robably the most endearing trait of southern lifestyle is the unique pronunciation, colorful dialect and playful colloquialisms that pepper everyday speech. No other region in the United States has such a defining style than perhaps the distinct parlance of New England. The south’s particular vernacular is an at-ease and friendly style, much like the South itself. Another attribute of a southerner is they have a great sense of humor. They know who they are, are proud of it and love to emphasize this in every aspect of their lives.

There are several variations of the southern drawl. Texans do not talk like Virginians and New Orleans has a style all its own. Local influences add flavor to the general pattern of southern speech. There are French, Spanish and Irish traces hidden throughout the language. These subtleties may not be perceived by “Yankees”, but they are easily distinguished by folks accustomed to hearing them.

One notable feature is the dropping of “r”s as in “park” being pronounced “pak”, or “yard” pronounced “yad”. This characteristic probably spread up and down the eastern seaboard by mariners traveling from port to port. The difference between the Southerner’s version and a New Englander’s is Southerners speak much slower.

Other noticeable characteristics are emphasizing certain syllables. Take “pecan” for instance. Most people say “pi-kahn” with emphasis on “kahn, but in the south the word is “pee-kan” with emphasis on the “pee”. Common pronunciation for boiled is “boy-eld” for a southerner its “bauld”. An example where the South’s version is more phonetically correct is “Colonel”. They say
“ kulla-nel” and Yankees say “ker-nel”. Where’d that “r” come from?

There are also written differences; the southern use of English also includes not putting periods after abbreviations for Mr, Mrs, Dr and so on, using “our” instead of “or” in two syllable words like “flavour” and “colour”, or switching the order of “er” to “re” in words like “theatre”.

An area of contention is the meaning of “supper” and “dinner”. In the south “supper” is an evening meal and “dinner” is the mid-day meal. Up north “supper” and “dinner” can mean the same.

Modern life has, to a degree, homogenized the southern language. Radio and television introduces people to a generic form of American English at an early age. Also, people moving into the South from other parts of the country dilute speech patterns.