A 'California Accent' Exists: Do You Think You Have an Accent?

by AdriHead Posted 2012/09/20 19:00:00

Related Topics: Accents, California, California Accent

701 votes
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	Yes	457 votes	65%
	No	244 votes	35%

A California accent? Like, no way, dude. You can't be serious. Though Californians -- and other West Coasters -- often pride themselves in thinking that they are free of accents and speak in the purest linguistic form, a new study is here to tell us that that's all a load of crock. The California accent is alive and well!

Researchers found that California is actually home to a very distinct dialect and accent. Some examples? "Black" sounds like "block," "pen" sounds like "pin," and in general the Californian "a" is very nasally. So... whether or not you're from California, we've got to ask: Do you think you have an accent when you speak?

JEZEBEL.COM reports:
A team of researchers is canvassing California to try and nail down some of the linguistic peculiarities native to its various regions. Conventional wisdom holds that, aside from garish movie caricatures like Spicoli and Cher Horowitz, the English spoken on the west coast is clean, accentless, and standard.

spicoli cher horowitz english spoken west coast clean accentless standard

+27

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Tunnel Vision 2012/09/23 00:14:16

Yes

+6
Everyone has an accent depending on who is listening.

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More polls by AdriHead

john br... to Ruby De... 2012/09/24 17:15:23

+1
yes it is in american history books. first time i laughed at something from a history book.

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Boo! 2012/09/23 00:48:01

Yes

If I went overseas I would but to all Australians I don't

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terrabytes 2012/09/23 00:21:10

Yes

I know I have one.

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Tunnel Vision 2012/09/23 00:14:16

Yes

+6
Everyone has an accent depending on who is listening.

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john br... to Tunnel ... 2012/09/24 15:30:34

we are the world...we are the children....lol.....

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joan.sloane 2012/09/22 23:32:49

Yes

There are accents all over the US. Some are very slight and others can't be missed.

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Rotten Apples 2012/09/22 23:21:00

Yes

im a northern mexican that has moved to west texas

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Junichi 2012/09/22 23:12:48

Yes

I'm Asian I have an accent with all the languages I speak

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NickTheAceBassist 2012/09/22 23:11:08

Yes

I'm from there so I think I sorta of have it... WAIT... WAH?!

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michael.reeves.3150 2012/09/22 23:09:50

No

i can do them tho

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Lefty 2012/09/22 23:08:52

Yes

+1
Everyone has an accent. Go somewhere else, and they'll tell you.

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Curmudgeon 2012/09/22 22:58:20

No

More than a few people have told me I have an accent, but I'm not sure I do. However, anytime I head into the United States people ask me all the time where I'm from. lol

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BabyBear 2012/09/22 22:10:42 (edited)

Yes

I'm Latina, I don't hear my accent, until I travel.

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Lucy 2012/09/22 22:09:35

Yes

When I lived in Philadelphia I had that accent which sounds almost British at times and now in NY, I sound more like NYC>

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Mila Darias 2012/09/22 21:36:45

Yes

because I do have an accent

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Sailor Jerry 2012/09/22 21:35:09

Yes

+1
i have a modern Midwestern accent that's easy to understand.

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Helmholtz 2012/09/22 20:45:59

No

I think that I speak like the majority of Americans

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Osaka to Helmholtz 2012/09/23 00:50:36

+1
LOL, I'm originally from where the orange hits Oklahoma at the corner.

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LaLa 2012/09/22 20:31:43 (edited)

No

+1
I'm from oregon. We talk the same way they do on national tv.

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Lucy to LaLa 2012/09/22 22:10:04

Yes, that has no accent.

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dekecds to LaLa 2012/09/23 16:28:12

Something tells me that most people feel like they "talk the same way they do on national TV" seeing as how it's been expressed by several people from different regions already, right here on this poll....
Oh, and after visiting Oregon for an extended 6 years, there is definitely a local accent there....

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LaLa to dekecds 2012/09/29 15:34:46 (edited)

Depends on what part. Southern oregonians talk like oakies. The rest of us talk normal, Like on tv.

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Ma La 2012/09/22 20:25:06

Yes

I had a stroke and has to learn to speak again. I purposely chose to use
a southern California accent.

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SofiSlashes™~ 2012/09/22 19:36:28

Yes

+2
yes and no,from where i live,we think the way we speak english is perfectly normal.My teachers told me that in the north part of my state,people speak way different and with an accent.In otherwise,no matter where you go or people go,eventually,we all have accents.
Which is pretty cool to me!

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Margaret Jacobson 2012/09/22 19:27:55

Yes

As long as I speak ENGLISH $am understood OH WELL !!!!

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FayeCatherineDevine 2012/09/22 19:19:24

Yes

I am from Liverpool. It's hard for other people not from my city to understand me.

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holly go lightly 2012/09/22 18:59:37 (edited)

No

I am the only one of seven kids born in Ca.I do not have an accent,especially not the one 'researchers'found, but can quite easily turn on "the bubba" at the drop of a hat.

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Christmas; In Chrome 2012/09/22 18:44:56

No

But although I'm not prone to this myself, many people from there tend to speak in a seemingly emotionless staccato. Very flat declaritives with little inflection, usually spoken quietly, almost in a mumble. Then there are the ones who pose everything like a question. There are several distinct vocalities there to be sure, but no, there is no one actual accent.

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De-Dee 2012/09/22 18:23:05

No

+1
I dont think so...I'm not even sure what it would be. I lived in Georgia till' I was 3, urban part of Maryland till I was 12 and rural Virginia from 12-19(present) lol. All I know is that I tend to kinda mumble. Mom say I get that from my Dad, who's a North Carolina, Southern Virginia guy....but that's not really considered an accent. Maybe I'll ask the next person I meet, who's from somewhere across the states.

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teamboobooseth 2012/09/22 18:02:22

Yes

Everyone has accents to people who don't live in the same area as they do.

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phil 2012/09/22 17:42:07

Yes

Boston for me. Ashley is yours calf ?? Calf ladies are by far perfect tens

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Cn2012 2012/09/22 17:41:41

No

I'm from So. Cal. And no, no accent.

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teamboo... to Cn2012 2012/09/22 18:02:54

+1
Maybe not to you but to europeans or Asians you probably do.

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Cn2012 to teamboo... 2012/09/27 17:18:26

I don't know, I lived in Japan for five years, as far as Europeans, I'm guessing its southern accents they notice the most.

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teamboo... to Cn2012 2012/09/29 14:16:11

Yeah but southerners notice northerners accents

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J.MaisOui 2012/09/22 17:33:18

Yes

Probably.... From way N.to Fl many yrs ago,so to them maybe.

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Magical Mushroom 2012/09/22 17:28:46

Yes

+1
Some people tell me I do. The people who were raised here in GA and so were there relatives can here I was from up north. But I know if I went back up north that they would all ask me were I am from. Most people don't stay some were so they pick up a different way of talking and thats me and for the people who live in the state they can hear it.

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Lucy to Magical... 2012/09/22 22:12:09

+1
I love it. "Hey, can I have a cheeseburger"?

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Magical... to Lucy 2012/09/23 01:40:22

+1

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Lucy to Magical... 2012/09/23 21:31:27

+1
Where can I find these? Ha-ha.

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