A post on Facebook the other night led me to this random quiz: What American Accent Do You Have? Since we’ve always been fans of completely non-scientific online quizzes, why not take it for a spin, right? It was especially interesting for us to take since we get the occasional video comments like “John sounds soooo Southern” or “Sherry talks like Mila Kunis.” Not that Mila Kunis is an accent…
We both think we have pretty neutral American accents – although I’m quick to point out that the Jersey in Sherry likes to call the top of your face the “far-head.” And she gives me a hard time for not distinguishing between the pronunciation of “pin” and “pen.” So maybe this quiz would settle once and for all exactly how middle of the road our accents are (or aren’t).
I felt very validated by my result. Note the part that says “you don’t have an accent.” And the part that says “you have a good voice for TV and radio” (better than being told you have a face for radio, amiright?). I sat back as Sherry took the quiz and answered most questions the same way I did, expecting to see the same evaluation. That’s when this sprung up:
“YOU DEFINITELY HAVE A BOSTON ACCENT”??!?
We both cry laughed. Sherry has been pinned as New Jersey, New York, and even as South Carolina or Canada, but never Boston. But before I got to drop too many “paaaahk the cah in the Harvaahd yaaahd” jokes on her, we both noticed that she actually got an equal 83% ranking for both a Boston and Midland accent. So maybe she is still pretty neutral after all… just in a Boston-y kind of way. What do you Boston folks who met us at the signing think? Is there a little Boston secretly hiding in Sherry? Or is this quiz just way off?
Here’s the link again if you want to take it yourself. If you already did, what was your result? Was it spot on or not even close? Was there any question that you had a particularly hard time answering? I think Sherry repeated Mary, marry, and merry about 20 times before deciding that she said them all a little differently.
Marie H says
Hilarous! Inland North. And I’m a Michigander through and through. Eve part of my life in the UP!
Katie Rose says
I got 100% Inland North which makes perfect sense since I am from the Chicago suburbs and I definitely get told I have a Chicago accent, mostly from those NOT from the area.
The only thing is I hate when people call soda “pop”…I just call it “Coke” or by whatever I am ordering/drinking. But “pop” is definitely what most people in my area call it.
Meghan says
It’s funny…in Canada everyone calls it pop! And Soda drives me crazy! hahaha
Lauren says
“”North Central” is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw “Fargo” you probably didn’t think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.”
Well that is pretty accurate I guess… cause I am Canadian haha
Nicole says
100% Northeast here, which is entirely accurate as I have lived my entire life in NY and everyone I meet can tell!
Essie says
This was so funny! I hit submit and got 100% for Philadelphia – which is where I grew up! I never expected to see that spot on!
Betty says
Your Result: The Inland North
100%You may think you speak “Standard English straight out of the dictionary” but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like “Are you from Wisconsin?” or “Are you from Chicago?” Chances are you call carbonated drinks “pop.”
BUT I do not say pop – it’s soda
and if the Great Lakes are upstate (really upstate NY) it is accurate – fun thing to do
Tori says
I got “The West” I’m tom Minnes-oh-ta. I’m constantly being told how Minnesotan I sound, so this threw me.
Linda says
100% Philadelphia, which is funny because that’s where I was born. My son, however, is 100% Midland. Good radio and tv voice like John.
Megan Poletti says
I got The West on this online quiz, but I’m from Cleveland, OH. And actually, while my sister and I were in line in Barcelona, Spain this summer, we were talking amongst ourselves, and were interrupted by a friendly older American. “Where are you from, Ohio?” He was a linguist and knew our accents immediately. I didn’t even know we had accents. It was mildly creepy.
Whitney says
I got 95% Midland, which is funny because I am from Maine! When I lived in NC most people thought I was from a Midland state, unless I picked up on their Southern accent. After meeting ya’ll (gotta throw in some Southern!) in Boston I have to say Sherry sounds nothing like someone from Boston. The accent is so distinct and I don’t find a lot of similarities between that and Jersey or NY. (I must say, even though I am a New Englander and my grandfather was from MA I don’t love Boston’s accent- sorry Bostonians!) While this isn’t a quiz, these maps are pretty cool to try- I found I am a mix between Midwest and New England when I read through these! http://www.businessinsider.com/22-maps-that-show-the-deepest-linguistic-conflicts-in-america-2013-6
Young House Life says
So cool!
xo
s
Liz says
OMG! I had zero confidence in the quiz to begin with since it pegged Sherry as having a Boston accent (say what?). However, I took it and it said I am 93% Philadelphian! Which is 100% correct! I’m sending this link to all my Philly peeps. It is just too funny!
