A Computerized Henry Higgins
Nov. 26, 2011
I took a computerized quiz on my accent. I answered 13 questions. Here is what the program said about the accent I have:
West. Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
Was it right? Not at all. "Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent." I grew up where SoCal surfers came from: Manhattan Beach, California. I went to high school with Dewey Weber. No one thinks I have an accent. It was wrong. So there!
I lived for 18 years about a 90-minute drive from Dallas. I now live 40 minutes from Atlanta. Nobody has suggested that I had an accent. It was right.
See if it does as well with you. http://lewrockwell.com/spl3/american-accent-quiz.html