There is not just one accent that Americans are recognized for. Read this article to learn about some of the most common different American accents!
Do you wish you could speak English with an American accent?
If so, which American accent do you wish you spoke in?
The United States is a big country with many regions. And there are well over 20 different dialects spoken across the country!
Depending on where you are, the way people speak English may sound very different from how you learned it.
Are you curious to learn more about the different American accents that are out there? In this article, we’re providing you with this guide to the most common accents in the United States.
Let’s get started!
Eastern New England
“Ah yah pahking thah cah?”
This is how someone from Boston and Eastern New England would ask, “Are you parking the car?”
People in this region tend to pronounce their R sounds as H’s. They also elongate their A sounds. You’ll hear this accent across the eastern parts of Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
When you go more west, you’ll start to hear the R sounds pronounced in full. They’ll also pronounce their vowels more tightly.
Western New England accents are less distinctive. However, you’ll notice that people in the western parts don’t pronounce their T sounds.
New York City
“I’m tawwkin’ and drinkin’ a cup of cawwfee on the train to Lawng Island.”
This is how someone born and raised in or around New York City would say, “I’m talking and drinking a cup of coffee on the train to Long Island.”
Those who grew up around the Big Apple pronounce their R’s while elongating their vowels, like “A” and “O”. People also pronounce their consonants more harshly.
The South
“Aah’ve got a flat taar. Aah reckon we kin be there by aate. I gaht to git movin”
Not sure which of the American accents this is? This is how someone from the Southern United States would say, “I’ve got a flat tire. I reckon we can be there 8. I got to get moving.”
There are different accents across the South. People in West Virginia tend to sound different than someone from Texas or Louisiana. Usually, the differences are most noticeable with how people pronounce their R’s.
However, southerners tend to speak slowly and with a drawl. They speak with shorter vowels and drop the G sound at the end of verbs.
The Upper Midwest
The further you move from the east coast, the more people will elongate their vowels. Go west and north of Chicago towards Canada. You’ll notice that people will begin to round their O’s and enunciate consonants.
“Doncha know where Minnesew-da is?”
This is how someone in the upper Midwest would say, “Don’t you know where Minnesota is?” People in the midwest tend to speak with a wide and flat sound.
West Coast
People in places like California and Oregon speak close to standard American English. However, there are slight variations in how they speak.
For example, people on the West coast tend to pronounce their consonants more heavily. They also tend to raise the pitches of their voices at the ends of words.
“Yeahhh! I’m from Californiaaah.”
This is how someone on the West coast would say, “Yeah! I’m from California.”
Learning Different American Accents
In this article, we covered 5 of the most common accents you’ll hear in the United States. But the truth is that there are many different American accents across the country.
With practice and patience, you can learn to speak with an American accent. Are you looking to improve your accent when speaking English? Join our Free Trial today!
