Pacific Northwest English
Pronunciation of "T" in Seattle Accents
This video by a 5th-generation Seattleite demonstrates an aspect of the Seattle accent. The creator highlights that people from Seattle often don't pronounce the "t" sound in words and provides examples of place names that demonstrate this phonetic change. Interestingly, the creator also adds a note saying that this phonetic change is made because "we [Seattlites] are lazy," indicating an internalized language ideology associated with this accent. [Published on 04-04-2026]
"Egg" pronunciation discourse (ayg v. ehg)
Instagram reel that pokes fun at those who pronounce egg with the [eɪ] diphthong! [Published on 03-21-2024]
My Southern Oregon partner saying the word "Finale"
My partner, who is from Southern Oregon like me, says the word "finale" differently. [Published on 02-15-2024]
Do you call it Tanbark?
I brought this up on the first day of class. It is about how people call wood chips or mulch, "tanbark" in specific parts of the Bay Area. This is a reddit post by someone from the Peninsula. I thought it was interesting seeing the comments breaking down where they are from and what word they use.
Do Pacific Northwesterners have an Accent?
A local NPR story (audio and text) on the Pacific Northwest Accent, profiling the research of Alicia Wassink and colleagues at the University of Washington. [Published on 12-11-2014]
Dude, Where's my Accent?
A 2013 Portland Monthly article on recent research that the California Vowel Shift is used in Oregon English.
Bill Gates and the Pacific Northwest Accent
A blog post that includes a clip of Bill Gates, a native of Washington state, and attempts to dissect his Pacific Northwest accent.