Southern American English

Southern American English or Southern U.S. English is a regional dialect^[1][2] or collection of dialects of American English spoken throughout the Southern United States, though concentrated increasingly in more rural areas, and spoken primarily by White Southerners.^[3] In terms of accent, its most innovative forms include southern varieties of Appalachian English and certain varieties of Texan English.^[4] Popularly known in the United States as a Southern accent or simply Southern,^[5][6][7] Southern American English now comprises the largest American regional accent group by number of speakers.^[8] Formal, much more recent terms within American linguistics include "Southern White Vernacular English" and "Rural White Southern English".^[9][10]

Speech example

An example of a Texas-raised male with a rhotic accent (George W. Bush).

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Speech example

An example of an Arkansan male with a rhotic accent (Bill Clinton).

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Speech example

An example of a Georgian male with a non-rhotic accent (Jimmy Carter).

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