American Dialects

561 Words2 Pages

Not all individuals who speak a specific language communicate that language in the exact same way. A language may be divided into several diverse dialects. Three things are required for a brand new tongue to evolve: the passage of time, a collection of individuals that live near each other, and the segregation of this group from other groups.
Although printed American English is consistent throughout the nation, there are many distinguishable differences in the pronunciation of words in the spoken language, depending on the region of the country. Eastern New England has one of the most distinct American dialects. “The letter ‘R’ is often silent, and ‘A’ is normally pronounced ‘AH,’ so we get ‘Pahk the cah in Hahvuhd yahd’” (Delaney). Unlike Boston and additional urban pronunciations, New York City’s dialect doesn’t show much similarity to the other dialects of the area. New York City’s pronunciation is the most rejected and mocked of all the American dialects. “‘IR’ changes to ‘OI,’ but ‘OI’ becomes ‘IR,’ and ‘TH’ becomes ‘D’ as in ‘Dey sell tirlets on doity-doid street’(Dela...

Open Document