Pittsburgh Pennsylvania,the steel city, is most well-known for Heinz ketchup, the Steelers, the strip district and an unsual accent called "Pittsburghese." We're proud of our heritage and our beautiful city but to some our quirky accent sticks out like a sore thumb.

One of the most obvious hallmarks of Pittsburghese is the way the vowel /ow/ is pronounced. The "ow" sound is a dipthong or two vowels that glide together. In this case, the two vowels are /ah/ as in "pot" and /o/ as in "joke." Say the two vowels slowly and you will make the /ow/ sound as in "out." In Pittsburghese, the second sound is omitted so the word "down" sounds like "dahn."

People who pronounce this sound incorrectly are viewed with a skeptical eye. Here are three reasons:

1. Pittsburghese is a non-standard form of English.
2. It sounds "unprofessional."
3. It can confuse the listener.

How do you know if you are pronouncing the sound as it should be pronounced? Try this: Record yourself slowly saying: "How about going down town?" When you play back your recording, do you hear one or two vowel sounds in the pronunciation of /ow/? Look in a mirror and watch your mouth move from a open position to rounded lips as you slowly say "ow". If you feel like you cannot evaluate your own skills, ask someone you trust who will give you honest feedback.

Here are some other interesting words and expressions that are spoken by a Pittsburgher with Pittsburghese.

1. Instead of saying the filler, "you know," or "and stuff," a Pittsburgher says, "n'at" ("and that") after his/her sentences (e.g., "We're goin to see the Stillers, n'at.")
2. Yes, a long "e" is frequently pronounced with a short "i" as in bit. So Steelers=Stillers. And we love our Stillers!!
3. If you are going to clean your room you must "redd up your room."
4. If you like to get into other people's business you are "nebby".
5. "Chip, chop ham"= chipped ham
6. "yinz" is equivalent to "you" or "you all" (e.g., "Yinz gotta be rilly nebby.")
7. The verb "to be" is omitted e.g., "Yinz car rilly needs warshed." Yes, there is an /r/ insertion, too.)
8. Did you eat yet? = Jeet jet? (There are banners in our mall at the food court that have this phrase on them.)
9. Jaggin=bugging someone (e.g., "Quit jaggin me.")
10. Axed=asked (e.g., "I axed you a question.")

There is something slightly charming about the regional accent, but it certainly is not appropriate in an executive setting. Since habits sometimes die hard, it does take some practice to eliminate this way of speaking but with time and persistence, it is possible.

Copyright (c) 2008 Lynda Stucky