Spin off: regional dialect quiz accurate?

[MICKIMINI]

Dead on NH! Pronounced, of course, New Hampsha!

 

[DisneyHardin]

Right on the money for me. It pegged me as Lexington, KY and I grew up about 35 miles outside of Lexington.

 

[skeeter31]

I get it. We hear things differently based on what we’re used to. It’s really hard to explain in writing. Problem is, the words I use for comparison may still sound different to you. So I can tell you marry rhymes with Harry, but to you, maybe that’s the same as hairy. (As a reference, listen to Brits say Prince Harry or Harry Potter. It’s how I say it and it’s different from hairy.)

To me, they are three distinct vowel sounds:
Mary = long A, as in air
marry = short A, as in axe or apple
merry = short E, as in egg

Or, to use similar words:
long A, as in bait
short A, as in bat
short E, as in bet
Do you pronounce bait, bat, and bet all the same? If so, then I can’t help you, sorry.

It also brought new understanding to me with names. The name Meri (
like one of the wives on the show Sister Wives) always stuck out to me as weird because of its weird pronunciation and difference from the normal Mary. But now seeing that a good portion of the population would pronounce those names the same regardless of the spelling opens my eyes a bit. Still extremely weird for this native Long Islander, but I have more understanding.

 

[maxiesmom]

It was dead on for me. Grand Rapids, MI.

 

[jen7233]

Very scary close by not many miles to the first place on the list of what I got, Newark, Yonkers, and Boston.

Though, moved when a kid so I didn't really pick it up myself. But my dad was from the city and had an accent, and I have a sibling that stayed and lives in Jersey City and works in NYC and they've got the accent. I'm used to hearing it, sometimes I slip and say a word with one unconsciously.

 

[porschegrl]

Has anyone from the Chicago area gotten a result that mentions Chicago specifically?

My parents were born and raised in the city, and they raised us in the suburbs. Most of us got a result showing Aurora, IL/Rockford, IL/Madison, WI.

ETA: I answered a couple key questions differently, and I got Rockford/Aurora/Chicago.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

It was dead on for me. Montgomery was one of the choices.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I say them all the same.

“To me, they are three distinct vowel sounds:
Mary = long A, as in air
marry = short A, as in axe or apple sounds Boston
merry = short E, as in egg“ Reminds me of a New Zealand accent

Wow, that’s funny. I’ve never heard anyone mistake someone from NYC with someone from Boston or New Zealand!

It also brought new understanding to me with names. The name Meri (
like one of the wives on the show Sister Wives) always stuck out to me as weird because of its weird pronunciation and difference from the normal Mary. But now seeing that a good portion of the population would pronounce those names the same regardless of the spelling opens my eyes a bit. Still extremely weird for this native Long Islander, but I have more understanding.

OMG, I thought the same thing about Meri Brown from Sister Wives. A friend of mine has a DD named Meredith, who is sometimes called Meri. Never has it crossed my mind that that could be an alternate spelling for Mary. But you are right, it opens your eyes.

 

[ramee]

Wow, that’s funny. I’ve never heard anyone mistake someone from NYC with someone from Boston or New Zealand!



OMG, I thought the same thing about Meri Brown from Sister Wives. A friend of mine has a DD named Meredith, who is sometimes called Meri. Never has it crossed my mind that that could be an alternate spelling for Mary. But you are right, it opens your eyes.

Lol. That’s how I read it. I’d have to hear it to notice subtleties.

but I noticed I read the short e as a long. So. M ee ry. Lol. Almost like dick van dyke’s marry poppins accent.

 

[dazedx3]

Mine was very accurate. I know the term Bubbler gave it away!

 

[penn19]

Its not very accurate which surprises me. I’ve been told my accent is very distinctive

 

[aby914]

My 3 cities are Jackson, Birmingham, and Montgomery ~ I'm actually from just north of ATL, so pretty close. I took it twice, with a few different questions, and got the exact same result.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Has anyone from the Chicago area gotten a result that mentions Chicago specifically?

My parents were born and raised in the city, and they raised us in the suburbs. Most of us got a result showing Aurora, IL/Rockford, IL/Madison, WI.

ETA: I answered a couple key questions differently, and I got Rockford/Aurora/Chicago.

I grew up in SE Suburban area (Will County, not Cook County) and got Madison, Rockford and Aurora. Probably just because there isn't a biggish city closer to me. Lived in Louisiana longer, Texas about as long and now in Florida. I was hung up on gym shoes versus sneakers. I chose sneakers, But I chose y'all instead of you guys.

The question about what do you call the area between the sidewalk and the street didn't have an answer for me now. I never really called it anything other than the yard until I moved to SW Florida. They call it the swale here. You can't park in the swale.

 

[porschegrl]

The question about what do you call the area between the sidewalk and the street didn't have an answer for me now. I never really called it anything other than the yard until I moved to SW Florida. They call it the swale here. You can't park in the swale.

Interesting. I've never heard the term swale used that way before. I didn't have an answer for that one.

I know my real answer for the carbonated beverage question is "wrong" for a Chicagoan. Changing that one, and refining my response to the traffic jam question, moved my result from Madison to Chicago.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

My quiz wasn't very accurate. It was red in the right area of the country, but I've never lived near any of the 3 cities I was given. They were Jackson, MS, Louisville, KY & Columbus, GA. I grew up in NC have lived in VA & currently live in FL.

 

[mel&me]

right on

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I actually live in Indiana

 

[morgan98]

Has anyone from the Chicago area gotten a result that mentions Chicago specifically?

My parents were born and raised in the city, and they raised us in the suburbs. Most of us got a result showing Aurora, IL/Rockford, IL/Madison, WI.

ETA: I answered a couple key questions differently, and I got Rockford/Aurora/Chicago.

My parents were raised in the City of Chicago (well after my mom immigrated from Italy) and I grew up in the South suburb and graduated high school in NW Indiana. I got Aurora/Rockford/Grand Rapids.

I have lived in Atlanta for 15 years now, but I guess I cannot overcame the 35 years I spent up there!

 

[tex1989]

Said, Houston, Shreveport, or Jackson Mississippi. i am from Houston and still live in a suburb of Houston.

 

[Bamaclan4]

Said Jackson MS, North Carolina, and Montgomery, Al. I’m from far northeast corner of Alabama. Surprising to many, all Southern accents are not the same.