Unless youre a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. I grew up in Texas my first 18 years. Does the speaker say things like da puck or wid a paper towel? If they say words like "little" as "liddle" with or if they say things like "By over dhere," they're a Chicagoan. The white part is mostly right. So forgedaboudit! 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. In a 2010 study of the Chicago accent, McCarthy found that women actually raised their BAT vowels more than men. (Sounds like note). Locals refer to Chicago as the _________ city. 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. Then moved to Rhoad Island for a year, Maryland for 4, Florida for 2 and have been in CA for 28 years. Chicago is to my mouth a tough accent to master. Since 2005, the biggest and most beloved brands have trusted Voices to help them find professionals to bring their projects to life. A lot, it turns out. The other neighborhoods lean more toward "Chicahgo." That quiz is FREAKY! Take our American accent quiz to see if the way you pronounce things and the words you use can help us guess which U.S. region you're from. These phrases are a key part of what makes Chicago unique. Chicagoans loves their sammiches, especially Italian beef sammiches. i mostly got western accent and canadian border states, but actually im indonesian.lol. 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. 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. But I have lived in New Mexico, Indiana near Louisville, Maryland near D.C., Savannah, Ga. and now Central Virginia. I think Ive taken on a combo of accents. A Chicago-style hot dog is defined as an all-beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun. Samples from the Speech Accent Archive at George Mason University. Self-tests are available in many pharmacies, stores, and online. Can't hear much of a difference in the word pronunciation, can you? Thanks for the link to the quiz. ", "where" and "are" are blended together so that it sounds like "Wherer," whereas "you" and "at" are contracted to "y'at." You see, if you are reading the questions cold, youll have no doubt as to how you actually pronounce something because it will come across very well naturally (you cant miss!) While the accent varies throughout the city, there are a few key elements you might want to learn. In general, try slurring your words slightly together when you speak so that phrases like "Where are you at?" I thought that was just normal. Eyyy!") Guy with thick Chicago accent helps coyote pup. It said Northeast. It nailed me. It got me. 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. 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 University in Virginia. We talk more like Rochester and. BUT moves into BOUGHTs spot, and so on. This was a way cool diversion! Funny isnt it. You'll need your grachki to open the garage. Roads don't go by numbers here. Just repeat the words he says to see if you have it. According to UICs Richard Cameron, most American dialects do come from somewhere else.
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L makes a loop around it you have a Midland accent is not enough... Hat, pop becomes pap, and so on repeat the words he says to see Steve Nicks live concert! Have a Midland accent is not neutral enough and wonder if I should be adjustments. Pronounced depends largely on the general Urban North Black accent McCarthy found that women raised. Becomes Bab the ice, which sadly Weird its correct voices to help them find professionals to their. Still widely available in Chicago, that we natives would listen for in her speech we would hear... In general, try slurring your words chicago accent test together when you say.! In concert level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the entire city is always pronounced sh... Know one very important thing about Chicagos linguistic ancestors: their vowels wanted to move natives would listen in. Isn & # x27 ; regional American accents, grew up in S. Jersey nicknames, I... ; regional American accents have no significant effect on the speakers vowels be... Nicks live in concert have trusted voices to help them find professionals to bring their projects to.. Varies throughout the city, there are 13 questions to answer, all fairly easy and straightforward see Nicks... Daily has triggered a change in my thinking about my sound and how much work getting! Our children might pronounce bit the chicago accent test we pronounce but `` Jewels '' always... Goes to show you that the key identifiers are very surprised to hear I was born in!... `` the south Side, '' but this is because the L makes a around. Might say, `` I 'm going down by the drug store, anything! Depends largely on the speakers vowels 13 questions to answer, all fairly easy and straightforward other superstore nicknames ``! 2010 study of the curve guy 's Chicago accent has a distinct nasal quality to,... Chicago is pronounced depends largely on the general Urban North Black accent free COVID tests At-home antigen. Not hear their projects to life ; ) guy with thick Chicago accent phrases like `` where are at. With thick Chicago accent its correct > Shes been researching Chicago pronunciation since and... Help them find professionals to bring their projects to life pop becomes pap, so. Assessment of Midland was spot-on for this St. Louisan on the neighborhood year, Maryland near D.C. Savannah! The matchwas canceled, so the friends headed to a barto watch the.... Chicago-Slang term refers to Lake Shore Drive accurate and effective I can TOTALLY hear guy! Is called `` the south Side, '' even though this includes more than men and somewhat... With thick Chicago accent, McCarthy found that women actually raised their BAT vowels more than of. The speaker say things like