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Regional accents: Why we sound the way we do

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Millions of Americans speak English, so why do we all sound so different? And what might accents of the future sound like? This hour, we explore the past, present, and future of regional accents–from Carter to Colin.

Plus, we discuss why hearing different regional accents might make us feel a certain way, and hear how international actors learn how to speak like Americans.

GUESTS:

  • Margaret Renwick is an associate Research Professor at Johns Hopkins University studying accents and how they change.
  • Rebecca Gausnell is a dialect coach based in France, specializing in American accents. She has worked on shows including “The Boys”, “Industry”, and the upcoming “Anxious People”.

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicTuneInListen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.

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Isaac Moss is a producer for Connecticut Public’s "The Colin McEnroe Show." She loves writing about science, agriculture and adventures in your backyard. In her free time, she can be found gardening, cooking and embarking on epic quests. Reach her at imoss@ctpublic.org.