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22 maps showing how different Americans pronounce different words

Hey y’all – do you want some slaw?

EVERYONE KNOWS that Americans don’t exactly agree on pronunciations.

Regional accents are a major part of what makes American English so interesting as a dialect.

Joshua Katz, a PhD student in statistics at North Carolina State University, just published a group of awesome visualisations of a linguistic survey that looked at how Americans pronounce words.

His results were first published on Abstract, the NC State research blog.

Joshua gave Business Insider permission to publish some of the coolest maps from his collection:

The pronunciation of ‘caramel’ starts disregarding vowels once you go west of the Ohio River

The pronunciation of "caramel" starts disregarding vowels once you go west of the Ohio River

Residents of the far north have an oddly Canadian way of pronouncing "been"

Residents of the far north have an oddly Canadian way of pronouncing "been"

For whatever reason, it's a "boo-wie" knife in Texas and D.C.

For whatever reason, it's a "boo-wie" knife in Texas and D.C.

Americans can't even agree how to pronounce crayon

American's can't even agree how to pronounce crayon.

The South is the only place where you'll try to call your "law-yer" instead of your "loyer"

The South is the only place where you'll try to call your  "law-yer" instead of your "loyer"

The South is also really into slaw. The North and West call it coleslaw

The South is also really into slaw. The North and West call it coleslaw.

This is the deepest and most obvious linguistic divide in America. It's also an example of how everyone in south Florida pronounces things in the northern U.S. style

This is the deepest and most obvious linguistic divide in America. It's also an example of how everyone in south Florida pronounces things in the northern U.S. style.

The US is a nation divided over mayonnaise

We are a nation divided over mayonnaise.

Some of the deepest schisms in America are over the pronunciation of the second syllable of "pajamas"

Some of the deepest schisms in America are over the pronunciation of the second syllable of "pajamas"

Okay, this one is crazy. Everyone pronounces "Pecan Pie" differently

Okay, this one is crazy. Everyone pronounces "Pecan Pie" differently.

Everyone knows that the Midwest calls it "pop", the Northeast and West Coast call it "soda," while the South is really into brand loyalty

Everyone knows that the Midwest calls it "pop", the Northeast and West Coast call it "soda," while the South is really into brand loyalty.

Tiny lobsters are tearing the USA apart

Tiny lobsters are tearing this country apart.

So are traffic circles

So are traffic circles.

The Northeast corridor puts "sear-up" on their pancakes

The Northeast corridor puts "sear-up" on their pancakes.

Philadelphia is just making it up as it goes along

Philadelphia is just making it up as it goes along.

Let's ignore the East Coast/West Coast split and notice that Wisconsin and Rhode Island call a water fountain a "bubbler"

Let's ignore the East Coast/West Coast split and notice that Wisconsin and Rhode Island call a water fountain a "bubbler."

The Northeast [and south Florida] puts on sneakers, everyone else finds a pair of tennis shoes

The Northeast [and south Florida] puts on sneakers, everyone else finds a pair of tennis shoes.

The West Coast is really into their freeways

The West Coast is really into their freeways.

Seriously? Alabama and Mississippi, that is terrible

Seriously? Alabama and Mississippi that is terrible.

Most of America realises that New York really is 'the City'

Most of America realizes that New York really is "The City."

These exist?!

These exist?!

Massachusetts, Long Island and Jersey are the only places that see a difference between 'merry', 'marry' and 'Mary'

Massachusetts, Long Island and Jersey are the only places that see a difference between Merry, mary and marry.

Read: 15 of the most terrifying rollercoasters on the planet

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    Mute Liam Ó Broin
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    Jun 9th 2013, 6:01 PM

    Noookyeller weapons

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    Mute Steve Hardy
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    Jun 9th 2013, 5:04 PM

    There is nothing sexier than a southern accent on a woman.

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    Mute Niall Mullins
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    Jun 9th 2013, 5:09 PM

    I’d have to go with donegal there mate;)

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    Mute Steve Hardy
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    Jun 9th 2013, 5:11 PM

    Donegal, really?

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    Mute Mr Jingles
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    Jun 9th 2013, 5:12 PM

    That goes by the name of Daisy, has a love of little bikinis and dodge chargers!

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    Mute Adrian quinn
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    Jun 9th 2013, 5:20 PM

    You cant be serious

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    Mute Loremolis
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    Jun 9th 2013, 6:06 PM

    Except no clothes.

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    Mute Niall Mullins
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    Jun 9th 2013, 6:27 PM

    Well that and most other Northern Irish accents. Only on girls though, of course :D

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    Mute ThomasFrancisMeagher
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    Jun 9th 2013, 7:05 PM

    God know. The northern Irish & Donegal accent just goes straight through me. Awful.

