Accent of Detroit, both white and black

[dtowncitylover]

Revived Thread Discussion Feb. 2015 - Jump to latest posts >>
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Having lived in Chicago for the first part of this summer and having a brother-in-law from there too, it has really taught me on how drastically different us Detroiters can sound from other residents of cities close to us. Detroit, among the white residents [[I'll get to black speakers in a moment), speak what is called "Inland North" American English, spaning from Chicago to Buffalo, including Milwaukee, Detroit, South Bend/Ft. Wayne, and Cleveland. This accent is undergoing a vowel shift, called "North Cities vowel shift", covering exactly the same area. [[Interestingly enough, Erie, Penn. is not being affected and staying with an accent closer to Pittsburgh. But living and working in Chicago, among so-called speakers of my accent, it has proved that I speak differently then them. Nothing too major, but just the slightest that they knew I was not from around there.

I went to school with a sizeable African-American population too, and became accustomed to the way they talked, which truthfully is very different, again nothing too drastic, but it is true the black speak their way and whites speak their way, nothing wrong just the way language happens. And what was even more interesting is that the blacks in Chicago spoke differently than the way I had become familiar. So differently, in fact, that I was a bit annoyed that they didn't speak like the African-Americans in Detroit. But I have often heard that even African-Americans will admit that blacks in LA, down South, or from NYC, all have their own accents among that population. Certainly, there is an accent difference among the Latino population of native Spanish speakers and English native speakers who grew up in a Hispanic enviroment.

I have also noted, upon one of my friends saying, that I speak differently than my friends here. Most, if not all, born and bred here with deep Detroit roots or at the least Northern roots. I do have Detroit roots, both grandparents on my father side grew up in the region [[one in Highland Park, the other in "rural" Warren). And while my mom's mom is from Canada, remember that your language is impacted by your classmates, not your mom or dad, as you are exposed to your classmates longer than you are to your parents. My mom also grew up in the area, and her step-father also had Detroit roots. So a question I have, are there [[or has anyone noticed) different accents or ways of speaking among Detroiters? I certainly don't know. I am from the northern suburbs, all of my friends are. I know no one from the GPs or Downriver.

Phew!

[Retroit]

Interesting topic - and analysis on your part. I don't notice much variation among the white population of metro Detroit. I've noticed more variation among blacks though. [[Oh no, I'm probably going to be labeled a bigot again. ) I've also always been puzzled by the difference of the Windsor accent. How can a river change the way people speak?

And why and how do accents develop? I can understand if there is an the influence from foreign speakers, but what if everyone speaks English? Are there environmental differences, or do people just randomly start talking different and it gets passed on to acquaintances?

Phew is right!

[EastsideAl]

I have a kind of white City of Detroit [[eastside?) accent. I speak the same way as my sister, my cousins, other white kids I grew up with, but like very few other people I meet - even those from Michigan. And certainly quite a bit different from a Chicago accent, or what sounds to me to be the extremely nasal tone of people from northern Ohio.

Many, if not most, words I pronounce like most [[white) people from southeastern Michigan. But a lot of other words and phrases I say definitely come out with a southern inflection, perhaps from growing up around so many African-Americans and lesser numbers of white southerners.

Of course, spending a lot of time in Canada as a child and having family from over there [[including my grandmother) has had an effect on my speech, as has 15+ years in NYC. So my current way of speaking is a bit of an untraceable mess if you don't know me.

Incidentally, I've been told by some people I know that the difference in African-American speech patterns between Detroit and Chicago can be traced to the largest source of migration, Mississippi for Chicago, and Alabama for Detroit.

[Nicodeme]

This topic has been talked about ages ago, but could use a refresher.

Here's an interesting site with lots of Michiganisms, like calling a sliding glass door a "doorwall." Doesn't make sense if you think about it..Door-wall...

http://www.michigannative.com/ma_home.shtml

[LeannaM]

I've heard that broadcasters try to speak with a "Cincinnati accent." I don't know how true that is.

Kind of intriguing how many accents there are across the Midwest, even if you only hear slight differences.

[rid0617]

I still call carbonated beverages pop. That will get ya noticed real quick in the south and not always in a good way

[texorama]

I've always wondered about "Geez-o-Pete." I grew up in Toledo and never heard it, and I don't think West Michiganders say it either. I think it's unique to the six-country metro Detroit area.

[gazhekwe]

I agree about the accents. I don't really notice huge differences between the speech of Pittsburgh and DC and here, for instance, but I am told when I am in Pittsburgh or DC that my accent is very strong. In Pittsburgh, when I ask for coffee, I often get Coke.

I was raised in the UP and I do know there are some definite differences in the pronunciation of vowels between the UP and here, as well as the length of the ending of some words. I may still have a smattering of that left in my speech, but I tend to be a parrot and pick up from people I interact with.

[pffft]

So how do you all say the word "roof"?

Do you say "ruff"? I always laugh when I hear announcers on the radio trying to sell metal "ruffs," but I may be in the minority if it's definitely a Detroit-ism.

[dtowncitylover]

Accents develop over time. Even though Windsor has had more contact with us than with Toronto, IMO, they speak the Canadian English accent. Funny though, their way of speaking has more influenced us than them. "Eh" is very common among our parts, and when speaking to a guy my age from Baltimore a couple weekends ago, he made fun of my ending with "eh". Even linguist are noticed that Detroiters, among the younger generation, are picking up the Canadian rising.

I am told the accent of Pittsburgh is quite unique among American English accents. "Yinzers" they are called. Our "you guys" is their "yinz", funny eh?

Words can also be important, but it was not the main point of my article. Pop is heard all over the Midwest, save St. Louis where they say soda.

