By Reynolds Hester

How do you pronounce the stuff you drizzle on pancakes? 

Is it “sy-rup” or “ser-up”? 

What about loads of information? 

Is it “day-da” or “dah-ta”? 

Do you say “tennis shoes,” but your mom says “sneakers”? 

Do you ever find yourself debating with your friends about whether it is correct to say “cray-awn,” “cran,” or even “crown,” when describing those brightly colored sticks from Crayola you used in Lower School to color in worksheets? 

For 244 years, America has provided homes for people from millions of different backgrounds, heritages, and ethnicities. This cultural blender has resulted in the phenomenon of what it means to “speak American.”

The differences in dialect and pronunciation can range from North versus South, or even all states versus one state. For example, according to Eater.com, only one state, Pennsylvania, refers to what is commonly known as a sub sandwich as a “hoagie.”

Map showing how Americans say “a long sandwich.” Image credit: Josh Katz.

In his book Speaking American, New York Times statistician Josh Katz, (unrelated to former Upper School English teacher Josh Katz) dives into the differences in the American dialect. When talking about the book, he mentions that “A lot of differences deal with food because a lot of these dialects are tied up with people’s identities and the places where they come from.”” For example, in his study, Katz found most people in the country say “sir-up” when talking about the breakfast condiment used on pancakes and waffles, while people in the Northeast tend to say “seer-up.” 

In some cases, the dialect of one region has migrated to other regions. For example, where most of the country puts on a pair of tennis shoes, the Northeast is known to wear sneakers. Somehow, over the past hundred years, “sneakers” have made their way to southern Florida; most likely brought by Northerners trying to escape the cold.

Map showing how Americans say athletic running shoes. Image credit: Josh Katz

While for most people it’s not life-changing for someone to say “anvelope” instead of “envelope,” one word that causes constant debates and confusion among my peers is the childhood fan favorite, crayon. Why is this word said so differently by so many people from so many different backgrounds? One reason may be regional, but it also could have to do with the fact that the majority of people start using crayons from the moment they can squeeze out a simple “dada” or “ball.” According to Katz, the majority of people in the midwest to the West Coast say crayon just as it is spelled, “cray-awn,” while pronunciation on the East Coast is a wider variety, from “cran” to “crown.” 

America, a mix of many different cultures, is bound to have different slang or sayings across the state lines. You can travel two hours north, and the water fountain becomes a “bubbler.” While it is uncertain where exactly these words or phrases originate from, they help us today see how the country is founded on different opinions, races, religions, and cultures, despite our close proximity.

As you walk the halls or even at your own dinner table, try to take time to notice and appreciate the differences in “speaking American,” and how despite the fact we are all citizens of the same country, people can de drastically different. Take time to respect the different ways to say “pecan,” or “pajama” and use that to educate yourself on people’s backgrounds. Use the differences in language to spark conversation about beginnings, and learn more about those around you. Notice how where you come from alters the way you go about your life every day.

Featured image credit: Reynolds Hester.