proper pronunciation

Amazing. I’ve seen this before how did I not think of this

How does one say "of" without its sounding like "ov"?

She has more of an “awv” than “uv”

Is there a “w” sound? As in “roo-win”? I hear that often.

>Is my mom weird? Is Carrick weird? (yes)

Love it.

To be fair, I've come to embrace Pittsburghese. I tried to push it away when I was younger. I went through a phase where I thought I was superior. Now I'm in a phase where I appreciate its authenticity. It's delightfully distinct. There are times when I'm glad that I can tone it down, particularly when engaging with non-native Pittsburghers. Lately though, I find myself wishing that I could also lay it on think like some of my family.

In the South, you hear “ru-int”, as “This machine don’t work no more. It’s ruint.” Not sure if that’s better or worse.

Seriously she says “roining”. Ex) the quick brown fox was roin-ning the lazy dog’s nap. I wish it were roowin and I could let it slide…

Agree 100%. I embrace it more as I get older. I also get more yinzered as I drink and/or socialize with my fellow Pittsburghers :) I’ve struggled professionally with certain words and still do!

Both of those pronunciations are pretty common throughout Appalachia, and aren’t “wrong” so much as they are different. I’d imagine that it bothers you so much because you’ve internalized messaging that tells you that broad Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern accents are “correct,” and deviation from that is somewhere between nonstandard (northern working class accents like stereotypical Boston and New York accents) and ignorant (southern working class accents like Appalachian, Southern, and African American accents).

I’m from Southern West Virginia, and grew up ashamed of my accent. I thought it made me and everyone I knew sound like a dumbfuck hillbilly, so I managed to successfully shed it. Now I really like the regional variation everyone brings to their speech. I legit love hearing people from different parts of the country talk. Makes me wish I still had my accent.

Stop shaming your mom. There’s not going to be a test later or anything, and, honestly, if somebody wants to judge you for being working class, they’ll find a way to do it no matter how you speak.

From what it seems like, Pittsburghese isn't as popular anymore. Almost dead even. So, just let it happen. Seems pretty charming.

She’s 65 and keeping the accent forever. Just genuinely wondering as I’ve never heard another pittsburgher say it that way. I’ll unlock my mom from the basement now and allow her to speak

That’s true - it is charming as I’ve never really thought about it going away. Every generation of my fam has it but not the kids. Hopefully the gems get passed down. I’m not perfect and can hear the accent still. Gotta let my mom live 😂

Because you are embarrassed of your parents. And ungrateful.

You spelled Pittsburgh wrong in your bio. Don’t hate on me bc you wish you were from here

Ha! My chorus teacher in high school always complained about how people said giant eagle they would say it like Gian iggle.

Its immersion. As an area before the internet, your contact and conversation came from locals with the same dialect. It was almost impossible to escape falling into that pronounciation/dialect.

I think what is happening to the Yinzer dialect is also happening to many other regional dialects. Morphing into a central dialect.

You went to college. That's when it all became clear to me.

i’d cringe every time i heard “ruining” being pronounced like “coin” but with a “r,” so i can’t blame you for being bothered by that. my uncle has a heavy pittsburgh accent, to the point where i can’t decipher what he says at times, but he doesn’t pronounce it like that.

the way she pronounces “of” seems normal to me. however, i saw that you said it is more of an “awv” sound and now i can’t stop think thinking it is pronounced with a british accent.

anyways, i do think it is weird to be bothered by a lot of this. i went to pitt main, and not many people who go to pitt are born and raised in the inner city, with family who never left the historic neighborhoods (aka heavy accents), and when they would make a point over how i spoke or what i said, i would feel embarrassed. then, i’d get pissed off thinking about how they aren’t even locals and telling a local how to speak (this is petty and i’m aware). if you understand what i’m saying, why does it matter if i pronounce the way i was taught? unless she’s asking you to help her pronounce it another way or the way she does is blatantly wrong, why bother trying to change it?

i don’t think this is pittsburgh related, but i pronounce pattern like “pat-ter-in.” it is supposed to be pronounced like “pat-tern,” yet no one tries to correct me because who cares?

i’m also curious as to why you are trying to “recover” from your accent? i’m assuming you teach in the city or one of the suburbs, so what is the point of “recovering?” i’m genuinely curious and not trying to be snarky here.