Upon a visit to my Canadian cousins last month, a boyfriend of one of my cousines told me that throughout the day I dropped my r's, I was quite surprised.

[dtowncitylover]

So how do you all say the word "roof"?

Do you say "ruff"? I always laugh when I hear announcers on the radio trying to sell metal "ruffs," but I may be in the minority if it's definitely a Detroit-ism.

My family and I, as much as we are rooted Detroiters, have always said rOOf. When I first heard it pronounced "rUff", I was quite surprised. The when I asked my friends about it, they said the noun was rOOF, but the action is rUffing.

I ruff, you ruff, he/she ruffs, we ruff, they ruff.

[iheartthed]

I've heard that broadcasters try to speak with a "Cincinnati accent." I don't know how true that is.

Kind of intriguing how many accents there are across the Midwest, even if you only hear slight differences.

I don't know if it's Cincinnati, but the standard American accent is derived from a midwestern accent[[I thought it was Iowa, but I'll have to look it up again).

I think there are several "white accents" in metro Detroit. Two that come to mind are the "Fargo-ish/Bobby's World" midwest accent. The other is sort of a northern/southern hybrid... Where the speaker emphasizes their Rs, but still has a bit of a drawl.

I can also think of at least two distinct "black accents" in the Detroit area. One is a southern/northern hybrid, sort of like the white hybrid accent, but a lot more southern influenced [[this is actually a pretty common accent for older black northerners period, as I sometimes hear similar accents spoken among the other black American residents in NYC and DC). The other black Detroit accent is more nasal and sort of fast, with an emphasis on the Rs. I hear a similar accent from black Chicagoans.

[Detroitnerd]

I can tell a difference in the way white people speak from when I was a kid. When I was younger, better educated people spoke without the Minnesotan inflections. Only the poorly educated whites would speak Pennsylvania [[youse, warsh), or Minnesota [["ayand" for and). White people in the Detroit area have spoken somewhere between the stable Michigan accent and those regional inflections.

But now that's totally taking over the accent I remember. These days, I hear mostly the Sarah Palin-type nasality and extra A-vowels I always associated with Minnesota. I think what's happening is all the well-educated white people are moving away, and the people we're left with speak that annoying kind of Minnesota American.

Who speaks like this? I'd say the classic soccer mom. Let's say her name is "Barb."

BARB: Oh, yeh. Ya gotta go ta school and get a good jyab. So ya can take caraya kyeds. It's reel hard ta work and take carathem, but when I go to the jyab I leave a craak paat goin', so them kyeds have somethin' good ta eat when they get back from school. Ayand ya gotta study. Hoo-boy, if ya don't learn to speak good English like we do, yull be like those blayacks, never gonna get anywhere talking like thayat.

In short, this accent annoys me.

[tkierpiec]

Interesting! I'm originally from Northern Michigan [[white) and I've had people tell me through the years that I sound Canadian. And I've also been told I talk like a New Yorker - neither sound alike at all. One thing I've noticed is how easy it is to pick up speech patterns from people you spend a lot of time with. I had 2 Caribbean house guests stay with me for the summer and I've definitely picked up too much Patois. Not the accent but the phrasing. It does not sound so charming when I talk like that.

[izzyindetroit]

You can usually point out a white person who grew up in Detroit and a black person who grew up in the suburbs because of the way they talk with their black and white accents respectively.

[Ray1936]

As a Detroit transplant plunked down in metro Las Vegas, I find myself surrounded by folks from all over the country. Most of the accents are pretty mid-western, but them Boston folks never learned how to pronounce the letter "R".

Pahk the cah, my ass.

[exdetroiter]

You can usually point out a white person who grew up in Detroit and a black person who grew up in the suburbs because of the way they talk with their black and white accents respectively.

I've always wondered why white girls whom dad black girls talk like an [[sometime articulate or ghetto) black woman. I don't understand how the person you date can have an effect on your speech.

[Detroitnerd]

I've always wondered why white girls whom dad black girls talk like an [[sometime articulate or ghetto) black woman. I don't understand how the person you date can have an effect on your speech.

Madonna would be Exhibit A.

[Pam]

Interesting! I'm originally from Northern Michigan [[white) and I've had people tell me through the years that I sound Canadian

Are you a "yooper"? I had a friend who was, and I thought she sounded Canadian.

[Detroitnerd]

The Detroitnerd family sounds a bit Cannuck. Pappy Detroitnerd is a full Canadian on his side of the fam.

[jcole]

Yoopers sound like Minnesotans to me.

[Hamtragedy]

My personal favorites.

Here's what "amadoo." Tranlated: Here's what I'm going to do.

"I'm-own beat they asses. Bo-fum." Tranlsated: I'm gonna beat their asses. Both of them.

[Detroitnerd]

This one courtesy of Jerome Feretti:

PERSON 1: Djeet?

PERSON 2: Naw. T'seet!

TRANSLATION

PERSON 1: Did you eat?

PERSON 2: No. Let's eat!

[rb336]

I've heard that broadcasters try to speak with a "Cincinnati accent." I don't know how true that is.

load your mouth up with a bunch of spaghetti covered in chili, then try to talk. there's your Cincinnati Accent

[dtowncitylover]

Being from a family all about their roots, some things in my family have never left. I still call a couch a davenport from time to time and the Tigers are the Taggers, for some strange reason, my grandma says it's the Penn Dutch INFLUENCE, not relation, on our family [[as we are originally from Lancaster, PA).

I believe the NY Times had an article last fall about Palin's accent and how it was confined to her Wassilla, Alaska town.

Also, Yoopers, at least the ones I've met, will be quick to deny they talk like Canadians. I've never thought that, though.