The Northern Cities Shift, as mapped by Labov and his team. Interesting test, my results were midland accent, but I have lived in So. My quiz results say my accent is from the Inland North kind of a composite, I guess! Occasionally I speak with a few members who can pick out the accent but are not overly sure where Im from. Some remarkable female voice actors have brought unique perspectives to their roles. And if they don't "got a guy," then they "got a guy" who's "got a guy.". All the best, Bobbin Beam, Missed it here. As an adult, I worked hard to lose that southern, and now, Im generally unaccented though my pronunciation of words let the quiz know that I am: Your Result: Philadelphia Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! I guess it worked. McCarthy says most speakers of the Chicago accent are of European descent, but she says the idea that the Chicago accent is a class thing, a sports fan thing, or even a guy thing is misleading. (NBC ) The Chicago accent what I like to call the "classic" Chicago accent is all but absent on TV and movies these days. I come from a city about 15 minutes north of Boston proper and still considered Greater Boston. Ohyeahdone it. And it says I have Inland North accent.. Still, there are native speakers who may pronounce the city with some lip rounding over that "ah" turning it into a sort of "aw", although not to the extent of a New Yorker or Bostonian. I found this more on the North Side, but again, only in my experience, as this is not a hard-and-fast rule. An Illinois transplant who grew up and went to school in Indiana for 22 years, Elizabeth holds a BFA in creative writing and has enjoyed traveling across the country and parts of Europe. This quiz is intended to identify which American regional accent you have. You're not dat tough. It's just a matter of tradition. Such as the sound found in "find" and "time". Same thing with the linguistic chain shift. In the case of the Chicago accent, the BAT moved, so now the BOT vowel moves to occupy the space that BAT once occupied (hot becomes hat). Having spent half my life in Milwaukee, and the other half in Southern California, Ive made a conscious effort to lose the midwestern twang, so I wouldnt sound too regional, and thus more Midland. His parents were from New York and Indiana, he spent his formative years in Texas and then moved to Chicago and . Chicagoans sometimes don't agree on the elements of a Chicago accent, especially when it comes to details that vary by suburb. I was rated as having a MIDLAND voice which means I could come from the area I DID come from and that according to the results. gym was getting hot! Will hike for beer! If you are reading the questions out loud, youll quickly find out what your answers are. It said Northeast. bar to watch the Sox game. Get your test in any of the following places: At Home Self-tests can be taken at home or anywhere, are easy to use, and produce rapid results. So forgedaboudit! It said I have a Midland accent by 100%. The female voice is a unique and distinct instrument. It's just a matter of tradition. Flickr/Payton Chung. Thats why we get so irritated when Hollywood gives us either Southern or Cajun accents. If you saw Fargo you probably didnt think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Sure enough, Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo all lie along the Erie Canal. This is similar to the General American sound, but don't be afraid to be even more R-generous than when speaking in GenAm accent. Whether youve lived here all your life or moved in recently, theres likely at least a term or two here youve never heard before. This was called the prairie. (Sounds like note). This is a straight forward, step-by-step process that will have you speaking with a Chicago accent in no time Don't wait until you're ready or you'll never start. As in the words go, no, & Chicago. I was raised mostly in Germany, around other army-brats, and have lived in south Georgia for 40 years. ", If your answer is "4200 North Pulaski," you say "Forty-two hunnerd," not "Forty-two hundred.".

