Dialect and accent are important parts of a story for both writers and readers. Dialect is the form of language specific to a particular region. (It’s the reason some folks say “pop” and some say “soda.”) It’s also colored by those nifty accents. Writers strive to recreate authentic dialect in our stories and you, the reader, imagine the accent in your mind. It’s a tricky balance because laying on the dialect with too heavy a hand, or writing out the dialogue with accents in place, can make the book hard to follow. For example…”Vere is de vonderful veisswurst vich Mama has cooked up in de kitchen?” Errgh. Too cliched and hard to follow. A whole novel of that would drive a reader crazy! There should be just a hint of dialect, a sprinkling in of regional words so the reader can imagine the character’s accent. Less is more when it comes to dialect and accent.
Do you have an accent? Here’s a quiz you can take which is supposed to pinpoint the region in which you live. (Disclaimer, it’s only applicable to American accents.) Would love to hear if the quiz was able to identify your region! Giving away a triple prize this month!
Posted by Nancee Marchinowski on November 16, 2014 at 1:04 am
Very strange, but my results came up as “Your American accent is New England.” LOL! I’m from West Michigan and have a very distinct West Michigan accent. I answered all of the questions honestly, and still came up with New England. I’ve been there numerous times, but I don’t share their dialect. Haha… Facebook wouldn’t share my results for some reason. This was fun!
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Posted by Nancee Marchinowski on November 16, 2014 at 1:17 am
The other link listed below was far closer to my accent, upper midwest. I’ve been accused of being from Fargo, ND! I’ve lived my entire life in West Michigan.
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Posted by Christina Spicuzza on November 15, 2014 at 10:01 pm
So I took the quiz you posted Dana, and also the one that Aerykah posred, and both said New England. They’re close, I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which s about 2 states away. Technically I live in the North mid-Atlantic region.
That was fun! Thank you for posting and also the chance to win. Books are my third love! (Behind God and my family of course) 🙂
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Posted by dana mentink on November 15, 2014 at 10:57 pm
That’s neat that both quizzes produced the same result!
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by Jeanie Dannheim on November 15, 2014 at 8:49 pm
It worked for my birth state – inland Midwest. Have lived more than half my life in SW, surprised that I still talk primarily Michigander!
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Posted by dana mentink on November 15, 2014 at 11:21 pm
Excellent, Jeanie! Thanks for giving it a try!
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by susanmsj on November 15, 2014 at 2:58 pm
Missed by a mile. It said mine was Inland North, and since I am from west Texas I am pretty insulted. lol.
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Posted by dana mentink on November 15, 2014 at 3:02 pm
I’ll bet you have an awesome accent, Susan!
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by 7 Things About Me — My Accent | Expressions Of Me on November 15, 2014 at 2:17 pm
[…] I pretty much only take them if a friend suggests a particular one to me. When I came across this post on Dana Mentink’s blog, Fiction 4 Writers and Readers, I took the quiz and was quite […]
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Posted by Samantha B on November 15, 2014 at 1:07 am
I got New England dialect.
I took the test, but I’m actually Canadian and my first language is French 😉
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Posted by dana mentink on November 15, 2014 at 2:44 am
🙂
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by Aerykah on November 15, 2014 at 1:06 am
Y’all might try this one instead… http://www.playbuzz.com/benjaminbirely10/which-american-accent-do-you-actually-have
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Posted by dana mentink on November 15, 2014 at 2:44 am
Did it work for you, Aerykah?
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by Aerykah on November 15, 2014 at 2:48 am
The quiz I linked here got it right… it said I have a Southern accent & I most certainly do, though I’ve been told that it isn’t a really strong one. 😉
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Posted by dana mentink on November 15, 2014 at 2:50 am
Very cool to have a Southern accent!
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by Aerykah on November 15, 2014 at 2:54 am
I won’t argue with you there. 😉
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Posted by Pat Moore on November 15, 2014 at 3:00 pm
This one said I was Southern and I AM.
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Posted by dana mentink on November 15, 2014 at 3:02 pm
Ah ha! It worked! 🙂
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by Aerykah on November 15, 2014 at 12:42 am
Inland North
Wait. WHAAAAT?!?! That is so off! I’m an Oklahoma girl born & raised — southern Oklahoma at that — and I’ve never lived anywhere else. I have met people from that area and I sound absolutely nothing like them! Though I can fake their accent pretty well. 😉
And I see I’m not the only person it got wrong. There’s got to be a better accent quiz out there…
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Posted by dana mentink on November 15, 2014 at 2:46 am
Ah! I see your post now. It was off for me too. I am a California girl but it said New England.
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by Cozynookbks on November 14, 2014 at 10:27 pm
Quiz said my accent is Midwest. Not sure how that was surmised because I’m from N.Y.C.!! Way off.
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Posted by dana mentink on November 15, 2014 at 2:46 am
Hmmm. Not too close, huh?
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by Valri Western on November 14, 2014 at 7:28 pm
It said New England but I don’t think so! I’m Southern California all the way!
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Posted by dana mentink on November 15, 2014 at 2:48 am
Another California girl, like me!
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by Pat Moore on November 14, 2014 at 6:07 pm
Said New England – Maine, NH, etc. Born and spent the majority of my life in Alabama. Can’t get much more southern than that. I have lived in Florida, KY, GA, Germany and spent some time in SC. Never lived outside the southern states other than when my Dad was stationed in Germany. Way off base.
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Posted by dana mentink on November 15, 2014 at 2:48 am
For me too, Pat!
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by Lynsay on November 14, 2014 at 5:27 pm
New England dialect area encompasses Maine, New Hampshire, and eastern Massachusetts (including Greater Boston). It possesses enough distinctive features of its own to distinguish it from the North as a separate dialect system. Southern New Hampshire has been reported as retreating from some of the more distinctive features of the Eastern New England dialect region.
Definitely off, Never been there. Maybe the quiz needs better questions. I know I have a Philly accent, especially with how I pronounce water.
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Posted by dana mentink on November 15, 2014 at 2:49 am
A Philly accent sounds pretty awesome!
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by Beth Carpenter on November 14, 2014 at 3:22 pm
Missed by a mile. It said I’m mid-Atlantic, and I’ve never even been there. I grew up with a thick West Texas accent which I lost over the years of living in Wyoming and Alaska. I still say y’all, which I believe should become standard English for the plural of you.
(For the record, most Alaskans don’t sound like Sarah Palin. To me, she sounds like she’s from Minnesota.)
I’m interested to see if it’s more accurate with people who still live in the region where they grew up.
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