Mormon Accent

[Snow]

I've seen some clips on TV and heard some takes on the radio of men from the FLDS saga in Texas.

Some of the men talking have that same accent as Utah Mormons - kind of soft, controlled, benevolent, slightly hick, western accent. I think it comes from watching Conference and trying to emulate, badly, General Authorities.

I'm from Utah and I really dislike that accent. Anybody else notice?

[Truegrits]

:lol: Well, I do not think I would say that the Utah accent was the Mormon Accent. To me, a Mormon accent is southern.

[pushka]

It always amazes me when somebody thinks that a Missionary from the UK is American because of their accent...

[Palerider]

It always amazes me when somebody thinks that a Missionary from the UK is American because of their accent...

I do know what Snow means I have heard the same thing....hey Pushka....when I was there on my mission...I had a companion from around south of London....he was around all of us Yanks so much that he really did have that yank accent.....I remember one day we were told, like most days....to go back to our country and straighten out all the problems there before coming over here....My companion would tell them....I am in my country and just smile, it was always a funny conversation after that.:)

[pushka]

LOL Pale! I know what you mean..we have a Missionary from Devon up here at the mo. and all sorts of people keep thinking he's from the US..his voice is quite soft..his companion is from Sth Africa and sounds a little like he's from the US too..my mum made me laugh when she thought one of the Elders from Sweden was American..the 2nd time she met him...she insisted it wasn't a European accent, he was American, lol!

[Palerider]

LOL Pale! I know what you mean..we have a Missionary from Devon up here at the mo. and all sorts of people keep thinking he's from the US..his voice is quite soft..his companion is from Sth Africa and sounds a little like he's from the US too..my mum made me laugh when she thought one of the Elders from Sweden was American..the 2nd time she met him...she insisted it wasn't a European accent, he was American, lol!

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Moksha]

You can alway tell it is a Mormon Accent when they open up their conversation with, "My dear Brothers and Sisters".

[KosherXMorg]

I thought we were supposed to believe no one talks like this and that their speech patterns are a sign of brainwashing. That's what I heard on the news, and now your telling me regular Mormons talk like this? hmmmmmm....

[Guest Username-Removed]

Not being from Utah, and having traveled to nearly every state in the union, I can tell you that accents are common for each state.

But, I've never related those to character traits or percieved character traits.

[Fiannan]

I've seen some clips on TV and heard some takes on the radio of men from the FLDS saga in Texas.

Some of the men talking have that same accent as Utah Mormons - kind of soft, controlled, benevolent, slightly hick, western accent. I think it comes from watching Conference and trying to emulate, badly, General Authorities.

I'm from Utah and I really dislike that accent. Anybody else notice?

The family on "Big Love" talk normal. By the way, an atheist friend of mine has started watching the show and is talking with me more about Mormonism. I will agree though, the actors and actresses on the show are probably Californians and not Utah people. Utah people do have a certain speech pattern -- can't quite put my finger on it. Oregonians are supposed to have the clearest English -- I think that's right. Nevada people talk like actresses portraying old land ladies in the "Dragnet" series, and Massachusettes people talk like their mouth is full. I do enjoy Louisiana acccents.

[Guest Username-Removed]

Fiannnan,

Thanks! I was born and raised in Oregon!

[Guest HEthePrimate]

LOL Pale! I know what you mean..we have a Missionary from Devon up here at the mo. and all sorts of people keep thinking he's from the US..his voice is quite soft..his companion is from Sth Africa and sounds a little like he's from the US too..my mum made me laugh when she thought one of the Elders from Sweden was American..the 2nd time she met him...she insisted it wasn't a European accent, he was American, lol!

Hehe! Oddly, even though I'm from the US, a number of French people in my mission thought I was British! And it wasn't a group of people in one branch, or anything, it was people I met in different cities. Maybe it has something to do with the fact my mother is from the Netherlands and my father is from New York City, and the French didn't know what to make of my accent.

[Fiannan]

Fiannnan,

Thanks! I was born and raised in Oregon!

Okay, let me have some fun here.

