What's your accent?

[If my soul was made of stone]

Over the years that I've taken and retaken this quiz my accent has gradually shifted north, from Baltimore/DC/Hampton Roads to Philly/South Jersey to NYC/Westchester/North Jersey. I guess that makes me a fairly generic Mid-Atlantic/Northeasterner.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

A fairly weak but distinct Indian accent

[Diabolical Materialism]

I got Greensboro/Winston-Salem/Columbus, GA. I have never lived in any of those places. Least similar was Grand Rapids/Detroit/Buffalo.

[DINGO Joe]

The test does two different things, your accent and your vocabulary.  How I pronounce words is most influenced by those who taught me how to talk (Iowa parents) my vocabulary is most influenced by where I live (New Orleans) so I invariably get two different nodes on this test--upper midwest and New Orleans.

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

Still this. Basically Standard "NPR English." I'm happily generic.

[Alcibiades]

The New York Times also has a quiz for British accents:



I guess those results are probably indicative of my generic middle class Southeastern accent - basically the “default” accent you hear on the TV, but not quite as posh as full-on Received Pronunciation.

[Catalyst138]

I got Boston/Jersey City/Yonkers which I guess is pretty accurate for CT.

[AGA]

[Battista Minola 1616]

Most similar: New York, Jersey City, Yonkers
Least similar: Des Moines, Akron, Omaha

There is very little red on the map, which is extremely unsurprising since I am not a native speaker, I have never lived in an English-speaking country, and I usually try to follow British English.

[Kuumo]

Most similar: New York, Jersey City, Yonkers
Least similar: Des Moines, Akron, Omaha

There is very little red on the map, which is extremely unsurprising since I am not a native speaker, I have never lived in an English-speaking country, and I usually try to follow British English.

I like how the redder areas tend to have more Italian Americans.

[Battista Minola 1616]

Most similar: New York, Jersey City, Yonkers
Least similar: Des Moines, Akron, Omaha

There is very little red on the map, which is extremely unsurprising since I am not a native speaker, I have never lived in an English-speaking country, and I usually try to follow British English.

I like how the redder areas tend to have more Italian Americans.

I... don't think there's a particular correlation? Hawaii and San Jose are not exactly famous for Italian Americans, while places such as Buffalo, Cleveland and Chicago are in blue.
On the other hand, the Ohio/Mississippi rivers form a very visible demarcation, and I am not sure why.

[Astatine]

[Kuumo]

Most similar: New York, Jersey City, Yonkers
Least similar: Des Moines, Akron, Omaha

There is very little red on the map, which is extremely unsurprising since I am not a native speaker, I have never lived in an English-speaking country, and I usually try to follow British English.

I like how the redder areas tend to have more Italian Americans.

I... don't think there's a particular correlation? Hawaii and San Jose are not exactly famous for Italian Americans, while places such as Buffalo, Cleveland and Chicago are in blue.
On the other hand, the Ohio/Mississippi rivers form a very visible demarcation, and I am not sure why.

It's almost certainly just a funny coincidence since most Italian Americans today don't speak any Italian. You can see that Minnesota and the Dakotas aren't super dark red on Astatine's map even though they have the most German Americans.

[West_Midlander]

[Battista Minola 1616]

Most similar: New York, Jersey City, Yonkers
Least similar: Des Moines, Akron, Omaha

There is very little red on the map, which is extremely unsurprising since I am not a native speaker, I have never lived in an English-speaking country, and I usually try to follow British English.

I like how the redder areas tend to have more Italian Americans.

I... don't think there's a particular correlation? Hawaii and San Jose are not exactly famous for Italian Americans, while places such as Buffalo, Cleveland and Chicago are in blue.
On the other hand, the Ohio/Mississippi rivers form a very visible demarcation, and I am not sure why.

It's almost certainly just a funny coincidence since most Italian Americans today don't speak any Italian. You can see that Minnesota and the Dakotas aren't super dark red on Astatine's map even though they have the most German Americans.

The stronger correlation in my map seems to be with coastal elitism lmao. I think I will try the British quiz later, by the way.

[parochial boy]

The New York Times also has a quiz for British accents:

I guess those results are probably indicative of my generic middle class Southeastern accent - basically the “default” accent you hear on the TV, but not quite as posh as full-on Received Pronunciation.

Oh interesting, I always get Yonkers/New York on the US quiz because my English is much closer to British English. I figure I speak with basically a generic-but-not-really-placeable South of England accent/dialect when I speak English, but when I did the test I got:

Way off. Your answers didnt fit here at all.

Which is closest to... what, the South of the Midlands? I guess that's closest to generic Southern with the odd northern/Scottish or mid-atlantic influence.

So I'll go with the original answer. When I speak English, I sound as if I come from the South of England, but with a generic and untraceable accent; When I speak French, I have a mild Swiss, or specifically Geneva accent; and when I speak German, I have a pretty thick French accent. It's only the last one that is really obvious though.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

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[If my soul was made of stone]

The British-Irish quiz matched me to London, Bath, and Killarney, and more broadly the West Midlands and Munster, while noting that I didn't really speak like anyone in the British Isles. Fitting since I've never been there.

[Kuumo]

The most similar cities were San Antonio, Irving, and Fort Worth because I lived in Texas in my younger years. The least similar cities were Philadelphia, Worcester, and Providence. I can attest that people with a strong Boston accent are the hardest Americans for me to understand, and this map illustrates that.

[Torrain]

Oh. Wow.

Thought I had a much milder accent than this...

Edit: fixed broken link

[Conservatopia]

According to the British one a fairly standard southern one spread evenly across the South West amd South East but slightly more pronounced in Berkshire area.

Thankfully I don't sound like a "ghastly oik".

[Alcibiades]

The New York Times also has a quiz for British accents:

I guess those results are probably indicative of my generic middle class Southeastern accent - basically the “default” accent you hear on the TV, but not quite as posh as full-on Received Pronunciation.

Oh interesting, I always get Yonkers/New York on the US quiz because my English is much closer to British English. I figure I speak with basically a generic-but-not-really-placeable South of England accent/dialect when I speak English, but when I did the test I got:

Way off. Your answers didnt fit here at all.

[image]

Which is closest to... what, the South of the Midlands? I guess that's closest to generic Southern with the odd northern/Scottish or mid-atlantic influence.

So I'll go with the original answer. When I speak English, I sound as if I come from the South of England, but with a generic and untraceable accent; When I speak French, I have a mild Swiss, or specifically Geneva accent; and when I speak German, I have a pretty thick French accent. It's only the last one that is really obvious though.

Anecdotally, something I’ve noticed with younger French speakers living here who speak only lightly French-accented English is that they often have a hint of Cockney/‘Estuary English’.

[afleitch]

Not unexpected

[Torie]

Well, the three cities most similar to my accent are supposedly Baton Rouge, New York, and Pittsburgh, and I spent most of my life in Los Angeles. And there you have it!

[Pouring Rain and Blairing Music]

The British one was a wash, Birmingham and Southeast England. For reference, my patrilineal line comes from Yorkshire.

And, as always, I sound like I’m from a bit farther south in the Central Valley than I am. This time, it gave me Modesto, Fresno, and Bakersfield, rather than Sacramento.

My least similar were Jersey City, Yonkers, and Newark. This is more variable; I’ve gotten New Orleans before.