Midwestern or Upper Northern dialects or accents of
American English
American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lang ...
are any of those associated with the
Midwestern region of the United States, and they include:
*
General American English
General American English, known in linguistics simply as General American (abbreviated GA or GenAm), is the umbrella accent of American English used by a majority of Americans, encompassing a continuum rather than a single unified accent. ...
, the most widely perceived "mainstream" American English accent, sometimes considered "Midwestern" in character, particularly prior to the
Northern Cities Vowel Shift
Inland Northern (American) English, also known in American linguistics as the Inland North or Great Lakes dialect, is an American English dialect spoken primarily by White Americans throughout much of the U.S. Great Lakes region. The most di ...
.
*
Inland Northern American English
Inland Northern (American) English, also known in American linguistics as the Inland North or Great Lakes dialect, is an American English dialect spoken primarily by White Americans throughout much of the U.S. Great Lakes region. The most di ...
, spoken in cities like Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Cleveland as well as in Western and Central New York State (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, etc.).
*
Midland American English
Midland American English is a regional dialect or super-dialect of American English, geographically lying between the traditionally-defined Northern United States, Northern and Southern United States. The boundaries of Midland American English a ...
, spoken in cities like Columbus, Indianapolis, and Kansas City.
*
North-Central American English
North-Central American English is an American English dialect, or dialect in formation, native to the Upper Midwestern United States, an area that somewhat overlaps with speakers of the Inland Northern dialect situated more in the eastern Gre ...
, spoken in areas like Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, northern Iowa, and the Dakotas.
{{disambig