The Differences in Southern Accents – The Science of the South

Not sure I agree with all Fred Armisen’s takes on regional Southern accents, but I do applaud him recognizing the linguistic diversity of the South. Of course one of the biggest differences reflects a mix of regionalism, socio-economic boundaries, and racial identity, namely R-dropping.

One of the things I am finding interesting about North Carolina accents is the three distinctive categories. From the Raleigh westward, with growing intensity toward the Appalachians, is the accent in the video below.

Toward the southern part of the state the accent shifts toward a more traditional South Carolina rural accent. This is not to be confused with the third type typically associated with Charleston, South Carolina, which depends a lot on R-dropping. I always think of this accent as amalgamation of the New England accent and Southern accent.

I would love to hear your thoughts on accents belows. Video clips of yourself or people speaking on Youtube are welcome.