Yankee
10% Dixie
0% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern

Juvenal, where the heck in NJ are you from? It's always been mischief night in NJ.

I had a hard time with some of the choices, because I either wanted to choose "all of the above" or "none of the above." Like, #10, I would never use any of those terms. But, for "route," I pronounce it either way, it just depends on which road I'm talking about.
 
  • #16
65% General American English
25% Upper Midwestern
10% Midwestern
0% Yankee
0% Dixie
 
  • #17
70% General American English
20% Yankee
5% Dixie
5% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern
 
  • #18
50% General American English
30% Yankee
15% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern
 
  • #19
75% General American English
20% Upper Midwestern
5% Midwestern
0% Dixie
0% Yankee

I'm a midwester for sure
 
  • #20
60% General American English
25% Yankee
15% Dixie
0% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern

Not that I really have any idea what that means.

And tell me, when it's raining while the sun is shining, who in the world says "the devil is beating his wife"!?
 
  • #21
50% General American English
30% Yankee
20% Dixie
0% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern

But I think most of all I speak american english norwegian :biggrin:
 
  • #22
70/10/10/5/5
 
  • #23
There is a flaw in this test that would allow them to distinguish more:

You drink from:

A water fountain
A drinking fountain
OR A BUBLER!1
 
  • #24
Anttech said:
55% General American English
20% Yankee
10% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern

considering I am from Glasgow Scotland originally that blows that test right out of the water :-)
You're missing 10% somewhere.

Mine are :

65% General American English
20% Yankee
10% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern
 
  • #25
55% General American English
30% Yankee
10% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern

And I'm a Slav.
 
  • #26
Moonbear said:
Juvenal, where the heck in NJ are you from? It's always been mischief night in NJ.

The Bergen/Passaic County area in northern NJ. "Guido" central.
 
Last edited:
  • #27
65% General American English
15% Dixie
15% Yankee
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern

General American English is really just California English. My theory is that this happened due to the television and movie industries.

I was probably 18 years old before I realized that I didn't speak the "proper form" of American English; that there really is no such thing. Since nearly everyone on Network TV talked just like me, it was implicit in my thinking that I spoke correctly and everyone else in the country had an accent. It only hit me when one day someone commented on my accent...what...MY accent? Hmmmmm. :eek: Never thought about that way before. I was floored! Of course I immediately reailized my naivety and had a good laugh about it.
 
  • #28
80% General American English
15% Upper Midwestern
5% Yankee
0% Dixie
0% Midwestern
 
  • #29
70% General American English
20% Yankee
10% Upper Midwestern
0% Dixie
0% Midwestern

I call east-coast bias. They didn't ask for any phrases that are unique to the west-coast, or at least the Southern California, vernacular. I also know I picked up at least a little Dixie when I lived in Western North Carolina, just nothing they tested for.
 
  • #30
45% General American English
25% Dixie
25% Yankee
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern
 

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