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Which American Dialect Do I Have?

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Soda vs. pop. PEE-can vs. pee-KAHN. The simple and unique word choices that we make each day all relate to our dialect, or the specific way we talk that differs from our regional neighbors. The question remains, though: what's your dialect based on the specific words and phrases you use in your day-to-day life?

There’s only one way to know. Hit “Start Quiz” to see if we can figure you out!

Disclaimer: This quiz is based on data collected from the Harvard Dialect Study organized by Professor Bert Vaux.

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Questions Overview

1. You’d like to order a sweet fizzy drink at a restaurant. What do you say?
  1. “I’d like a soda, please.”
  2. “I’d like some pop, please.”
  3. “I’d like a coke, please.”
  4. “I’d like a soft drink, please.”
2. How do you pronounce the word “crayon”?
  1. Cran
  2. Cray-ahn
  3. Cray-awn
  4. I say something else.
3. How do you pronounce the word “pecan”?
  1. PEE-can
  2. pee-CAN
  3. PEE-kahn
  4. pee-KAHN or pick-Ahn
4. How do you pronounce the words Mary, marry, and merry?
  1. I pronounce all 3 words identically.
  2. I pronounce all 3 words differently.
  3. I pronounce Mary and merry the same, but marry differently.
  4. I pronounce Mary and marry the same, but merry differently.
5. How do you pronounce the word “caramel”?
  1. Car-ml
  2. Carra-mel
  3. I use both pronunciations.
  4. I use a different pronunciation than the ones listed above.
6. How do you pronounce the word “mayonnaise”?
  1. Man-aze
  2. May-uh-naze
  3. I use both pronunciations.
  4. I use a different pronunciation.
7. How do you pronounce the word “pajamas”?
  1. Pa-JAM-as
  2. Pa-JAH-mas
  3. I use both pronunciations.
  4. I use a different pronunciation.
8. What do you call a public device that people drink water from?
  1. Water fountain
  2. Drinking fountain
  3. Bubbler
  4. I use a different word.
9. What do you call a flickering and glowing bug that flies around at night?
  1. Firefly
  2. Lightning bug
  3. I use both firefly and lightning bug.
  4. I use a different word.
10. What do you call the small, lobster-like creatures that appear in freshwater?
  1. Crawfish
  2. Crayfish
  3. Crawdad
  4. I'm not sure.
11. What would you say to address multiple people at the same time?
  1. You all
  2. You guys
  3. You (on its own as a plural)
  4. Y'all
12. What is called when you sell unwanted items and junk in your neighborhood?
  1. Yard sale
  2. Garage sale
  3. Rummage sale
  4. Tag sale
13. Bonus question #1: Which of these statements do you relate to the most?
  1. I use the word “hella” as a substitute for “very” or “really.”
  2. I use “like” a lot when I talk. Like, so much.
  3. I say “yee” instead of “yes.”
  4. I don't relate to any of these statements.
14. Bonus question #2: Do you identify with any of these statements?
  1. I say “ard” instead of all right.
  2. I drop the Rs in my words—yard becomes yahd, for example.
  3. I use a “D” or “T” sound instead of a “th”—for instance, “mother” would become “mahder.”
  4. I don't identify with any of these statements.
15. Bonus question #3: Do you relate to any of these statements?
  1. I say “yinz” rather than “you guys” or “you all.”
  2. I sometimes pronounce the “g” at the end of a word (like "Lawn Guyland" instead of “Long Island”).
  3. I use the word “spendy” instead of expensive.
  4. I don’t vibe with any of these statements.

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All About Dialects

What are dialects?
Dialects are different versions of a single language that aren’t easily understood by other speakers. Think of dialects as branches growing from a singular tree—while they stem from the same main source, they’re unique and distinct from one another.

Does the USA have dialects?
Absolutely! The USA and many other countries have dialects that are spoken among their citizens. Depending on who you ask, there are over a dozen different dialects in the USA alone, typically organized by state/region, including:

  • General American
  • New York City English
  • North Central English
  • Standard Midwestern
  • Western American English

Common Dialectical Differences
In the USA, a lot of dialectical differences come down to the specific words and phrases a person naturally chooses within a situation. Some especially well-known word choice differences include:

  • Soda vs. Pop vs. Coke

“Soda” is the term of choice in the Northeastern US, while “pop” reigns supreme in the Midwest. Meanwhile, people in the South often use “Coke” to refer to any type of sweetened carbonated drink.

  • Aunt: “ah” as in “envelope” or “ae” as in “ant”

“Ae” as in “ant” is the most popular pronunciation choice among most Americans, while some from the Northeastern US pronounce the “a” in “aunt” as “ah.”

  • Pecan: pee-KAHN vs. PEE-can vs. PEE-Kahn vs. pee-KAHN vs. pick-Ahn

The way Americans say pecan depends on two key factors: which syllable is stressed, and how each part of the word is pronounced. Both PEE-can and pee-CAN are popular pronunciations in New England, though PEE-can seems to be popular in the South as well. PEE-Kahn is especially popular in the Midwest, while pee-KAHN is used in the Eastern half of the US, as well as the West Coast. The pick-AHN pronunciation in multiple parts of the US, including the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West.

  • Pajamas: Pa-jam-as vs. Pa-jah-mas

Both pronunciations are used in the Northeastern and Western regions of the US, but “pa-jam-as” seems to be the preferred pronunciation in the Midwest while “pa-jah-mas” is the preferred pronunciation in the South.

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Reader Success Stories

  • Billy B.

    Billy B.

    Mar 6

    "I thought it was really fun! I liked the "how do you pronounce caramel" question. :)."
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