Why do michiganders have an accent

I smiled and finished giving him directions but secretly thought, "I don't have an accent you weirdo, you do. Well, I came across a blog that breaks down the Michigan accent. After trying out a few of the examples I can totally hear it Fellow Michiganders, we do have an accent! And, some pretty odd slang terms too. Growing up closer to Chicago we have sort of a hybrid accent, different from those who grew up in central, eastern, or northern Michigan.

And while the Michigan accent may sound similar to a Minnesotan accent to those from out of state, it is actually one of a kind. As far as Michigan slang goes, some of the most unique terms we use describe locations and the people from or not from here:. The U. I was convinced that the white working class was going to be the Time person of the year. That was my favorite slang word.

Probably the most interesting thing is that accents are always changing. Every generation has its own sound, just like every generation has its own slang. Contact Kathleen Lavey at or klavey lsj. Follow her on Twitter kathleenlavey. Facebook Twitter Email. Think Michiganders don't have an accent? Just OPE! As in did you?

As in I'm gonna. Which is slang and short for I'm going to. We love to shorten stuff up 'round here lol. Not like come meer. A meer is that thing you look in to check your makeup. Speaking of come here. Secretaria State. As in Secretary of State. Cause it sounds like clothes. But we meant close. The closest thing to an American acrolect — the most prestigious dialect — has nothing to do with the Midwest, or any other region, for that matter.

But even that characterization is considered a stretch by some. Region, age, gender, ethnicity, and social class all have been found to affect speech. In particular, the factor of social class speaks to the prevalence of discrimination based on dialect. Interestingly enough, the NCS has been found to be more evident among younger, European-American, upper working-class or lower middle-class, females.

Research to explain this phenomenon is ongoing. And because of all the factors involved, dialects are becoming more distinct, at least in their accents, Preston says. A note here: Accent is merely a part of a dialect, which — in addition to pronunciation — takes grammar and colloquialisms into account.

The distinction is noticeable even across Michigan.