People have different dialects in different places. Theres no right or wrong way to say things. Your approach towards your mother is somewhat bigoted.

Just a joke and not trying to actually recover. To be honest, I was just trying to speak correctly to teach my students correctly. I actually noticed this because I was reading an excerpt to them and the sentence said, “Are our children…”. I’m standing in front of them going “AHR AHR children” like a damn pirate. Started to realize I say many things incorrectly such as: pull, pool, and pole. I say them all as “pull”. I honestly only watch how I speak when teaching; otherwise, I wouldn’t notice these things.

People took this so literally like I hate my mother for her accent. Clearly I have it, too! Guess this was more of a question of how to pronounce ruin and now I am ashamed I am working class and have an accent because Reddit came for me (from people who don’t have true yinzer families).

I don't think that's a Pittsburgh thing... Better cure it with fire

Not all locals talk with the accent, especially if they didn't grow up in a blue collar neighborhood with millworkers as family members. The accent is pretty rare in higher income families.

Are you even from Pittsburgh? It’s funny to talk about the accent if you’re from here. You don’t get it. My mom actually told me people at her work make fun of her heavy Pittsburgh accent and she tries to correct it. There is 10000% a correct way to say things. Are you kidding? This an a light hearted discussion about OUR accent. Don’t call be bigoted. It’s my mf mom?

Getting her a life insurance policy as we speak

You are right. My parents are both very blue collar and from a long line of immigrant/steel mill workers. I’m proud of it! Can’t deny that in our day in age that WE (millennials/Gen Z/Gen X) cannot walk into a professional situation and start saying THE STOCKS ARE DAHN, DEM RAIZES ARNET COMMIN, OPEN UP YER COMPUTER. BE CAREFUL, THE FLOOR IS SLIPPY. I NEED TO GUMBAND THESE FINANCE REPORTS”.

Like, yes, you can say those things and fck em if they make fun of you, but in reality, we can’t full on yinzer in every situation.

Born and raised kid. Anyone whos ashamed of the yinzer accent isnt a true yinzer. Terrible post.

You’re a car salesmen in Pittsburgh it looks like. I WANT to buy a car from a true yinzer. I do not want my children learning the wrong way to say things in school. i.e. why I even care about pronunciation. Not a terrible post, you just don’t agree.

I agree. I do hope it never ever goes away. But, that’s why we keep carrick around…

You can take the baby out of the burgh but can’t take the burgh out of the baby

I just read this whole comment to myself in Pitsburghese and my friend you made my day.

Jine iggle

When I first moved to Pittsburgh and heard (what I now know is) a Yinzer accent, I didn't know what it was. I thought it was more of a hillbilly accent and that the person was from West Virginia (not sure why, because I've never met anyone from West Virginia).

i’m definitely one of the people who took everything you said literally, and i apologize about that! i’d like to believe most pittsburghers aren’t classist considering this city is famous for its working class history. most natives i know come from working class and still are, i personally just interpreted your original post incorrectly.

also, i refuse to believe there is a difference in “pole” vs “pool” vs “pull,” as well as “are” and “our.” everyone else in this country is wrong; they are all pronounced the same. no one can convince me otherwise.

No need to apologize. You explained yourself and even said you weren’t being snarky! I totally agree that there is no difference in those words. I can’t stop won’t stop. Told my students one time how we all say it the same. It was hysterical the whole class is going “pull…puuulllll…pul”. “Our” and “are” are seriously the hardest for me. So is “tile”. I said “floor tahl” in college and my roommate was from Harrisburg. Genuinely she was concerned for me. Didn’t even notice

It is ‘ov’ is it not???

I notice a lot of people say ‘roon’ or even ‘run’ for ruin. ‘Yinz better take dem shoes off atda door or yoool run the floor I just red up’

My dad went to Germany once and even they knew he was from Pittsburgh because of his unique accent!

Theres nothing wrong with having an accent.

How do you say “rural” and “crayon”. We moved from east of Monroeville to Southern New Jersey as I was starting 6th grade. Talk about a culture shock! For college and through my 30’s lived in MD near Frederick. Learned more regional differences. Now I’m back in WV near Pittsburgh. Full circle. Needless to say my family says I have a unique way of saying words!