The Philadelphia accent

October 26th, 2012 at 8:52:51 AM permalink
rdw4potus
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 10
Posts: 147
I like almost everything about Eastern PA so far. But the accent drives me freaking nuts(er). Mostly for four reasons:

1. multi-syllable expansions of short words. It's like talking to a 6 year old. For example, the word "away" is pronounced awayahuh in Philly-speak.
2. een. there is a g right there at the end of the word. why the F would fishing be pronounced "fisheen?"
3. height. The h is before the t. If this word were to be pronounced with a th sound, there would be a terminal h.
4. A. There are two accepted pronunciations of this shortest of words. It can have an uh sound like in utter or enough, or it can have hard A sound like in the first syllable of anal or asian. Here in Philly, it's pronounced with a soft "a" like in an or apple.
I'm not wearing any pants, film at 11
October 26th, 2012 at 9:01:02 AM permalink
FarFromVegas
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 3
Posts: 121
Isn't that where they pronounce "feeling" like "filleen"?

I'm filleen tired today.
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October 26th, 2012 at 9:28:23 AM permalink
rdw4potus
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 10
Posts: 147
Quote: FarFromVegas
Isn't that where they pronounce "feeling" like "filleen"?

I'm filleen tired today.


Every word that ends with ing gets the een. and I cringe every time.

It's odd. There seem to be far fewer vocal inflections here than other places. The sentence "I've been fishing by the sea" includes three words (been, fishing, sea) that get the ee sound here. They have three distinct sounds most other places (in, ing, ee - respectively)
I'm not wearing any pants, film at 11
October 28th, 2012 at 5:08:09 AM permalink
MonkeyMonkey
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
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Posts: 111
Quote: rdw4potus
I like almost everything about Eastern PA so far. But the accent drives me freaking nuts(er).


I don't think I've ever encountered that accent, but it sounds like it would grate on the nerves.

I did once talk to a guy from New Hampshire and I'm pretty sure English was his native language but it was hard to be sure.
World's most discriminating Kool-Aid connoisseur
October 28th, 2012 at 10:14:23 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: MonkeyMonkey
I don't think I've ever encountered that accent, but it sounds like it would grate on the nerves.


William Labov has done extensive research on the Philadelphia accent.
It is not nearly as well known as the New York, the Boston, or the New Jersey accent. Most of the time in movies like Rocky, they use a new Jersey accent in place of a Philly accent.

  • The word water is commonly pronounced with the first syllable rhyming with the word "put", so that it sounds like wooter. This is considered by many to be the defining characteristic of the Philadelphia dialect.
  • The word "towel" is commonly pronounced the same as "tal" in the word "tally".
  • Many Philadelphians do not pronounce the second "r" in "Girard", as in Girard Avenue, and pronounce it as "Girahd".
  • The word streets might be pronounced "shtreets".