What makes a michigan accent

When you hear Will Smith talk about his "awntie", doesn't that just sound wrong? The name shared by several Michigan islands and a former amusement park. Next time someone blows their nose: "Hey, it's the Boblo Boat!

Others swear we say "boath". Ohio Public Schools is all I'm sayin' Which ciddy in Michigin are ya from? Baddle Creek, er AnNarbor?

In some parts of the state, they still say this. I think I used to say this when I was a kid even. Another one sent in by the indefatigable David Pool. The caabz in those F's are damned comfterbul. The only time we don't use this shortcut is when we're talking to our kids.

Thanks to Jen B of Canton for providing one of the first real additions to the Guide in years. Her aent gaver some crans for her birthday.

You SO know we talk like this. According to Tristan, in some parts of the state, they say "crick". Not so much in GraRapids. I think that's some kind of Hoosier thingy. For the rest of you: how exactly do two e's make an "ih" sound?

That's correct Many Michiganians say "deeahd" with that hard nasal Chicago thingy. Thanks to Liz for this one. Likely if you work there that you work "at Ford's". Or maybe "K-Mart's". You can always tell a non-native because they'll say "DEEtroit".

Dear God, what a freaking insult, people! Ya soun' like-a buncha hillbillies already. No, use that breath clipping mechanism and cut off the T. It's almost like two clipped words slurred together. Welcome to DihTroih! It's not so bad! Just don't go a block off that main drag or we'll put ya in the hahspidal.

He's right. Fundamentally distinct. Or, what you might do to make fun of a tropical bird. Related: "drownding". US equivalent: rain gutter thanks to Bill. Say it in two full syllables. You gotta love it when Captain Janeway of Star Trek: Voyager launches an attack against some troublesome alien species with a Midwestern accent!

Perhaps we pronounce it that way because we shop at Meijer. Texas pronunciation: "fahr". Kentucky pronunciation: "fawr". Brooklyn pronunciation: "I'm on fi-yah, bay-bee".

Oh, alright, it sounds the same. I just wanted to say that, if Detroit was the anus of the US, Flint would be about sixty miles up it, hee hee! Oh, those warm memories of my days of misspent youth in Happy Valley I dunno Sorry, Flint residents. And it is the non-native English speakers — particular to Michigan were Germans, Scandinavians, and Irish — who are believed to be the root cause, thanks to the instability of the English vowel system and its difficulty for those learning it as a second language.

Hardly any other language has three enormously crowded vowels like these. Pay attention the next time Gov. He might as well be talking through his nose. After spending the first 30 years of his life here, Weaver continued his marketing career on the West Coast, where comments on his accent started to get under his skin. What started as a single-page joke has developed into a serious labor of love, containing more than unique pronunciations and colloquialisms on his Michigan-centric website, michigannative.

Years of feedback from others and a view from the outside have given Weaver some perspective. Issues arise, Preston says, because of biases. 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. Fudgies — This is nickname that locals — particularly those on Mackinac Island — call tourists who visit to buy and eat fudge.

This may cause a semi-heated debate in the right circles. Pank — In most parts of the nation, you may compress, flatten, or pack something.

But in Northern Michigan, we pank it. We usually use this word when building snowmen. Townies — Unfortunately, this is a derogatory term that visitors use in reference to locals. In this case, the bridge is, of course, the Mackinac Bridge.

Yooper — Anyone who lives in the UP is called a Yooper. We add a syllable in the middle. The State of Michigan offers a comprehensive database of pronunciations for cities, townships, street names, and even notable people.

It even includes brief audio files so you can hear how things are actually said in Michigan. Lake Orion — Forget what they taught you in astronomy. Little Brother — University of Michigan fans have given this nickname to the football team at Michigan State University.