If you are a survivalist and or have land planted in illegal crops you would be from Grants Pass or Medford.

If you are a hippie you are from Eugene (Shelbyville) and if you are a total redneck you are from Springfield (Sprngfield). Then again you could be from Corvallis or Albany.

If you picture yourself a yuppie that just doesn't like California or Seattle you might be from Portland.

If you are a Californian you probably live in Bend or Sisters.

If you are from LaGrande you probably think/wish you are a colony of Utah.

[Guest Username-Removed]

Okay, let me have some fun here.

If you are a survivalist and or have land planted in illegal crops you would be from Grants Pass or Medford.

If you are a hippie you are from Eugene (Shelbyville) and if you are a total redneck you are from Springfield (Sprngfield). Then again you could be from Corvallis or Albany.

If you picture yourself a yuppie that just doesn't like California or Seattle you might be from Portland.

If you are a Californian you probably live in Bend or Sisters.

If you are from LaGrande you probably think/wish you are a colony of Utah.

Ok, this is wierd ....

Was born and raised in the Corvallis/Albany area.

Lived in Springfield for a bit, but too ... (ahem) weird... for me.

Lived in Lake Oswego, loved it - But I didnt live on the lake. Also lived in Vancouver WA for a while (which was a lot like Grants Pass or Medford) in many respects

Of course, I would never live in Seattle.

[havejoy]

I'm from Ohio where people talk (ahem) normally and my hubby is from Texas where it can take up to an hour to say even the shortest sentence. Sometimes I want to jump in my hubby's throat and pull out the words.

[Tough Grits]

I wish I knew what my accent was...Personally, I think I am neutral and that I have NO accent. I just talk normal. I do not try to over-emphasize words or put slang pronunciations on them.

I live in Georgia. But any southerner can tell, from a mile away, that I am not from here.

They always ask me if I am from "up north". When I tell them that I was born and raised in Miami, that does not seem to impress them for some reason. Go figure. LOL LOL

I have heard plenty of northern accents, and I do not think I sound like any of those accents. My husband watches New Yankee Workshop and This Old House, and other wood working shows that have northern hosts.

So, I KNOW what they sound like...personally, I think that most of the southerners that have commented are my accent, in my opinion, were just criticizing me for speaking well...LOL LOL LOL LOL

Oh, and it annoys me when that guy on New Yankee Workshop says "ruff" instead of "roof". The only accent worse, in my opinion, is that accent that the people in the movie Fargo had. I did not watch the movie, but I saw clips. Man, that accent drives me NUTS.

I think it is so amazing how we can all live in the same country and be SOOO different just based on the state that we were born in!!!!

[Snow]

Here's a clip of Ed Smart (father of Elizabeth Smart).

He has a version of what I am talking about although his is a bit effeminate sounding.

YouTube - Ed Smart

[Guest Username-Removed]

The thing about the Utah accent is that they REALLY roll their "R's". Man or man do they roll their R's! Also, when they say Layton, the "T" is silent. I dont understand that. But when I do, I will probably understand the way they say Tooele! LOL

I always get a kick out of the "new americans" that they have now in fast food. Some of their accents are so strong I can understand them when they repeat my order back when ordering at the drive through. Im sure this will inspire a new "feature" at the drive through. It will be a button that says, "order" you press it and pick up your order, whatever it is. By not knowing what it is, you wont be surprised when the order is wrong. Im sure that will make some customers, like me, happy! LOL

And if they do mess it up, it seem I'm always destined to meet the "mouth breathers" that are in every state, every country in the world. They are the ones when you return your messed up order, they look at you with thier mouth open .... like ... DUH! LOL -

[Elphaba]

I've seen some clips on TV and heard some takes on the radio of men from the FLDS saga in Texas.

Some of the men talking have that same accent as Utah Mormons - kind of soft, controlled, benevolent, slightly hick, western accent. I think it comes from watching Conference and trying to emulate, badly, General Authorities.

I'm from Utah and I really dislike that accent. Anybody else notice?

Yes!

I like to joke that BYU has a class called "Monotone Speaking 101."

