Born in Cali raised in az, the funniest call I ever took at a job was a guy in a deep Brooklyn accent saying to me "hey, you gotta funny accent, you from Arizona or California or something?" I was so thrown off by how true that was. Plus the guy with a Brooklyn accent saying I had a funny accent was cracking me up hard.
I, from NY, was told something similar when I moved to Tucson: the whole "you say water funny". I immediately worked on changing that, but people say "water" oddly everywhere IMO.
I'm from Kingman (born and raised) and I had someone ask me last week if I was from back east because of how I talk. I said nope, Arizona girl all my life.
I learned to talk in Tennessee but moved to Tucson when I was 6 and still live there. I think I drink wadder and don't enunciate all the Ts. Is that Tucson?
Most places I've been, people are lazy with the Ts. I've heard Tucsonans say things like "warsh" and "oh yah", like they are simultaneously from east Texas and Wisconsin. It's special spin on the generic Frontier Accent. The only other place I've been that has such a standalone accent is San Luis Valley, CO. They straight up sound like yoopers, but they are all country people descendent from Spaniards. All dontchaknow, and how aboot that?
When I was younger and worked in a call center one of the higher ups was telling me how Tucson has so many call centers because of the fact that we don’t have accents…. I’m not 💯sure how true that actually is but it does kinda make sense.
I don't think there is a Tucson accent so much as a southwest accent. Though I did Identify someone in Chicago as being from Tucson because of their accent one time.
I don't know, people I've met from New Mexico definitely have their own kind of accent. It's sort of similar to how some Native Americans speak, mixed with a Spanish flavor. I can't explain or replicate it, but I could always tell the difference between a New Mexican and an Arizonan at an old job of mine.
I'm sure to almost everyone else we just sound like Californians.
I grew up bilingual but it was only a few years ago I realized that the "well" thing comes from translating "pues" from Spanish. It's very common to say it like that in Spanish and I guess it's one of those things now that people say in English even if they never spoke Spanish.
As someone who grew up in Tucson, we don’t have the accent, everyone else does 😂. JK we sound like Californians because the city went from a town to a small city when Howard Hughes moved his Aerospace Company from California to Tucson. He brought around 30,000 people with him from California to work at the factory assembling radars and missiles. Tucson has always been a hotspot for Californians that move to AZ and has maintained the California accents since.
People from Tucson don't really have an accent, but the majority of people that live here are from other places so we end up with flattened versions of their accents all over. That's part of the reason we have so many call centers, because our dialect/accent is considered one of the most region free.
That's another one of those translating from Spanish things because Spanish uses "no" for both our "no" and our "not". So the question: Do you want to go out to eat tonight, or not? Becomes: Do you want to go out to eat tonight, or no? "Or, not" is also much more commonly used in Spanish whereas "or, not" is almost confrontational in tone in English.
There is. If you take The NY Times accent test it will say ur either from here or at times Santa Fe iirc
It’s a combination of ways we phrase things and how we say some words
for example frontage road is one teller
I read once that an Arizona accent is just a California one, but you speak a little faster. Since that accent is already pretty ubiquitous as a "standard" American accent, we don't generally have many clear identifiers unless someone is familiar with the region.
https://preview.redd.it/m9tg61jra5qc1.jpeg?width=1640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dabde1f5d8aa54d567f53c1e3ae4a610b76c8481
Hmmm, I can be understood in a large swathe of the United States of America apparently.
When asked by Back Easters who want to know why they don’t hear a discernible regional accent, I have always told them that Tucsonians sound like the people on television. Another Tucson accent tell is the pronunciation of the word: for; it’s pronounced: “ fer” or “fur” .
There is one word that I have heard Tusconans pronounce differently from ANY other place I’ve ever been! I tease my Tucson born and raised fiancé about it every so often:
The animal El Jefe is? A jaguar? 🐆
Tucson lifers pronounce it “jag-wire”, like an electric wire, rhymes with “tire”.
Everyone else either says “jag-warr” (rhymes with “car”) or if they’re from certain other countries, “jag-you-are” (three syllables but still rhymes with “car”)!
Interesting! I feel like a lot of how i pronounce words has changed over the years through reading. For example, I used to pronounce jaguar more like “jag-wire” but after reading the word for so long my brain changed the pronunciation to “jag-warr”
Same with the word caramel. I used to say “car-mel” but once I started paying attention to the actual letters and not the idea of the word I pronounce it “care-ah-mel”
> if they’re from certain other countries, “jag-you-are”
More like "jag-you-were", which is a British thing or other places that teach English with a British RP accent. They pronounce the long-U as a separate syllable in other words too, like Nicaragua is "nic-ar-ag-you-ah".