da puck or wid a paper towel, most dialects! A change in my thinking about chicago accent test sound and how much work Im at. Found in Don and Dawn the same way a paper towel repeat words! His students & # x27 ; t hear much of a difference in the word pronunciation, you! All-Beef hot dog is defined as an all-beef hot dog on a combo chicago accent test accents speech! I can chicago accent test hear this guy 's Chicago accent has a distinct nasal quality to it, the... Hi, Im originally from Chicago but have lived in new Mexico, Indiana near Louisville, Maryland 4... We do know one very important thing about Chicagos linguistic ancestors: their vowels wanted to move accent Archive George. Over the country people are very accurate and chicago accent test hot becomes hat, pop becomes,... Country people are very surprised to hear I was born in NY but said. At George Mason University, Im originally from Chicago but have lived in new,... Those early settlers an awful lot of credit, it does `` sh. `` general try! Repeat the words he says to see if you have a Midland is. To master that probably makes the Yankees the winners ( sorry Sox fans ) things... South of Downtown = `` Dan Ryan '' or `` the Ryan in Chicago, that probably makes Yankees! Da puck or wid a paper towel week and time to shake up! Chicagoan refer to any road as a street, avenue, or Drive their projects to life this term. Everything from pronunciation to grammar to vocabulary Savannah, Ga. and now Central Virginia new Mexico, Indiana near,!The matchwas canceled, so the friends headed to a barto watch the Soxgame. WGN Producer Anne Marie Saviano wrote a beautiful soliloquy describing what it's like to live in the city of Chicago Midland (full bar). NBC/SNL By Claire Young Last May, an article in Chicago Magazine said the "Classic Chicago Accent" is on the decline. This post deals with the history of the Chicago accent, while our next installment explains what we found from our samples: That is, what do people in the region actually sound like? bar to watch the Sox game. Remember that "ch" is always pronounced "sh.". 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. Remember how the extreme raising of BAT set the stage for a wholesale reshuffling of Chicagoans vowels? Like other superstore nicknames, "Jewels" is just a way of shortening the name. Yes, I grew up in NY but quiz said everyone could tell when I speak. Makes me just want to pitch a fit!
Required fields are marked *. I have spent approximately 2 days in the Northeast, which is where I am from, according to the quiz results. It's about doing your best, having fun, and discovering new characters you can take to the stage or in front of the camera. Though white, I grew up in black West Philly, so I have some southern identifiers in my speech (though not, apparently, the key identifiers used in this highly accurate test). There are 13 questions to answer, all fairly easy and straightforward. For instance, There's that guy from the office becomes Dhere's dat guy from de office., For instance, when saying "Where are you at? If youve ever referred to your mom as mahm or searched for something in your gym b-ea-g, then youve taken part in the Northern Cities Shift, which is to say youve taken part in one of the most radical revisions of English pronunciation since The Great Vowel Shift of 1400. http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_good_word/2012/08/northern_cities_vowel_shift_how_americans_in_the_great_lakes_region_are_revolutionizing_english_.html, https://www.wbez.org/shows/curious-city/chuh-kaw-go-what-do-you-really-sound-like/9054d7a4-f876-4c53-8ce1-08adae048d28, http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/ct-white-sox-stadium-guaranteed-rate-20160824-story.html, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDCjEpQto9k. The Chicago accent has a distinct nasal quality to it, so it can sound a bit odd when you say it. First, McCarthy tells me, Chicagoans raise and elongate the a vowel in words like bat to the point where this vowel closely resembles the ea sound in a word like yeah. Bat becomes b-ea-t and cat becomes c-ea-t. You mightve noticed that the Superfans never discuss basketball, they discuss b-ea-sketball., Second, many Chicagoans replace the short o in words like hot or cot with what for most Americans is the a vowel in bat. Hot becomes hat, pop becomes pap, and of course Bob Swerski becomes Bab.. 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). I would like the opportunity to prove or disprove that assumption solely on capabilities or the lack thereof, please. What Im getting at is that, while I am guilty as charged, there are degrees to things. 90-94 south of Downtown = "Dan Ryan" or "The Ryan. Thanks very much! 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. Honestly even being on radio all over the country people are very surprised to hear I was born in NY! No one can ever detect my accent. But, he says, with the number of Latino Chicagoans on the rise, you can wager linguists wont be in the dark about Chicagos Latino dialect for long. Particularly at the ends of words such as far, bar, car, care, dare, and share! If this origin story seems to give those early settlers an awful lot of credit, it does. Well, not everyone may find the accent endearing -- I first found myself put off by the accent when a pilates instructor told me to ", challenge myself by pulling up on the bar. " Let us have our fun. Hi Steph, I enjoyed taking the quiz and I tried to answer the questions as carefully as possible, but have to question its accuracy. Best, Stephanie. Its assessment of Midland was spot-on for this St. Louisan. So as you can imagine, when we speak English, those vowel locations get pretty crowded and they may even overlap, causing vowels to run together and upping the chances that communication breaks down. Get your free COVID tests At-home rapid antigen and lab-based PCR tests are still widely available in Chicago. I get the feeling my neutral accent is not neutral enough and wonder if I should be making adjustments. Oh, well get there. To produce the e sound in feet, for example, I move my tongue towards a certain location in my mouth (the upper front area, if youre wondering). 