Arizona Accent (Phoenix, Tucson, Glendale: school, living, metro area)

[raindance maggie]

Originally Posted by Heath V

Lol I've never heard anybody speak in a cowboy or Western accent down here.

I'd say 99% don't talk that way but sometimes there's one in the crowd that will try to sound like John Wayne.
Like I said it's usually not genuine. I can usually tell when they're faking it anyway.

[Prickly Pear]

Originally Posted by Snort

It's a dry accent.

[teddyearp]

I believe there is a bit of an Arizona 'accent', but it is more obvious in the smaller towns and not nearly as noticeable in the valley. It is not quite southern, not quite Texan; similar but not as pronounced, just 'there'. And unlike what maggie posted, I never found it to be fake.

Funny thing about the survey. I was born in the southern portion of the CSSR but I scored Phoenix, Tucson and Reno.

[Crazybreakfast]

I hate to resurrect a long dead thread but this was really interesting.
I spent most of my childhood in AZ (4-16). Family is from Texas and Cali and I've lived in the South now for over a decade.
Not really sure how much accents or dialect change over time, but my results were Scottsdale (didn't realize this was its own thing and it is the town I was raised in, hah), Tucson, and Irving Texas.
Usually, when people meet me they think I'm from Texas, OK, or MO, not sure. Almost always Northerners think I'm Southern and Southerners think I'm Midwestern- but I'd say my accent is tainted (if they can be changed?) and is now a mesh, hah.
If anybody knows, are accents essentially permanent after a certain age and is there really a southwest or Arizona accent?

[grmi66]

I would say that accents are fairly permanent after a certain age. I've taken those accent tests and it had me pegged as northern Ohio even though I left almost 40 years ago. Which is interesting because 60 minutes north in Detroit they certainly have their own distinct accent.

There is supposedly a line that runs from Iowa through central Illinois, Indiana and Ohio where it is the only place in the country that speaks perfect American English. Which is why 50-70 years ago many of the popular nationwide broadcasters and movie stars were from that area.

[cjs123]

That was fun...I tried not to think to hard on the answers ("well, sometimes I say...") and just go with the first thing I thought of. The test put me in Glendale or Scottsdale, or Salt Lake City.

I've lived in AZ over half my life now (!) and spent two years in Scottsdale in the early nineties; never lived in Glendale. The other city the test placed me in was Salt Lake City; I've never been to Utah.

The test didn't provide any options for cities in my original state.

Just for the heck of it I took it again...I changed two answers (things I also say) plus there were some different questions the second time around! This time, the test placed me 100% in Arizona in Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa, and Tempe. Never lived in Glendale or Mesa, lived over one year in Phoenix and over 11 years in Tempe.

[mkpunk]

I have lived in Arizona nearly 14 years now. Unless you are a transplant like myself, I really haven't really noticed an accent. I as a transplant get told of my accent quite a bit though...

[Starbar]

Most people I have met who grew up in the valley sound pretty similar to Southern California, maybe with a slight Texas-like twang at times, I also hear elements of the Midwest especially if they have parents from there.
Probably the best example of this accent would be the guy who runs the Living in Arizona YouTube channel (Jeff).

[xrilander]

Most of the people in AZ do not fully pronounce their words, drives me nuts! For example: Glendale is Glndle. Phonics, another issue. Example: Don is Don, and Dawn is Don too! Or they mispronounce (especially local news broadcasters). Kristy Seifkin on Fox10 (I know she`s originally from San Francisco) calls Mohave County - Mo-ha-VAY, Nogales - No-GAH-las. Pronounced Seligman - SLOG-man some years back. Kylee Cruz (Ch 3) sounds like she has marbles in her mouth when she speaks, one of the worst for not pronouncing her words. I know the West is a melting pot of transplants, I guess this is the end result.

[mkpunk]

One thing I want to know is why Prescott is pronounced Preskitt...