Lisa E says
Mine was accurate, NE. I was born in NY And moved to NJ at age 5. Have been in MI for almost 19 yrs.
Shelley @ Green Eggs and Hamlet says
I got 96% The West, which is spot on, considering I’ve always lived in Colorado. Although, I’m currently living in Sydney, Australia so relieved/disappointed that no Aussie accent has slipped in. ;)
Sherry as an undercover Bostonian…interesting.
Emily says
Ha that was fun. I did it even though I’m Canadian (east coast) and I got North Central so – nailed it! Also about is a-boat not a-boot here. :)
Emily B. says
Figures! 100% Inland North. Born, raised and not planning to move away from Pure Michigan. Pop is pop.
Amanda - Small Home Big Start says
I’m Canadian and I got 93% North Central as well. I guess this thing is pretty accurate :)
Liz O says
I got 100% philadelphia accent! Born and raised on the playground is where i spent most of my days… so I’d say this quiz was accurate.
Karen F says
I got 97% Northeast. Being that I was born in NJ and have lived here most of my life, I’d say that’s very accurate! :)
tricia says
What American accent do you have?
Your Result: Philadelphia
100%
Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you’re not from Philadelphia, then you’re from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you’ve ever journeyed to some far off place where people don’t know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn’t have a clue what accent it was they heard.
88%-The Northeast
80%-The Midland
70%-The Inland North
69%-The South
44%-Boston
18%-The West
2%-North Central
i was born in MA but moved to Philly when i was 2!! this was spot on right for me!! :)
Vanessa W says
This was totally spot on for me. I got 96% “The West” and I’m a born and raised Arizona-n. I was, however, slightly offended at the description: “Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech.” What the %*@??!
Erika K says
Yeah…dead on. Inland North for this Wisconsin girl. I’ve been in Las Vegas for 9 years but still get asked if I’m from Chicago, Wisconsin, or Canada.
Katie Howard says
Hahahahahaha I got inland North and the results accused me of calling soda “pop” ….please…I was born and raised southern as they get and all soda is called “coke”
Tirsa says
What a fun post!
According to the quiz my accent is as Philadelphian as Cheesesteak. Hmmm, I’ve only passed through Philly two or three times and stopped once. :-)
My two highest percentages are Midland and North East followed by Boston. (I’ve never been to Boston….)
Maybe my result is because I don’t live that far from Baltimore… or Philly and New Jersey. I do live in the Mid Atlantic. Who knows! :)
Shannon says
89% The South. I guess that’s what I get being born and raised in Richmond.
“That’s a Southern accent you’ve got there. You may love it, you may hate it, you may swear you don’t have it, but whatever the case, we can hear it.”
It gets worse when tired, excited, or with one-too-many glasses of wine ;)
Sarah In Illinois says
I am 95% Midland. Which is just about right! I was 92% West but I have no idea what that sounds like!
Carrie Lea says
This was fun!
I got 92% west. I grew up in Kansas and live in Missouri now. I did live in Washington state for awhile, but they have a smidge of an accent. Everywhere I go people ask me why I don’t have an accent- except here, where I live, people say I have a northern accent because I pull my o’s. Funny stuff. I don’t pull my o’s, just enunciate properly when there is a long o.
My New York family also says I have a western accent. But get me around them and it takes me no time to toss w’s in words that don’t have them. :)
Sarah says
I am Canadian and took the quiz because i was curious and the results were … “”North Central” is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw “Fargo” you probably didn’t think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.” hahaha awesome
Meghan says
I am Canadian too….but Fargo characters definitely sound of of the ordinary to me! hahaha
Sara says
Interesting! I’m a Swede and I took the test just for fun. My result was the Midlands… Sort of standard accent picked up from movies and so then ;)
Sara says
I got 100% Midlands, which is what I expected, but it was funny to see the region of Midlands is southern Indiana and I’m from northern Indiana. Us Northern Hoosiers typically say the southerners “talk funny.” ha!