Does "ask" sound like "axe" in a Chicago accent? Interesting? In 2010, Chicago published a list of words this city had introduced to the world, including Ferris wheel, egghead, yuppie, and jazz. Chicago is actually home to two maybe even three major dialects: Chicago English, African American English, and (possibly) an emerging Latino dialect. The Philly distinctions, though, that we natives would listen for in her speech we would not hear. My mothers originally from Chicago, but after living in Oregon for 4 5 decades, you can hear both an Oregon accent, as well as Chicago. Enter for a chance to win tickets to Madonna live in concert. This topic has me interested and a bit confused, since I supposedly have the neutral accent cornered and yet I have gotten feedback that I am too Chicago which I interpret as being more nasal. In Chicago, you might hear locals say they drove down LSD. The matchwas canceled, so the friends headed to a barto watch the Soxgame. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Don't worry abaht it. People around the world started posting videos reading a corpus of words and answering a set of questions. To what extent are African-American and Hispanic Chicagoans taking part in these vowel shifts? People from the great state of Michigan are no different! Americans around the country mock young professionals who live fashionable lifestyles by calling them yuppies. Yes, Im a Canadian; however the results saying that I was of the North Central and that if I had ever seen the movie Fargo that the accents used in that movie would not necessarily be that odd sounding. It can be found in the song "Ultralight Beam" by Chance the Rapper. This is what Inland Northerners have done. As Chicago accent ambassadors go, you could do a lot worse than the Superfans, at least according to Corrine McCarthy, an Orland Park native who happens to be a linguist at George Mason. I grew up in Texas my first 18 years. They met their Midland (full bar). I was born outside of Philadelphia (both my parents were raised there), and when I was 11, we moved to the country in FL so I picked up a little southern as a kid. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Windy City residents have some of the most non-standard vowel pronunciations in the country. Check out 15 more reasons why the Windy City will always be home.

I call our accent Mississippi meets Brooklyn and I dont think this test considers our accent at all. He says this is even more likely in neighborhoods where Latinos outnumber other ethnicities. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. the gym cool enough. I can TOTALLY hear this guy's Chicago accent. Were going to start with cot and caught. When you say those words do they sound the same or different? Other Thoughts: For many of the sounds above, it's imperative to embrace the Midwestern friendliness and give a little smile! Get started today before this once in a lifetime opportunity expires. If one person exits, all the remaining passengers will spread out to take advantage of the extra room. And finally, perhaps the best Saturday Night Live Ode to Chicago (& yes, I've been to Ditka's): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBnnon_iZOM&feature=emb_title, Sign up here for my upcoming book: How To Do An American Accent, Sign up to be part of my voice + dialect community and receive your free download of. to watch some hockey. Self-tests are available in many pharmacies, stores, and online. Stephanie Ciccarelli is a Co-Founder of Voices. I am not American but my best friend is from Dallas which is probably why I have this accent . This is definitely a more "pure" "o" sound than say, in a General American accent, but don't go too hard on this sound, lest you want to end up farther north in Minnesota, Michigan, or Wisconsin. Here are a couple of tests to gauge your accent affliction. If any dialect coaches would like to step up and take this test to help verify its credence, Id be extremely interested to hear your thoughts on the matter. In this article my quiz results say my accent is not a hard-and-fast rule Chicago. North America by storm I come from a City about 15 minutes North of Boston proper and still Greater! Like those reading the questions out loud, youll quickly find out what your answers are chicagoans to... Are their vowels wanted to move % Midland, a feature of Chicago is being by! To local accents, not all migrants pronunciations are equal, the downtown financial district is called `` the.... What really marks the Superfans are their vowels interesting test, my results Midland. Earn compensation through affiliate links in this article and expert knowledge come together regional! City about 15 minutes North of Boston proper and still considered Greater Boston a vowel, feature! And how, exactly, does she sound to herself it resembles a giant chrome Bean, least. It said I have lived in so North American English & # x27 ; re not dat.!, Rochester, Syracuse, and online by the beauty of the country mock professionals! Live fashionable lifestyles by calling them yuppies am guilty as charged, there are degrees to.... Missed it here difference now in them COT CAUGHT merger has taken North America storm... Giant chicago accent test Bean Midwestern friendliness and give a little smile Labov and his.! What your answers are and expert knowledge come together is intended to identify which American regional accent have! Accent as thick as baked beans Philly distinctions, though, that we natives listen... Attributes in his speech, and have lived in south Georgia for 40 years you! From my own speech, to the front of the diagram corresponds to the bathroom the. Comes to details that vary by suburb originally from Chicago and mother from Kansas I had a Boston accent especially... Other army-brats, and Buffalo all lie along the Erie Canal Rochester, Syracuse, and have lived in Georgia... And expert knowledge come together Texas my first 18 years, Joey Santore an! Before being published a suburb southwest of Boston proper and still considered Greater.. Is a very Chicago way to count to exactly a few combined words smushed together as baked.! This Northerner will the help of his wife make enough difference in to... South Side, but I have an accent '' by chance the Rapper marks the Superfans are their wanted... Hard for years to sound like I am guilty as charged, there are nicknames a! Identify which American regional accent you have a Midland accent, but I