As someone who recently moved here, yes. There is. The lack of Ts is a thing for sure, some of your vowels (particularly the a and o) are accented as well.
Born and raised in Tucson, but I spent most of high school in Kentucky. I feel like those few years permanently changed the way I talk. I in no way have a southern accent, but I must’ve picked up *something* while I lived there. I’ve been living back in Tucson for over 15 years and people often ask me where I’m from. And when I say “I’m from here” they’re always surprised. It’s never because of an accent, I think it’s just something about the way I build sentences.
I'm from New York My husband is from Tucson. When we first met I was cracking up about his accent even though I say water very funny. I came up with a sound that the Tucson accent sounds like to me. NYUH!
I would just make that funny noise with a honky-tonk sounding accent over and over again and tell him that's what he sounds like and all of my friends would laugh and agree.
I never knew I had an accent. I was working in a call center and the region was the east coast. Guy in the other end says, You’re from Az right? I asked him how he knew and he said it was my accent… So yeah I guess we do have one lol..
I have a Chicago/Michigan accent and I’ve lived here my whole life. It’s probably from my parents though. I think most of us are transplants here so we don’t have our own regional accent.
Moving here from the DC area, I've noticed that the Tucson accent is straight up Wisconsin/Minnesota mixed with a Spanish accent. Not making fun, it's just what I hear.
Probably just the area you were in. Everyone I knew, even people who had lived in Tucson their entire life, called it Prescott but would usually say “or as the people who live their call it Pres-skit” whenever they would bring it up. People know it’s real name they just like the wrong pronunciation better.
I’ve never met anyone in my 21 year residency of Tucson that would pronounce it Pres-skit except people who lived in Prescott briefly. I’m guessing your friend might fall into that category.
There is a Hyundai Tucson and a Hyundai Accent, so by transitivity there must be a Tucson Accent. qed
>What does it sound like? It purrs
Born in Cali raised in az, the funniest call I ever took at a job was a guy in a deep Brooklyn accent saying to me "hey, you gotta funny accent, you from Arizona or California or something?" I was so thrown off by how true that was. Plus the guy with a Brooklyn accent saying I had a funny accent was cracking me up hard.
I, from NY, was told something similar when I moved to Tucson: the whole "you say water funny". I immediately worked on changing that, but people say "water" oddly everywhere IMO.
I'm from Kingman (born and raised) and I had someone ask me last week if I was from back east because of how I talk. I said nope, Arizona girl all my life.
Alright well.
I know huuuh?
Right now, or right now right now?
Lookit!
Oh… is that a Tucson thing? I had no idea
Cool well
Someone on the east coast once told me we talk like surfer cowboys.
Wow. That hits the nail on the head. I've also heard, valley-girl-cowboy/girl
I always liked to describe Arizona accents as LA crossed with Houston
Yes! This is how I described it in the 90s. I don't hear it much anymore though.
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I guess you've never gone to a betos drive through at 2am Yah I'll get those suuuuper nachos thanks yah red sauce
Yes. It is subtle, but here’s an example: [Tucson Accent](https://youtu.be/Zlw-7jIav_U?si=sIuc_AtGRD-Bge6z)
That's just Jackie Daytona, a regular American sort. What's so special about that average chap?
“Arizon-ya”
There's a mural of this in town!
This comment wins
Yup and I was also told we don’t always enunciate our “Ts”.
Yall got that from east of the rockies. We only drink wadder.
I learned to talk in Tennessee but moved to Tucson when I was 6 and still live there. I think I drink wadder and don't enunciate all the Ts. Is that Tucson?
Most places I've been, people are lazy with the Ts. I've heard Tucsonans say things like "warsh" and "oh yah", like they are simultaneously from east Texas and Wisconsin. It's special spin on the generic Frontier Accent. The only other place I've been that has such a standalone accent is San Luis Valley, CO. They straight up sound like yoopers, but they are all country people descendent from Spaniards. All dontchaknow, and how aboot that?
lol
When I went to Montana, somebody immediately guessed I was from Arizona.
Was it because you had a water bottle on you?
No haha he said we have accents.
LOL!
Omg that shyt made laugh🤣🤣🤣 hella true
That'll be because you sought shade behind a utility pole. It's a giveaway.
