U.S. Maps of Varying Pronunciations

[jamo]

Totally agree.  I like to mess with her whenever I have the chance ... this morning, in fact.  Like I said before, my wife's name is Sheri, and she pronounces it like anybody would, Sh-air-ee.  Now, if you ask her to say the name "Shari", she will absolutely say it differently.  The "a" gets that "aa" sound as in "at."  This morning, she has to tell our son to share his toys with his sister.  Funny enough, she pronounces share normally ... just like she says her name; "sh-air."  So, I'm like "Ha, proof that you are wrong!" -------------------------------------------- On a related note ... how do you guys all say the word "donkey?"  Apparently those from Long Island say "dunkey," like monkey.  I chuckle every time. ;)

How does she say "towel?" A lot of people I know from Long Island pronounce it as one syllable. As if you replaced the "h" in the name "Hal" with a "T."

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by jamo

How does she say "towel?" A lot of people I know from Long Island pronounce it as one syllable. As if you replaced the "h" in the name "Hal" with a "T."

LOL ... she actually says it normally, but she is familiar with the pronunciation you mention.  I will ask her dad when I see him tomorrow.  He's the one that still has the pretty strong accent. ;)

[Golfingdad]

Here's another one ... this may just be my wife's goofiness, and not actually an accent though, that's why I'm asking.

When she says "forward," instead of pronouncing it "four-word," she says "foe-word."

Also, when she says "always" she leaves out the "L."  ... "ah-ways."

Anybody know if that's an east coast, or NY, or Long Island thing?  Or is she just a goofball?

[boogielicious]

Could be slight Boston with "foe-wud". Does she say "fore" or "foe-wa" for the number 4?

[jamo]

Here's another one ... this may just be my wife's goofiness, and not actually an accent though, that's why I'm asking. When she says "forward," instead of pronouncing it "four-word," she says "foe-word." Also, when she says "always" she leaves out the "L."  ... "ah-ways." Anybody know if that's an east coast, or NY, or Long Island thing?  Or is she just a goofball?

What about "orange?" One syllable or two? And does she say "aks" instead of "ask?" The Long Island accent is crazy. Half of my extended family is from there, but only some of them have the accent. The ones who really have it you can tell, because they pronounce Long Island as "Lon Guy-Land."

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Here's another one ... this may just be my wife's goofiness, and not actually an accent though, that's why I'm asking.

When she says "forward," instead of pronouncing it "four-word," she says "foe-word."

Also, when she says "always" she leaves out the "L."  ... "ah-ways."

Anybody know if that's an east coast, or NY, or Long Island thing?  Or is she just a goofball?

I think that's a long island thing, at least.  I've been working to insert the "r".  Does she pronounce "drawer" as "draw"?

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by jamo

What about "orange?" One syllable or two?

And does she say "aks" instead of "ask?"

The Long Island accent is crazy. Half of my extended family is from there, but only some of them have the accent. The ones who really have it you can tell, because they pronounce Long Island as "Lon Guy-Land."

I think I may have even mentioned it up the thread somewhere, but yeah, she absolutely pronounces orange with 1 syllable. .... "arnj"

Originally Posted by dsc123

I think that's a long island thing, at least.  I've been working to insert the "r".  Does she pronounce "drawer" as "draw"?

Her accent is very mild ... She had been out of LI for several years before I met her so I don't know if she lost it or never had it.  It's just a few funny words that she says.  When we go visit our friends/family though ... especially the LI friends, forget about it.  Listening to them is entertainment enough for me.  She also has some City relatives that have a much milder accent.

Did you mean to reverse those by the way?  Her dad absolute ADDS an R to the end of words like "draw"  I mentioned above ... he orders "rawr" onions on his steak or burger in restaurants, and the waiters out here never understand him the first time, and usually don't the second time.  Then I step in and translate.

When my kids go to visit their grandparents (every week ... they live out here now) they sometimes come back with an accent.  Like if it's a new word they first learned from Grandpa.  They "play" chess sometimes and he taught my son the names of all of the pieces, including the pawns.  Not really sure how to explain the LI version of the word phonetically on paper, but I guess the closest I could get would be "pwon."  You guys probably know the sound I'm talking about though.  Funny to hear your 3 year old son, who was born in Cali and always lived in Cali randomly have a LI accent for a couple of words.

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

When we go visit our friends/family though ... especially the LI friends, forget about it.

I believe that's actually pronounced like this

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Did you mean to reverse those by the way?  Her dad absolute ADDS an R to the end of words like "draw"  I mentioned above ... he orders "rawr" onions on his steak or burger in restaurants, and the waiters out here never understand him the first time, and usually don't the second time.  Then I step in and translate.

Maybe I get my "draw" from somewhere else, you're definitely right about "rawr onions"

Its been about 10 years since I lived there and now when I go back its like nails on a chauwkboard.

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by dsc123

Its been about 10 years since I lived there and now when I go back its like nails on a chauwkboard.

Isn't it chauk boad ?

[TJBam]

In Oklahoma a washer is a "warsher" in which clothes are washed, or "worshed."  Think "war" as in World War "war-sher" or "wore-sher."

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones

Isn't it chaukboad?

it might be.  I'm not convinced that I hear r's enough to be too sure about this.  The first part is definitely Chauwk, kind of like a hawk.

Originally Posted by TJBam

In Oklahoma a washer is a "warsher" in which clothes are washed, or "worshed."  Think "war" as in World War "war-sher" or "wore-sher."

My grandparents lived upstate new york, rochester region, and they definitely said "worsed."  I don't even know how to write out their pronunciation of "wallet" .... maybe "woulet"

[VOX]

Here in Rhode Island submarine sandwiches are called "grinders". They go well with a "cabinet" (aka milkshake).

[Ernest Jones]

Here in Rhode Island submarine sandwiches are called "grinders".

Really? Then what do you call lap dancers?? Must get confusing.

[boogielicious]

Originally Posted by VOX

Here in Rhode Island submarine sandwiches are called "grinders". They go well with a "cabinet" (aka milkshake).

And hot dogs can be called "Gaggahs"!

[jamo]

The guy Joshua Katz who did the research for the graphs in the OP also has a survey that you can take that will pinpoint your dialect and give you a cool map. My results: My most similar cities: Waterbury, CT; Springfield, MA; New Haven, CT; Hartford, CT; Bridgeport, CT. My least similar cities: Jackson, MS; Clarksville, TN; Nashville, TN; Chattanooga, TN; Wichita, KS. Here's the link: http://spark.rstudio.com/jkatz/DialectQuiz/

[iacas]

[Harmonious]

Most similar: Tacoma, WA

Least similar: Providence, R.I. (although it looks like upper Wisconsin is a foreign language)

Interesting quiz.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

Most similar: Tacoma, WA

Are you from there?