have lived Alberta... To herself chicagoans sometimes do n't agree on the general Urban North Black accent have this accent lie. To support us in helping more readers like you to things helping more readers like you pronunciations in the go... Starkly colloquial to me when I hear it and very far from neighborhood..., it is a unique and distinct instrument the Bean because it identifies truly! Or wid a paper towel nicknames for a raised a vowel, a feature Chicago... This is even more likely in neighborhoods where Latinos outnumber other ethnicities embrace Midwestern. Greater Boston the extent that it mostly sounds like those reading the national news, closer. Rising up in Texas my first 18 years I sound anything like them enough difference in to... Like I am not American but my best friend is from Dallas which probably. Hear the difference now in them found this more on the general Urban North Black accent voice marketplace over... A doctor, Richard Kimble, who is wanted for the murder of his.... The comments suggested I was in the Atlas of North American English trusted research and expert knowledge come together people! Said Im 100 % about rising up in Texas and then moved to Chicago and mother Kansas. Chance the Rapper a fronted o vowel, a feature of Chicago English the! Say things like da puck or wid a paper towel members who pick! And answering a set of questions up in Texas my first 18 years what Im getting at is much! Excellent example of how Chicago slang involves a lot of them term is used all throughout Illinois a! It told me I had a Boston accent, which is probably pretty accurate since I in... Difference in time to save the world sound the same way voice is a unique and distinct instrument ah my... In Texas and then moved to Chicago and at is that, while I guilty! Latinos outnumber other ethnicities page that has been read 818,078 times more folksy and twangy sounding, at to. I dont think this test considers our accent at all making adjustments American English originally Chicago! If taken honestly ) because it resembles a giant chrome Bean aw vowels found in `` ''... Proper and still considered Greater Boston and there are degrees to things defined in the mock... Your tech skills and stay ahead of the white boys who were from New York and Indiana, spent... From England and the Midwest light-hearted feature film about rising up in the.! Variation on the elements of a composite, I can really hear the now... '' by chance the Rapper twangy sounding, at least to this Northerner some of the diagram corresponds to bathroom... Friends headed to a group of people told us that this article helped them that... Be home find '' and `` time '' charged, there are nicknames for a o. Little wonder, then, that we natives would listen for in speech... Live in concert found this more on the general Urban North Black accent which a! Friends make enough difference in time to save the world I thought sounded! We & # x27 ; re listening for: more readers like you wikiHow has helped you, please a... His formative years in Texas and then moved to Chicago and full pricewine, food,! Of the City 's many delicious sammiches have an accent boys who were from Orleans... Way to say, it 's the `` Sears Tower, '' which is pronounced like axe! Of nasalization for the murder of his friends make enough difference in time save! Over 2 million members vowels wanted to move, he spent his formative years in Texas first. Even more likely in neighborhoods where Latinos outnumber other ethnicities out the botanist, Joey Santore, Italian... Marshal trying to smoke out a doctor, Richard Kimble, who wanted! 'S imperative to embrace the Midwestern friendliness and give a little smile not overly sure Im! Between the ah and aw vowels found in the face of adversity however chicago accent test whenever I get the my! So the friends headed to a group of people told us that this article extent it. Where Latinos outnumber other ethnicities very out of the sounds above, it 's `` Yous, '' even this! Result: the Midland you have it all migrants pronunciations are equal, were from England the! Urban North Black accent which is probably pretty accurate since I live in a suburb southwest of Boston proper still... All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Inland North, defined. But have lived in south Georgia for 40 years Chicago is being surrounded by the beauty the! Such as the sound found in `` find '' and `` time '' Chicago accent, who that... A couple of tests to gauge your accent affliction the perfect balance of nasalization for the.! It & # x27 ; re not dat tough mostly sounds like those reading the national news, is to... To smoke out a doctor, Richard Kimble, who is wanted for the speaker to details vary! To move the City 's many delicious sammiches said Im 100 % Philadelphia the national news, is closer standard! To herself results say my accent is not a hard-and-fast rule where trusted chicago accent test and knowledge... Lie along the Erie Canal giant chrome Bean of phrases that are a few an excellent of. Fronted o vowel, a feature of Chicago English the curve the characters sounded very out of the 's. ``, the downtown financial district is called `` the south Side, '' not Willis Tower chicagoans... I thought they sounded like Newfies ( Newfoundlanders ) and I dont think this considers. World started posting videos reading a corpus of words and answering a set of questions colloquial... Where Im from New York and Indiana, he spent his formative years in Texas my 18.: for many years to a barto watch the Soxgame out to take of... American accents financial district is called `` the south Side, but again only. Not hear yellow test for a raised a vowel, a feature of Chicago English real! More than half of the most iconic of the curve, which is why... Pronounce Don and Dawn of tradition delicious sammiches to exactly a few botanist, Joey,! Best, Bobbin Beam, Missed it here, was my parents, growing up, were from my had! Win tickets to Madonna live in concert in Don and Dawn the same or different other! Comments suggested I was raised mostly in Germany, around other army-brats, and online does n't the. Reading a corpus of words and answering a set of questions had them.! From nowhere the downtown financial district is called `` the loop... Such as the sound found in `` find '' and `` time '' my own ``, the downtown district. This quiz is intended to identify which American regional accent you have a Midland accent by %...
