The sound of America

Map of the United States illustrating different dialects with text saying “You guys”, “Y’all” and “You all”

The sound of America

What is the official language of the USA? Most people think it’s English, but actually there is no official language. Although English is the most widely spoken language, it only has official status in 30 of the 50 states. In addition, just about every language in the world is spoken in different parts of the USA.

A regional accent or a dialect is the way people speak in a particular part of a country. In the USA there are clear differences in the way people speak English in the north, south, central and western parts of the country.

There are many examples of different kinds of English in Mini movies. Here you’re going to listen to three American regional accents. What differences can you hear in the way Rob, Tina and Scott speak? You don’t need to understand everything they say. Just listen to how they speak. Listen to all three before you do the exercises.

Rob

Tina

Scott

Crossroads

The sound of America

The sound of America

Checking details

Your turn to talk

Digging deeper

Login