On a funny note, once when I was studying in Ireland a group of my friends (all from different regions of the USA) asked an Irish couple we were close to who had the least accented voice (American accent) and they said me! Guess it was that Midlands coming through…. ;)
Elizabeth says
I got 100% Midland, second listing was 80% Philadelphia. As I’m from the Philly suburbs, I thought the quiz was pretty spot-on.
Andrea says
Haha that was a fun quiz. But for the first 7 questions or so I was like, “those words are all pronounced the same”. Guess that’s why I’m a Minnesotan. I have the North Central accent.
I live in Boston now. Sherry you definitely don’t have a Boston accent. New Jersey all the way.
Pam the Goatherd says
I got 85% Inland North, which is oddly accurate considering I was raised (35 years) in Florida by a Michigander and a Jerseyite, but have lived in Michigan for just shy of 20 years now. I am still torn between calling carbonated beverages soda and pop, though!
Erik van't Ende says
I took the test for fun… It said I have an 86% Inland North (I have no idea what it means and how it sounds) and an 83% Midlands accent (I understand that this is the most accent less ‘version’).
Result tekst: “You may think you speak “Standard English straight out of the dictionary” but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like “Are you from Wisconsin?” or “Are you from Chicago?” Chances are you call carbonated drinks ‘pop’.” (nope I would say soda (I guess))
I am Dutch though haha. In real life I probably sound British because that’s how we’re taught to speak it at school.
Greetz,
Erik
Kristen says
I’m from Maine and live in Boston so you would think I would have gotten Boston – nope… that was only my third highest at 75%! I got ‘The West’ at 96% – which described it as “Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. No one thinks you have an accent.” — And my second highest was the midland at 95% so essentially I have the most boring voice possible! hahaha
Kelly says
I think the survey needs improvement. Where is the result that says you have a New York or New Jersey accent? It’s a major category and it’s not the same as Philadelphia.
Kristin says
Haha, I lived in NJ until I was 13 and was just recently telling someone how we used to say “far- head”! And you could also tell if people were saying Erin or Aaron. In the Midwest, it’s indistinguishable. ;)
Sarah says
Spot. On. I’m a true Minnesota girl, and I feel that I don’t sound quite as bad as Fargoians… But yes, I have been mistaken for a Canadian before.
“North Central” is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw “Fargo” you probably didn’t think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.”
Cassandra says
I’m Canadian and unlike the other Canadian comments I got MIDLAND. It may have something to do with the fact that I grew up in Quebec, went to school and worked in Ontario and now live in Alberta. I was also raised by Caribbean parents. I’m confused!
Hanna Cage says
Hmmm. I notice the only cities they specifically call out are Boston and Philly. o maybe Sherry just has an accent that is ‘strong enough to be pinned to an actual city.’ Really kind of surprised they don’t have New York on there… unless the makers of the quiz think that Boston and New York accents are the same?
I got The West, and I am from Boston, so go figure. :P
“Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you’re a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.”
The lowest common denominator… I know the meaning is not cruel, but it somehow sounds so, doesn’t it?
Kirsten says
I’m Canadian but currently live in the Netherlands. In general, Europeans just think I have a North American accent but they’re not sure where I come from. My results were: 95% The Midland and 80% The West. Funny to know! …also, lots of Americans think that we pronounce the word “about” like “a boot” but I’ve never noticed that with any Canadians.
Meghan says
I am Canadian too….and other than Newfoundland, I have never heard anyone say “A boot” for about either!
P.S. my family is from the Netherlands, and my aunt moved back there a couple of years ago.
Meghan says
Well….I am Canadian, so I definitely don’t have an American accent….LOL, but I took the test for fun.
What American accent do you have?
Your Result: The West
96%
Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you’re a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
Jenny B says
I got 93% Inland North – which is spot on being as I’ve lived in Chicago my whole life. What a neat quiz. Thanks for sharing. :)
Andrea says
I got 93% North Central which said I would get mistaken as a Canadian which is what I am!! Awesome test, thanks for sharing :)
“North Central” is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw “Fargo” you probably didn’t think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot