Is there such thing as a New Jersey accent?

Is there such thing as a New Jersey accent?

Despite popular stereotypes in the media that there is a singular New Jersey accent, there are in fact several distinct accents native to the U.S. state of New Jersey, none being confined only to New Jersey.

How do New Jersey people say coffee?

“People from North Jersey pronounce two vowel sounds in one combined sound in words like ‘coffee,’ using the long O and ‘ah’ sound in one syllable — ‘co-ah-fee,'” she explained.

Do people from South Jersey have accents?

There’s no denying it: South Jersey natives have a weird accent. It’s not quite New York (nobody, anywhere, says Joisey), and it’s not quite Philly (we say coffee, not cawfee), but it’s definitely there. To go with the accent, we also have our own local lexicon that includes some words you may never have heard before.

Why do people in New Jersey have an accent?

“Accents come from the original settlers to the area,” she said. “For North Jersey/New York, that means the Dutch and the English, whereas in South Jersey/Philly, you’ve got a German and Italian influence.”

How do you say water in New Jersey?

‘Water’ is usually pronounced something like “wooder” (wood’-er) or “wudder”. Saying “wooder” or “wudder” will definitely make you sound South Jersey.

What does Cawfee mean?

amazing, awesome, extraordinary.

What is a Jersey girl attitude?

Depending which side of the state line you’re standing on, the term “Jersey girl” can be endearing or derogatory. Jersey girl (plural Jersey girls): Noun. A woman, usually from New Jersey, characterized as loud and wearing bright clothing, far too much makeup, big hair and oversized gaudy earrings.

Does Central Jersey have an accent?

Those of us who live at the Jersey Shore are surrounded by people who talk funny. And in the middle of the Garden State, you have an accent that is neither fish nor fowl, is little studied and is by no means distinctive — the Central Jersey “accent.” …

What’s the difference between the northern and southern New Jersey accents?

The variations in the “ah” and the “aw” vowel sound is one of the most distinguishing differences between the northern and southern New Jersey accents. “People in the north use the ‘aw’ sound in words like ‘coffee’ and ‘talk,'” MacKenzie said. “But those in the south use the ‘ah’ sound in those words, making them rhyme with ‘lot.’

Why does New Jersey have so many different regional dialects?

The way we talk dates back to when settlers first came to New Jersey from Europe in the seventeenth century. “Our different regional dialects can be traced back to early settlement patterns,” MacKenzie said. “Different areas were settled by different groups.

Is there such a thing as a Jersey accent?

There is no single “Jersey” accent — there’s a typical North Jersey accent (listen to actor Joe Pesci for a good example), a typical South Jersey accent (which is very similar to, but more southern-sounding than, the Philadelphia, PA accent), and a whole range of accents between the two.

What’s the difference between New York and Philadelphia dialects?

“One of the biggest dialect differences between New York City and Philadelphia today is that New Yorkers drop their ‘Rs,’ but Philadelphia don’t.” The reason for that dates back to the 1600s when those settlers first came to the East Coast from England.