When did the British and American accents diverge?
By the middle of the 17th century, there were a number of colonies and an increasing population. So, American English and British English have had over 400 years to diverge. The colonies, which spanned a continent, were far enough from each other for their own local dialects to develop.
Why did American accents change from British?
In America the spread of industrialization shifted the power centers to the Midwest, which was largely settled by people of Scot-Irish heritage who still pronounced “r” as “r.” So, Received Pronunciation faded and General American became the standard.
What year did American accents develop?
The custom of the English language in the US was a result of British colonization, which commenced in North America in the 17th century and immigration occurring in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Did the Founding Fathers have a British accent?
Originally Answered: Did the American Colonists (including the Founding Fathers) have a British accent? No, at least not any modern British accent. Those have evolved over the past two centuries. American accents have also evolved over that time, in different ways.
What kind of accent did Thomas Jefferson have?
British accents
The answer is the first three US Presidents: George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. These three all had British accents. Also, add to the list Ben Franklin — yes, he also had a British accent.
Where did the Southern accent come from?
Southern American English, then, comes from Northern England. At least, that’s a major contributing factor. Southerners don’t sound particularly cockney anymore, which is a side effect of a few centuries of isolation and other outside influences.
Which state has the strongest Southern accent?
Alabama and Mississippi are where your “Deep South” accents come from, and what most of the world thinks the entire Southeastern US sounds like. These areas are where “the twang” really becomes prominent, and the smooth drawl of previous states becomes a more aggressive, urgent, unfamiliar sound.
What state has the thickest accent?
Basically I’ve noticed that people from the Deep South (Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana) have the deepest accents. The stereotypical Southern accent that people think of from the South. Mississippi and Alabama in particular have it. Georgia also has a deep drawl but it tends to be a bit softer.
What is the weirdest accent?
See where you fit in:
- Yooper.
- Pacific Northwesterner.
- Georgian.
- Long Islander.
- Chicagoan.
- Southern Ohioan.
- Floridian. America’s wang is well known for its tourist attractions and for producing the weirdest headlines in the country, from bath salts to diaper-clad astronauts.
- New Jerseyan. Oh my gawd!