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    Mute Carl O Maolain
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    Jun 9th 2013, 7:24 PM

    Carlaah all deh way laaad

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    Mute Steve Hardy
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    Jun 9th 2013, 8:06 PM

    Carlow, now you must be joking

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    Mute Adrian quinn
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    Jun 9th 2013, 11:02 PM

    From Cork like?

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    Mute Martin St John
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    Jun 10th 2013, 1:04 PM

    Wexford…. ” There’s someone wanting you on the phone”! Love it !

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    Mute Alan Burke
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    Jun 9th 2013, 5:43 PM

    Aluminium

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    Mute Ken Bracken
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    Jun 9th 2013, 5:58 PM

    Yet they get titanium straight off the bat? Could never understand that :|

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    Mute J. Dunn
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    Jun 9th 2013, 6:27 PM

    It’s the syllable count.

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    Mute Martin Galvin
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    Jun 9th 2013, 6:59 PM

    Oregano. That’s pronounced oregaaaano, not oRE-g’no

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    Mute Leslie Alan Rock
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    Jun 9th 2013, 7:34 PM

    And the name Carlos. .its not car-loouse

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    Mute Uncle Mort
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    Jun 9th 2013, 5:21 PM

    Frank Kelly once did a skit on accents all around the counties of Ireland, it was out on a cassette tape a little while back ;-) maybe its on uutube ?

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    Mute Chief PP In TeePee
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    Jun 9th 2013, 6:41 PM

    I think I had that tape. Bought it in Australia in 95.

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    Mute Uncle Mort
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    Jun 9th 2013, 8:52 PM

    Boreen Roulette ? :Jaziz must search the junk out in the shed for it :-)

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    Mute Tom Brennan
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    Jun 9th 2013, 7:26 PM

    I pakhd mah cah in the pakhing laht….

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    Mute Layla Byrne
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    Jun 9th 2013, 5:22 PM

    Mad the way peeps have different ways of saying “fizzy drink”.
    My friend is from Glasgow.. Dunno if it’s a Glasgow thing or just a Scottish thing, but no matter if the drink is fizzy or a fruit drink or whatever its all called “juice”/”bottle of juice”

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    Mute BarryK
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    Jun 9th 2013, 6:07 PM

    I live with two scots…even water is called juice!

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    Mute J. Dunn
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    Jun 9th 2013, 6:20 PM

    Government juice

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    Mute Mairead Hynes
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    Jun 9th 2013, 7:48 PM

    I think it’s a Northern Ireland thing too, my ex called any drinkable liquid “juice” and wondered why an Eastern European friend bought him orange and apple juice… He wasn’t sure which juice he had ment

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    Mute Marilyn Maroney
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    Jun 9th 2013, 8:14 PM

    Coke ..Illinois its pop, Indiana it’s soda….I call it coke

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    Mute Pat O'Donoghue
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    Jun 9th 2013, 6:33 PM

    Y’all, surely Youse or Youze

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    Mute Eimear Walshe
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    Jun 9th 2013, 8:02 PM

    ‘It’s nu-clear, nu-clear. Not new-cu-lar. And he has no problem pronouncing Condoleeza’!!

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    Mute Nick Beard
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    Jun 9th 2013, 6:13 PM

    I must have been 12 before I realised that non-Philly people meant hoagie when they said sub! Definitely a way to recognise someone from the Mid-Atlantic.

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    Mute J. Dunn
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    Jun 9th 2013, 6:24 PM

    Called a Hero ovah heah in Noo Yawk.

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    Mute Martin St John
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    Jun 10th 2013, 1:16 PM

    In a department store in New York was approached by a sales girl who asked, “Sir you looking for Sox? , to which I replied , no. I’m looking for jocks!”.

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    Mute Smiley
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    Jun 9th 2013, 6:03 PM

    Nuclear.

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    Mute Gillian Cafferkey
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    Jun 9th 2013, 8:28 PM

    tomarto or tomaayto?

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    Mute Niall J Murf
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    Jun 10th 2013, 10:32 AM

    Really? Twenty two maps for twenty two different words…. The USA is sooo big and yet has only a few variations in accents. There are roughly 40 distinctly different accents in Ireland ( you could even sub categorise all of those), you’d need six hundred,million billion maps for all the words.

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    Mute Brendan Quinn
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    Jun 10th 2013, 6:37 AM

    This exact same article has been on buzzfeed.com for days….

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    Mute Marilyn Maroney
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    Jun 9th 2013, 8:15 PM

    Sub in Chicago

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