BETA
Chapter 1
The birth of a dialect
Chapter 2
The science of the sound
Chapter 3
Cultural impact and recognition
YOUR GOAL
Master of The Miami accent
Ch 2 · The science of the sound
diegoplays Decode local speech patterns to discover the science behind Miami's real and unique dialect.
diegoplays Miami English
Get down from the car, make a line in the street, Our Miami dialect has its own science-proven beat.
diegoplays The Miami accent features a dark L that is pronounced further back in the mouth than in standard English.
diegoplays Miamians often use calques, which are direct, word-for-word translations of Spanish idioms into English.
Fun Fact
Literal translations: Saying 'get down from the car' instead of 'get out of the car' is a classic Miami linguistic feature called a calque.
Glossary
soundwave (noun)
A longitudinal wave of pressure that is transmitted through a medium and can be heard. In 2013, Phillip Carter's team analyzed these vocal vibrations to map tongue movements of Miami speakers.
A longitudinal wave of pressure that is transmitted through a medium and can be heard. In 2013, Phillip Carter's team analyzed these vocal vibrations to map tongue movements of Miami speakers.
Quiz
Who is the prominent linguist at Florida International University known for studying the Miami accent?
Quiz
Which university has conducted extensive linguistic studies on the Miami accent?
Quiz
How do the vowel sounds in the Miami accent differ from standard American English?
Quiz
What happens to the gliding vowel sounds of standard English in the Miami accent?
Quiz
Which consonant sound is famously pronounced darker or heavier in the Miami accent?
Quiz
If a Miamian says they need to 'make a line,' what standard English phrase are they translating?
Quiz
What linguistic term describes a phrase translated word-for-word from another language, like 'get down from the car'?