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We don't have an accent in the Northwest ... or do we?

There's definitely an accent in the Pacific Northwest, according researchers at the University of Washington. But whether you can actually hear it depends on where you're from.
Bellamy Pailthorp
/
KPLU
There's definitely an accent in the Pacific Northwest, according researchers at the University of Washington. But whether you can actually hear it depends on where you're from.

Do I have an accent? You hear me on the radio. I hear myself on the radio, many times a week in western Washington, and I didn’t think so. But, a researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle tells me I do have an accent – it’s in the way I say that very word “accent.”

Apparently my pronunciation is a dead giveaway that I grew up here in the Northwest.

Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?

Bellamy Pailthorp covers the environment for KNKX with an emphasis on climate justice, human health and food sovereignty. She enjoys reporting about how we will power our future while maintaining healthy cultures and livable cities. Story tips can be sent to bpailthorp@knkx.org.