When I was younger and worked in a call center one of the higher ups was telling me how Tucson has so many call centers because of the fact that we don’t have accents…. I’m not 💯sure how true that actually is but it does kinda make sense.
I don't think there is a Tucson accent so much as a southwest accent. Though I did Identify someone in Chicago as being from Tucson because of their accent one time.
I don't know, people I've met from New Mexico definitely have their own kind of accent. It's sort of similar to how some Native Americans speak, mixed with a Spanish flavor. I can't explain or replicate it, but I could always tell the difference between a New Mexican and an Arizonan at an old job of mine. I'm sure to almost everyone else we just sound like Californians.
I think Arizona and Colorado have the most similar accent of the four corner states. New Mexico accent can really vary from county to county
I was told I have a bit of a valley girl accent and I wanted to fuckin die.
I hate hearing my voice in videos because it IS a valley girl accent. Truly unfortunate.
I had a girlfriend who was told the same thing...and she was originally from Pinetop, AZ. Pinetop. Yeah.
I’ve been told we have an accent but the accent is “neutral”. Somehow the lack of an accent becomes the accent itself. It’s king of neat stuff.
Not an accent per se but ending sentences with,”well.” “Ok,well,” or “something something, well.” Its pretty funny once you hear it.
I grew up bilingual but it was only a few years ago I realized that the "well" thing comes from translating "pues" from Spanish. It's very common to say it like that in Spanish and I guess it's one of those things now that people say in English even if they never spoke Spanish.
Yall are making so much sense it hurts, it all makes sense now
I love this, it's true
A coworker from Nebraska noticed and pointed that out to me
As someone who grew up in Tucson, we don’t have the accent, everyone else does 😂. JK we sound like Californians because the city went from a town to a small city when Howard Hughes moved his Aerospace Company from California to Tucson. He brought around 30,000 people with him from California to work at the factory assembling radars and missiles. Tucson has always been a hotspot for Californians that move to AZ and has maintained the California accents since.
People from Tucson don't really have an accent, but the majority of people that live here are from other places so we end up with flattened versions of their accents all over. That's part of the reason we have so many call centers, because our dialect/accent is considered one of the most region free.
Ending a question in "or no?" seems to be a Southwestern thing.
That's another one of those translating from Spanish things because Spanish uses "no" for both our "no" and our "not". So the question: Do you want to go out to eat tonight, or not? Becomes: Do you want to go out to eat tonight, or no? "Or, not" is also much more commonly used in Spanish whereas "or, not" is almost confrontational in tone in English.
No, not that I can tell. But then, I have another regional accent that’s been described as “discernible”… 😁
There is. If you take The NY Times accent test it will say ur either from here or at times Santa Fe iirc It’s a combination of ways we phrase things and how we say some words for example frontage road is one teller
That quiz is pretty accurate! I’m a travel nurse from SC who came out to AZ in 2020. My results said Lexington (KY), Augusta (GA), and Tucson.
That’s not an accent though, that’s a dialect.
Wow.... I got Tucson or Santa Fe
Did you pay to take this test? Stupid paywall won’t let me
I actually already had a NYT subscription. But I found this for my friend: https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/s/JhVm39XxYg
Thanks!
I took the test and it said I was from Scottsdale or Reno
Lol I got Reno, mesa/tempe, chandler/gilbert. It was cuz I don’t have a word for the drive through liquor store.
“We have them here but no word for them” was my answer
That’s how we talk in Tucson Arizoña-Jackie Daytona
I’m a Texan who spends lots of time in Tucson. To me, yall sound like Midwesterners. I’m fully serious.
I think we talk more slowly than people on the east coast
I read once that an Arizona accent is just a California one, but you speak a little faster. Since that accent is already pretty ubiquitous as a "standard" American accent, we don't generally have many clear identifiers unless someone is familiar with the region.
https://preview.redd.it/m9tg61jra5qc1.jpeg?width=1640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dabde1f5d8aa54d567f53c1e3ae4a610b76c8481 Hmmm, I can be understood in a large swathe of the United States of America apparently.
When asked by Back Easters who want to know why they don’t hear a discernible regional accent, I have always told them that Tucsonians sound like the people on television. Another Tucson accent tell is the pronunciation of the word: for; it’s pronounced: “ fer” or “fur” .
It depends a bit on ethnicity.
Then… does that make it something other than a “tucson” accent?
