Movie Dialect Expert Explains “The Wyoming Accent.” [VIDEO]
Growing up in Wyoming, I always thought that the Wyoming accent was... Well, the lack of an accent. In comparison to our friends to the south in Texas or Mississippi, we tend to speak in a very typical American accent without much inflection. Or so I thought.
Dialect Coach Erik Singer, who has worked with dozens of Hollywood stars to perfect their on-screen accents, recently went on the record with Wired to critique regional accents in film. Surprisingly, Wyoming made the list with Jake Gyllenhaal's performance in 2005's Brokeback Mountain. The movie takes place in 1963 in the Wyoming mountains, and while Heath Ledger's character is a transplant from Texas, Gyllenhaal's is a Wyoming native. Singer critiques his performance of the accent as "nailing it." Take a look below at 5:31.
Apparently, we Wyomingites pull our vowel sounds further into the back of our mouths, something I never noticed until I tried it myself. It's surprisingly accurate! What do you think of the "Wyoming Accent?" Let us know if you know of any other particular vocal affections of those from the Cowboy State.