Additionally, if you REALLY want to hear a Utah accent, find a video of Jacqueline Leavitt, former Utah governor Mike Leavitt's wife. He is now Secretary of Somethng--I'm too tired to look it up.

It is a different accent than the monotone, but it is definitely Utah LDS, through and through.

Elphaba

[UintahJack]

(said in a kind of soft, controlled, benevolent, slightly hick, western accent. that comes from watching Conference and trying to emulate, badly, General Authorities Golly, I'm from Utah and I didn't know I had an accent! I'm sorry it bothers you Snow. I'll try to listen to Oregonians and learn their pure way of talking. (I never heard that before )

[Aphrodite]

The only American acents I can distinguish between are new yorkers, southern texas style, and then all the rest sound the same to me haha.

But Snow, I absolutely agree with you-to me the 'Mormon accent' is the cheesy voice overs on church films, such as the voice of God talking to Joseph Smith, etc. We have a Potugese high councillor and he speaks like that-really over the top and he tries to sound American. We also have a GA-wannabe in our ward who closes every talk prayer or testimony with even in the name of JC...Like pres Hinckley used to do. Its cringey.

Ive always been told I have no accent-Im a southern home counties girl and was brought up to speak properly. My Mum's a geordie (the brits on here will know what that is) but has totally lost her accent and now speaks like a southerner. My DH speaks how all English people from London are portrayed in films-he uses cockney rhyming and everything, but slightly toned down as we are from just outside London.

We watched a programme on gangs a little while ago and there was one boy from Scotland-his accent was so thick they had to put SUBTITLES on. And as far as I know it was only broadcast in the UK! :)

[Flyonthewall]

Not only do Utahns drop their "T" when pronouncing Layton or mountain, some don't get the subject and verb to match. Example: "When we was on vacation....".

Or some may substitute a passive verb where an active verb should be. Example: "Did you see the movie? Yes, I seen it"

And down in the Spanish Fork area, it's pronounced more like Spanish Fark.

I used to live in Vancouver, Wa., and I know Portlanders have a strange way of Pronouncing "Willamette" and "Couch". The accent in Willamette is on 'am', and Couch is pronounced "kooch"(of course this a just on the street in downtown Portland)...These are some ways to detect out of towners.

[pam]

Okay, let me have some fun here.

If you are a survivalist and or have land planted in illegal crops you would be from Grants Pass or Medford.

If you are a hippie you are from Eugene (Shelbyville) and if you are a total redneck you are from Springfield (Sprngfield). Then again you could be from Corvallis or Albany.

If you picture yourself a yuppie that just doesn't like California or Seattle you might be from Portland.

If you are a Californian you probably live in Bend or Sisters.

If you are from LaGrande you probably think/wish you are a colony of Utah.

Hey...I'm from LaGrande..well born anyway...and I don't think that at all. hahahaha

[meredith14]

I used to live in Vancouver, Wa., and I know Portlanders have a strange way of Pronouncing "Willamette" and "Couch". The accent in Willamette is on 'am', and Couch is pronounced "kooch"(of course this a just on the street in downtown Portland)...These are some ways to detect out of towners.

Well, this is the way you say it...that's why we put the accent on "am". We always know when someone is new or not from around here and they will put the accent on "Will" and make the "am" more like a soft "a" sound.

I have live in Portland most of my life and now we live a bit south of there. I think the word got out on how great our little area is in the last year we have incressed our ward by a third. Now there is talk of splitting our ward.

[Moksha]

Yes!

I like to joke that BYU has a class called "Monotone Speaking 101."

Additionally, if you REALLY want to hear a Utah accent, find a video of Jacqueline Leavitt, former Utah governor Mike Leavitt's wife. He is now Secretary of Somethng--I'm too tired to look it up.

It is a different accent than the monotone, but it is definitely Utah LDS, through and through.

Elphaba

There does seem to be a twangy sound in those coming from central and southern Utah. Plus they use phrases like, "I come from He Barr where we have a Baurn and raise aieeggs jist lack they do in Herkin and LaVerkin". Just gotta love them when they speak like that.