30 Words That Sound Better With A Southern Accent

This list could go on and on, y'all.

Of all the accents in the world, none are as special as a Southern accent. A good Southern accent has an unmistakably delightful melody that’s as true to our region as the sound of cicadas calling on a humid night or a pork chop sizzling on a hot cast iron skillet. People have tried to mimic it, but a true Southern accent is something that can only be admired, never replicated. While some contend that the Southern accent is fading, we know that our way of speaking is something we’ll guard and pass on for generations to come. No matter how the times change, we’ll never stop drawing out our ‘i’s, dropping our ‘r’s, or leavin’ off those ‘g’s. While Southern accents vary depending on where you live, there are certain words that just sound better coming out of a Southerner’s mouth.

We’ve certainly got our opinions about the Southern accent, but for this particular topic, we wanted to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. So we polled our Facebook followers to see what words you think sound better when said in a Southern accent. The overwhelming answer? All of ‘em. While that's 100% correct, we thought that’d make for a pretty boring list, so we decided to call out some of our other favorites. Here are 30 words that benefit from a bit of twang.

Locations

These Southern spots are commonly mispronounced, if you ask us.

Louisville

No, it’s not Lou-EE-ville or Lou-ISS-ville. Locals know there’s only one correct way to pronounce the home of the Kentucky Derby, and it’s Lou-UH-vull.

Charleston

Southerners know to drop the harsh ‘r’ and ‘l’ sounds and coo the name of this coastal charmer by saying Chaas-tun.

Terms of Endearment

Each one of these just sounds sweeter when a Southerner says it.

Darling

Drop the ‘g’ and draw out that ‘a'. If you need inspiration, just listen to Dolly say it.

Sugar

If a Southern grandma has never called you shugga, then you’re seriously missing out.

Honey

Hun-EE, can also be shortened to a quicker ‘hun,’ which is just as endearing.

Baby

BAY-bee, make those two syllables last as long as possible.  

Foods

We’re particular about how certain foods are cooked—and pronounced.

Biscuits and gravy

If the person cooking this Southern staple doesn’t pronounce it biss-kits and gray-vee, then you may as well go on home.   

Pie

Pie—whether pumpkin, sweet potato, or cherry—tends to taste better when it’s pronounced pi without the ‘e’.

Oil

There’s no need for two syllables here. In a Southerner’s mouth, oy-UHL simply sounds like ol.

Boiled peanuts

Bolled pee-nuts are an absolute must on a road trip.

Pecan

There’s still debate about whether it’s pronounced PEE-can or puh-KAHN, but no matter how you slice it, this nut is better when a Southerner says it.

Related: Things Only Girls with Southern Accents Understand

Southern Phrases

Some things simply don’t translate. If you hear any of these words or phrases sans a Southern accent, you might bet tempted to cover your ears.

Well I’ll Be

This exclamation is about as Southern as it gets.

Y’all

This may have been one of y'all's most common answers.

Doohickey

Used to describe anything you can’t think of the name for, Southerners will call just about anything a doohickey.

Cattywumpus

We could say something’s a little off or maybe even askew, but cattywumpus just seems to describe it better.  

Holler

This is one of those rare words where we hit that ‘r’ sound particularly hard.  

Ma’am

Is there any sweeter sound than a chorus of “yes ma’am”s from your obedient children?

Bless Your Heart

This one’s less about pronunciation and more about intonation. Only Southern women know how to deliver this line with just the right amount of empathy, sass, or pity depending on the situation.  

Plants

These plants and their pronunciations should be as Southern as the dirt they’re grown in.

Azaleas

It's pronounced uh-zail-yuhs and sometimes we even drop the first syllable and leave it as simply ‘zail-yuhs.

Magnolia

Mag-knoll-yuh is the only way to say the name of this Mississippi's state tree.

Short and Simple Words

We don’t follow the rules when it comes to these common words.

Light

And basically any word that rhymes with it. Right, sprite, white—you best believe we’re drawing out that ‘i’ sound.

Ride

And all the words that rhyme with it, like cried, tried, pride … you get the idea.

Fire

Most folks pronounce this word with two syllables, as in fai-ur. But we know you only need one to get the job done. Same goes for tire and liar.

Boot

Did you know there’s a phrase for the way Southerners say this word? It’s called fronting and it means we pronounce vowels with our tongues further forward in our mouths than most people.  

Goose

The same rules apply for this one, you silly goose!  

Miscellaneous

Each of these words deserves a mention for the way they roll off a Southerner’s tongue.

Crayon

No, it’s not cray-on. It’s 'crown' and there’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Naked

Something about the way we say “nekkid” conjures images of bare-bottomed babies running around backyards on hot summer days.

Iron

Another two-syllable word that we prefer to pronounce with one, ai-urn becomes urn when Southerners say it.

Meemaw

We're pretty sure it’s impossible to say this word without a Southern accent, but the drawl is especially prominent when those with a deep accent say it.

Picture

We’ve got no use for that ‘c’. We love to snap a “pitch-ur” just about as much as we love a full pitcher of sweet tea.

For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Southern Living.