Here, Nou, let's check a few things:

1) What's the difference in pronunciation among the words "Mary", "marry", and "merry"?
2) Do "rain" and "ran" sound the same?
3) For that matter, do "pin" and "pen" sound the same?
4) How about "ilk" and "elk"?
5) Do writer and rider sound alike?
6) Does the vowel in "beg" sound like the vowel in "bay" or like the vowel in "beck"?

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Originally posted by Joss Weatherby Yes, but, in terms of an international standard for American english it should be the west coast english accents because it is the most known and understood due to hollywood. PNW specific should really be the specific of the west coast because it doesn't have some of the odd california style tricks that they add in (there are some very odd little things people from california will add to words sometimes, but you do not see them in movies).

Such as?

By the way, you do realise that, to the average foreigner, someone from Toronto and someone from Los Angeles speak the same way, right? And you also realise that your decision to assign PNW the status of "standard accent of American English" because of Hollywood is completely arbitrary, right?

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Time to start recording voices again!

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Originally posted by Sushipunk Time to start recording voices again!

Good idea!

Rather than reading something fixed, it'd be a better idea if we all recorded ourselves telling a personal story, such as a near-death experience. It's easy to see how you really speak when you're excited and stuff.

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Originally posted by Lira Here, Nou, let's check a few things: 1) What's the difference in pronunciation among the words "Mary", "marry", and "merry"? 2) Do "rain" and "ran" sound the same? 3) For that matter, do "pin" and "pen" sound the same? 4) How about "ilk" and "elk"? 5) Do writer and rider sound alike? 6) Does the vowel in "beg" sound like the vowel in "bay" or like the vowel in "beck"?

1) yes
2) no
3) no
4) no
5) no (but close)
6) bay

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Originally posted by Lira Such as? By the way, you do realise that, to the average foreigner, someone from Toronto and someone from Los Angeles speak the same way, right? And you also realise that your decision to assign PNW the status of "standard accent of American English" because of Hollywood is completely arbitrary, right?

Canadian has an accent, but Toronto from everything I've heard is pretty close to general american english.

Thats the thing though Lira, there is a "general american english" and of those its often regarded that PNW is the most neutral sounding of the regional areas that speak "general american english".

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Originally posted by Joss Weatherby 1) yes

Cool, that's common throughout the US;

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Originally posted by Joss Weatherby 2) no

Really? Wikipedia lied to me

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Originally posted by Joss Weatherby 3) no

Cool, that just happens in the South;

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Originally posted by Joss Weatherby 4) no

All right, this was supposed to be a regional quirk too.

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Originally posted by Joss Weatherby 5) no (but close)

What is different? The vowel or the consonant?

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Originally posted by Joss Weatherby 6) bay

And, here we have it. I don't think the rest of the country will agree with you that this is, in any sense, neutral

Now, I don't even speak American English, so I have to admit I don't really know much about it. However, I'm sure your fellow countrymen will be quick to point out what sounds funny about your accent

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Originally posted by Lira And, here we have it. I don't think the rest of the country will find agree with you that this is, in any sense, neutral

Actually I was just about to edit my post, I sat there and said it a bunch of times and its beck, but thats not the best example of the word cause of the hard 'ck' sound after sounds confusing.

If you compare it to bet, its a lot closer to beck.

If I say bag, it sounds different from beg, I think that is the best way to put it.

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Originally posted by Joss Weatherby Thats the thing though Lira, there is a "general american english" and of those its often regarded that PNW is the most neutral sounding of the regional areas that speak "general american english".

You know, the reason why I'm having some fun with this? There's an abstraction called "General American" which is supposed to be a 'neutral' American accent. You know where it is?



That lake is nowhere near Vancouver... and I'd be quick to point out that it is no more 'neutral' than the way you speak English

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Originally posted by Lira What is different? The vowel or the consonant?

Consonant. Its dur in Rider, and tur (like in turd) for writer.

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Originally posted by Lira You know, the reason why I'm having some fun with this? There's an abstraction called "General American" which is supposed to be a 'neutral' American accent. You know where it is? That lake is nowhere near Vancouver... and I'd be quick to point out that it is no more 'neutral' than the way you speak English

Yea I pointed that out already, and that wiki article specifically says that it spread to the PNW and California with the large migration of farmers. My grand parents were from South Dakota on my mothers side and my grand parents on my dads side from Missouri.