# Have accents truly changed in this century?



## Mrblack (Jul 9, 2017)

Every time I watch interviews from the 1900s all the way up to the 70s I’m fascinated People have sound the same since the 80s or 90s and I wondered what happened?


----------



## Highway Nights (Nov 26, 2014)

In what country? 

If you're American, probably not significantly, but I've heard recordings of Civil War veterans and most of them sound pretty much the same as anyone today, so I don't know how far back you'd have to go to have an especially foreign sounding accent. Accents are always changing, but I don't know if it's that rapid. I'd wager most changes you hear are mostly just improvements in audio recording, combined with the disappearance of that old Hollywood "Mid-Atlantic" accent. My parents and grandparents sound pretty much like anyone today. There are some changes, regionalisms seem to be flattening, southern accents are mostly rhotic, and nobody uses that trans-atlantic accent anymore, but none of that matters to someone in like, Everytown, Illinois. 

Some younger millennials seem to elongate their vowels, that _could_ be a change, but it could also be a temporary thing like valley girl from 20 years ago.


----------



## Highway Nights (Nov 26, 2014)

In what country? 

If you're American, probably not significantly, but I've heard recordings of Civil War veterans and most of them sound pretty much the same as anyone today, so I don't know how far back you'd have to go to have an especially foreign sounding accent. Accents are always changing, but I don't know if it's that rapid. I'd wager most changes you hear are mostly just improvements in audio recording, combined with the disappearance of that old Hollywood "Mid-Atlantic" accent. My parents and grandparents sound pretty much like anyone today. There are some changes, regionalisms seem to be flattening, southern accents are mostly rhotic, and nobody uses that trans-atlantic accent anymore, but none of that matters to someone in like, Everytown, Illinois. 

Some younger millennials seem to elongate their vowels, that _could_ be a change, but it could also be a temporary thing like valley girl from 20 years ago.


----------