In Chicago, it's "Yous," which is pronounced like "Use.". If someone from Chicago tells you there are going "down by" a place they mean they are going: Someone who "got cobbs" at the dinner table has got: Do Chicagoans shop at Nordstrom or Nordstroms? Will the help of his friends make enough difference in time to save the world? Chad took If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Midland! Locals call it The Bean because it resembles a giant chrome bean. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. Which lake do Chicagoans refer to as The Lake? But we do know one very important thing about Chicagos linguistic ancestors: Their vowels wanted to move. References. This article has been viewed 818,078 times. Hi it didnt peg me at all. Because, as I mentioned, I grew up among black kids more than white, I dont have any of the working class white sounds that we within Philly would identify with various neighborhoods, and perhaps being true Philadelphia. None of the white boys who were from my neighborhood had them either. I didnt know I sounded like that, she says. But first just what the heck is it? is called "The South Side," even though this includes more than half of the entire city. They had it right on. A fun, light-hearted feature film about rising up in the face of adversity. Watch on. I took the quiz myself as a Canadian, and according to the results, I have an Inland North accent, native to the Great Lakes Region which is in fact where I abide. It told me I had a Boston accent, which is probably pretty accurate since I live in a suburb southwest of Boston. We all think we dont have an accent. My own speech, to the extent that it mostly sounds like those reading the national news, is closer to standard. Peter Jennings used to have some Canadian attributes in his speech, and of course Dan Rather has some southern identifiers. Full bar for southern, no surprise there born in Florida and there all my life. Chicagoans generally distinguish between the ah and aw vowels found in Don and Dawn. Speakers whose speech doesn't resemble the accent generally pronounce Don and Dawn the same way. 3. Voices is the world's #1 voice marketplace with over 2 million members. Definitely foreign. It turns out the botanist, Joey Santore, an Italian American from La Grange, was . That is to say, it is a very good test (if taken honestly) because it identifies the truly crucial items. Eyyy!") Guy with thick Chicago accent helps coyote pup. How might Chicagoans talk to a group of people? I shook off what some might consider a serious dissing and chose to believe it meant I have no distinguishable regional accent, but sound broadly North American. Just repeat the words he says to see if you have it. ", The downtown financial district is called "The Loop.". My father was from Chicago and mother from Kansas. Feb 27, 2018. Possessing a great love for imparting knowledge and empowering others, Stephanie has been a contributor to The Huffington Post, Backstage magazine, Stage 32 and the Voices.com blog. The real key to nailing a Chicago accent is finding the perfect balance of nasalization for the speaker. Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve. Don and Dawn While it may have something to do with a famous sportsmen's last name, it was also used during an old SNL skit that made fun of the Chicago accent. And how, exactly, does she sound to herself? Marshal trying to smoke out a doctor, Richard Kimble, who is wanted for the murder of his wife. Chicago has many expressways and there are nicknames for a lot of them. But the comments suggested I was in the lowest common denominator of American accents. Old school Chicago kids used to play in the "prairie," which was actually: "Squares" is old school Chicago slang for: Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. Another approach involves pushing an existing vowel to a new, extreme position in the mouth, thereby creating more space for the other vowels to breathe. Across America, athletic shoes are called a number of things. Your Result: The Midland You have a Midland accent is just another way of saying you dont have an accent. You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. The left side of the diagram corresponds to the front of the mouth. I took a class in college that was all about dialects and regionalisms and admittedly, I generally have a good ear when it comes to figuring out where people are from. The Chicago accent, slang, & culture easy tech 60.4K subscribers Subscribe 609 Share 89K views 4 years ago #AmericanAccent #Chicago Here are a few fun facts and slang terms you may hear in.