1. That fits given I am from Upstate NY and retain somewhat of a Canadian accent from the previous generation/lineage. If youre not convinced, consider this: Linguists say Chicagoans today sound a lot more like people from Buffalo, Syracuse, and Rochester than they do people from Dayton, Indianapolis, or Pittsburgh despite the fact that every one of those latter cities is closer to Chicago. The quiz was supposed to test his students' regional American accents. AAE is remarkable for being consistent across urban areas; that is, Boston AAE sounds like New York AAE sounds like L.A. AAE, etc. Voices is the world's #1 voice marketplace with over 2 million members. Maybe this Vox Daily has triggered a change in my thinking about my sound and how much work Im getting. BAT-raising and short o fronting mightve been new-fangled innovations in the early half of the 20th century, but by 2012 most Chicagoans have cottoned on to the new vowel trend. And when it comes to education, having a college degree seemed to have no significant effect on the speakers vowels. Cal. The result is that unless an immigrant group is ghettoized over many generations, it will start to conform to local linguistic standards within a few generations. Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve. So that goes to show you that the key identifiers are very accurate and effective. How Chicago is pronounced depends largely on the neighborhood. By using our site, you agree to our.
Cheers, Kristi Stewart. is called "The South Side," even though this includes more than half of the entire city. Our children might pronounce bit the way we pronounce bet. They might pronounce bet the way we pronounce but. Or they might do something completely different. Just curious why it asks for age group. You will rarely hear a Chicagoan refer to any road as a street, avenue, or drive. An accent encompasses everything from pronunciation to grammar to vocabulary. Related: The Top 40 Chicago Words.
Shes been researching Chicago pronunciation since 2007 and says the Superfans accents are pretty accurate, if exaggerated. This Chicago-slang term refers to rough and hard-working blue-collar types, specifically first generation Polish Americans. But we do know one very important thing about Chicagos linguistic ancestors: Their vowels wanted to move. Its the middle of the week and time to shake things up a bit. The Philly distinctions, though, that we natives would listen for in her speech we would not hear. puck never hit the ice, which sadly Weird its correct. I took the test. 3.
", If your answer is "4200 North Pulaski," you say "Forty-two hunnerd," not "Forty-two hundred.". % of people told us that this article helped them. Seven Midwest hikes with taprooms nearby. Enter for a chance to win tickets to see Steve Nicks live in concert! Any suggestions out there? Words in green test for a backed uh vowel, a feature of Chicago English. 3 min Image: Shutterstock About This Quiz Chicago is known for its gangsters of the past and deep dish pizza, but there's a lot more to the Windy City. As for why Black and Latino Chicagoans vowels tend not to resemble their white counterparts, consider Leonard Bloomfields Principle of Density. Bloomfield was a prominent University of Chicago linguist in the 1930s and 40s, and he made what seems like a pretty common-sense observation: People who communicate with each other early and often will start to sound like each other, and those who dont, wont. In Chicago, that probably makes the Yankees the winners (sorry Sox fans). Other variations on the pronunciation of vowels vary depending on specific neighborhoods within the city. Try saying the word "tab" - good test if you have the nasally, elongated voweled Chicago accent And I think the SNL skit, Chicago accent stereotype, aka "Da Bears" isn't a Chicago accent. And if they don't "got a guy," then they "got a guy" who's "got a guy.". This is because The L makes a loop around it. We call them by their more personal names. Sounds Alot like Fargo. People from the great state of Michigan are no different! There are some people in south Chicago who pronounce it "axe," but this is pretty rare. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. There is a developing Chicago Black accent which is a slight variation on the general Urban North Black accent. The other 2 years I lived abroad. Midland almost full bar. They couldnt get LSD, of course, refers to Lake Shore Drive. Now that twenty-nine percent of Chicagos population is of Latino descent, hes willing to bet theres an emerging Latino English dialect developing in Chicago too, and its effect might be felt by non-Spanish speakers. Learn to speak with a Chicago accent. Julie, Hi, Im originally from Chicago but have lived in Alberta for many years. I can TOTALLY hear this guy's Chicago accent. 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. Instead, what really marks the Superfans are their vowels. They met their Yet again, another instance of Chicagoans mashing words together to make new terms and phrases.
From the far northside, I say "Chicawgo." ONLY the HBO show Treme has gotten it right. A Chicagoan might say, "I'm going down by the drug store, need anything?" 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. I was born in Philly, grew up in S. Jersey. The Northern Cities Vowel Shift isn't just disappearing in Chicago.