How to Do a Minnesota Accent | Accent Training

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So let's work on a general Minnesota accent. We're gonna go straight for the stereotype, and then you can kind of knock it back from there. Depending on what you're going for. So let's work on the oral posture of the Minnesota accent. Take a look at me saying this phrase. 'Oh geez, I've known him for 20 years or so.' So watch what's happening with my mouth. 'Oh geez, I've known him for 20 years or so.' So there's a lot of lip corner tension, and there's not a lot of jaw movement. So you get kind of a little bit of a smile there. They call it the Minnesota friendly accent.

The diphthong O. The two elements O in your Minnesota accent become shorter, to a more of a pure sound. So, Minnesota becomes Minnesota. O, O, Minnesota. The diphthong I. Because the jaw tension in the Minnesota accent, it brings that sound very far forward to I, I. I becomes I. And also, because the jaw doesn't move that much that R sound becomes kind of hard. So work and further are the R sounds in the words work and further. Work and further. So in this oral posture, the ah sound becomes more forward. So father becomes father. Gone becomes gone.

So what's the musicality of this accent? Listen to this phrase, 'Oh geez, I've known him for 20 years or so.' There's a lot of upward inflect. It's a very friendly accent there. So that tells you a little bit about the people from Minnesota, possibly. But don't take my word for it. Go listen to some native Minnesota speakers, and discover the accent for yourself. Take a look at the oral posture. Take a look at the sound changes, and the musicality. And it'll give you a good idea of what the accent is like.