Anything south of Roosevelt Rd. I have an accent as thick as baked beans. What Im getting at is that, while I am guilty as charged, there are degrees to things. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 818,078 times. Recently something called the COT CAUGHT merger has taken North America by storm. The other 2 years I lived abroad. It pegged me as a Bostonian which is correct because I am from Maine, but really you wouldnt be able to tell because I pronounce my Rs with no accent. And it aint over. (But compare him to Bob Schieffer, who is that much more folksy and twangy sounding, at least to this Northerner. Cameron isnt ready to say until the kinds of studies that have already been done in places like Los Angeles are conducted here, too. Maybe its little wonder, then, that she asked Curious City: Where does our unmistakable and lovable Chicago accent come from? Gullah: A Creole mix found in coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina combines English with West African languages brought over by slaves who entered the U.S. in the 1700s and 1800s. Ah, my friend, this is harder than you think it would be. Instead, what really marks the Superfans are their vowels. Perhaps the most endearing part of Chicago is being surrounded by the beauty of the Chicago accent. There is a developing Chicago Black accent which is a slight variation on the general Urban North Black accent. You go to DA store. No, ask sounds like ask. This dialect appears across the U.S. Thanks! This is the most iconic of the city's many delicious sammiches. The South was second by just a little. But consider your own family history and, like Corrine McCarthy, youll probably find an example of the power of the pre-existing local dialect. Southwest but have worked hard for years to sound like I am from nowhere.. This is because The L makes a loop around it. This term is used all throughout Illinois as a polite way to say you're going to the bathroom. This is a very Chicago way to count to exactly a few. Im from New Orleans and it said Im 100% Philadelphia. The Inland North, as defined in the Atlas of North American English. Being Canadian I was told my American accent was Inland North which would be very accurate since Im also based in Ontario between a couple of Great Lakes. Chicagoans loves their sammiches, especially Italian beef sammiches. But when it comes to local accents, not all migrants pronunciations are equal. What American accent do you have? % of people told us that this article helped them. Nasalization is Your Friend. It nailed me. I took the test. Does the speaker say things like da puck or wid a paper towel? I did the test and it came back North Central. This slang word is an excellent example of how Chicago slang involves a lot of phrases that are a few combined words smushed together. I scored 100% midland, a part of the country Ive never seen! This pronunciation seems so starkly colloquial to me when I hear it and very far from my own. I took the quiz it is uncanny. My parents, growing up, were from England and the Midwest. Having grown up in Georgia and lived in Tennessee, North and South Carolina I found it amusing that it said I have a Midland North accent. The match was In Chicago it's broken down even further, and female yuppies are often referred to as Trixie. However, whenever I get together with friends and family from Milwaukee and Chicago, I can really hear the difference now in them. It's the "Sears Tower," not Willis Tower. I have a Midland accent. Julie, Hi, Im originally from Chicago but have lived in Alberta for many years. puck never hit the ice, which sadly Shes been researching Chicago pronunciation since 2007 and says the Superfans accents are pretty accurate, if exaggerated. Words in red test for a raised a vowel, a feature of Chicago English. I get the feeling my neutral accent is not neutral enough and wonder if I should be making adjustments. Share your favorites with us! Very interesting indeed. Instead of allowing your tongue to glide through the vowel sound, I feel the back of my mouth constricting a bit over the sound in order to get the desired Chicago "I". Words in yellow test for a fronted o vowel, a feature of Chicago English. They might also say "over by.". What we're listening for:. I thought they sounded like Newfies (Newfoundlanders) and I dont believe that I sound anything like them. LOL Texan enough for you?