Check this out:

To most Americans, an accent is something that only other people have, those other people usually being in New York, Boston, and the South. And of those other people, half of the ones you meet will swear they "don't have an accent."

www.youthink.com/quiz.asp?action=take&quiz_id=9827

Pretty neat test. It was able to tell that I was Canadian, eh!

Post edited by: dsendecki, at: 2007/06/13 19:32

Post edited by: dsendecki, at: 2007/06/13 19:33

I got Northeastern! I'm from Connectivut originally! Most people don't know it but this is actually what dictionaries are _base_d on. If you don't believe me, pick up any American dictionary and look up "source" and "sauce" and you'll see they are written with the same vowel pronunciation.

Have you guys ever heard of the English Usage Audio Archives, which let you (and I quote from their site) "Listen to the sounds of English from across the USA and around the world".

Reminds me of when I went "down under" and listened to a news broadcast shortly after landing. I -- of course -- understood all the words spoken, but had absolutely no idea what the broadcasters had said. Same with reading newspaper articles. It took about three days for my brain to translate what I consider "Australian English"!