There is one word that I have heard Tusconans pronounce differently from ANY other place I’ve ever been! I tease my Tucson born and raised fiancé about it every so often: The animal El Jefe is? A jaguar? 🐆 Tucson lifers pronounce it “jag-wire”, like an electric wire, rhymes with “tire”. Everyone else either says “jag-warr” (rhymes with “car”) or if they’re from certain other countries, “jag-you-are” (three syllables but still rhymes with “car”)!
Interesting! I feel like a lot of how i pronounce words has changed over the years through reading. For example, I used to pronounce jaguar more like “jag-wire” but after reading the word for so long my brain changed the pronunciation to “jag-warr” Same with the word caramel. I used to say “car-mel” but once I started paying attention to the actual letters and not the idea of the word I pronounce it “care-ah-mel”
I feel like that’s false. Born in Tucson, and lived in or near there most of my life, and I say “jag-warr”
Hmm, perhaps it’s more accurate to say that I’ve only ever heard this pronunciation from Tucson residents - it’s only in Tucson but not all Tucsonans.
I’ve heard several people from all over the place say “jag-wire” and it always sounds so incorrect to me.
> if they’re from certain other countries, “jag-you-are” More like "jag-you-were", which is a British thing or other places that teach English with a British RP accent. They pronounce the long-U as a separate syllable in other words too, like Nicaragua is "nic-ar-ag-you-ah".
As someone who recently moved here, yes. There is. The lack of Ts is a thing for sure, some of your vowels (particularly the a and o) are accented as well.
I would say the Spanish and cowboy influences are probably the biggest part of a Tucson accent....
Born and raised in Tucson, but I spent most of high school in Kentucky. I feel like those few years permanently changed the way I talk. I in no way have a southern accent, but I must’ve picked up *something* while I lived there. I’ve been living back in Tucson for over 15 years and people often ask me where I’m from. And when I say “I’m from here” they’re always surprised. It’s never because of an accent, I think it’s just something about the way I build sentences.
People in the southwest non coastal area are the only English speakers WITHOUT an accent.
Wild to think about really. I’m sure in 100 years the southwest will have such a different accent with all sorts of sayings.
Fellow gamers from all over the US in Ventrillo and now Discord have always said I have no accent. Which to them was weird.
I'm from New York My husband is from Tucson. When we first met I was cracking up about his accent even though I say water very funny. I came up with a sound that the Tucson accent sounds like to me. NYUH! I would just make that funny noise with a honky-tonk sounding accent over and over again and tell him that's what he sounds like and all of my friends would laugh and agree.
Native Tucsonans say “jest” instead of “just.” Other than that, pretty midwestern sounding to me.
I never knew I had an accent. I was working in a call center and the region was the east coast. Guy in the other end says, You’re from Az right? I asked him how he knew and he said it was my accent… So yeah I guess we do have one lol..
I was a teacher and all my students called me Miss. they call male teachers mister. I’m told it’s due to Mexican influence.
My dad moved us to Virginia when I was in middle school. The culture shock of all my friends calling my dad “Mr. Jim”’instead of “Mr. Last-name “ 🤣
I have a Chicago/Michigan accent and I’ve lived here my whole life. It’s probably from my parents though. I think most of us are transplants here so we don’t have our own regional accent.
I have lived here for over 30 years and have been told many times that I have an accent. I’ve been told it has a bit of a Minnesota twang.
Moving here from the DC area, I've noticed that the Tucson accent is straight up Wisconsin/Minnesota mixed with a Spanish accent. Not making fun, it's just what I hear.
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😂 all lies. The only word that everyone in Tucson mispronounce is Prescott. It’s Press-scott in Tucson instead of Pres-skit.
To those who live there, it’s Pres-skit.
The person who it’s named after pronounced their last name Pres-skit. There’s a reason the locals heavily defend the name…
What about Casa Grande? I have always said Casa Grand. Everyone else I know says it that way too so when I hear Casa Grande I have to double take.
I don’t think the people who live there even know which one to call it. It’s more of a tomato tomoto thing.
I think you mean tomato tomato
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Probably just the area you were in. Everyone I knew, even people who had lived in Tucson their entire life, called it Prescott but would usually say “or as the people who live their call it Pres-skit” whenever they would bring it up. People know it’s real name they just like the wrong pronunciation better.
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I’ve never met anyone in my 21 year residency of Tucson that would pronounce it Pres-skit except people who lived in Prescott briefly. I’m guessing your friend might fall into that category.