Things To Know About Southern Dialects

The United States is a huge country with a very large population. And with this huge population comes a ton of different beliefs, opposing ideas, and a variety of ways of speaking. There may be more of a variety of dialects present in the United States than most people even realize.

One of the most notable dialects and accents of the United States stems directly from the Deep South.

In contrast to the Northern and Western accents of people living in those regions, Southerners have a very noticeable drawl that will basically allow you to narrow down where a person with that accent lives to the Southern region of the country.

Within the Southern States, various forms of Southern accents exist as well. People in New Orleans speak differently than people from South Carolina. However, there are some commonalities that most true Southerners have in common in regards to their accents and dialects.

One of the most common terms that you will hear in the South is the use of the word “Y’all” to replace the phrase “you all” or “you guys”.

Another common thing is the use of the word “Coke” in reference to soft drinks of multiple brands. Because Coke originated in Georgia, many southerners use it in place of “soda” or “pop”.

Do you like pecan pie? Well, Southerners definitely do. However, instead of saying “pee-can” pie, expect them to say “pick-ahn” pie.

These are just some of the differences of dialect that you should expect to encounter when you are speaking with a southerner.