“The Regional Dialect Quiz Review”

By Mateo Willson

Towards the end of August, I took a quiz from the New York Times to see where they think I am from based on my dialect. The quiz first launched in 2013 accompanied by an article that connected some of the divisiveness in America to this larger discussion about regional dialects. I found my way to the quiz through my English class. While talking about the use of dialect in Akwaeke Emezi’s Pet, our teacher talked about the quiz and we spent the rest of the class period doing it ourselves. I thought that it would get it correct and guess Austin the first time that I took the quiz. Well, it turns out that it was wrong. At least at first. 

The test thought that I was from Miami the first time, then it thought I was from New York, but I am from Austin. The test was called the Regional Dialect Quiz. I think the reason for this is because Austinites and Floridians from Miami talk similarly. For example, people from the South usually say ‘y’all’ and I use that term when I speak. Then it asked how I say caramel, which I pronounce cara-mel, and that is what made it think that I was from New York. It took me three tries before it guessed correctly.  

The results were not expected. I think that taking it multiple times and seeing what I picked was helpful because I learned about how I answered the question and where other people that say the same thing are. I liked taking it if anyone who is reading this is interested in seeing where people who say the same words as you are from or if you are having a class discussion about dialect. I think that you should think about what you say and if you do not have a word then say that you don’t have a word as opposed to just pick a random one. Because that one word could be the difference between Miami and Austin.