Midwestern, Midwest, Upper North, or Upper Northern English dialects or accents are associated with the
Midwestern
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
region of the United States. These include:
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General American
General American English or General American (abbreviated GA or GenAm) is the umbrella accent of American English spoken by a majority of Americans. In the United States it is often perceived as lacking any distinctly regional, ethnic, or so ...
, the most widely perceived "mainstream" American English accent is sometimes considered "Midwestern" in character, 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 in a geographic band reaching from the major urban areas of U ...
.
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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 in a geographic band reaching from the major urban areas of U ...
is often generally recognized as a Cleveland, Chicago, or Detroit accent, or the accent of western New York State (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, etc.).
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Midland American English
Midland American English is a regional dialect or super-dialect of American English, geographically lying between the traditionally-defined Northern and Southern United States. The boundaries of Midland American English are not entirely clear, b ...
is often generally recognized as a Columbus, Indianapolis, and Kansas City accent. According to William Labov, "North Midland" is the General American standard.
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North-Central American English
North-Central American English (in the United States, also known as the Upper Midwestern or North-Central dialect and stereotypically recognized as a Minnesota accent or Wisconsin accent) is an American English dialect native to the Upper Midwest ...
is often generally recognized as a Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, or Dakota accent.
American English
Midwestern United States