Well, bless their hearts — Gen Z is killing the Southern drawl, y’all. That’s according to a new study published in Language Variation and Change, which claims the classic Southern American accent has ...

Growing up in Atlanta in the 1940s and 1950s, Susan Levine’s visits to New York City relatives included being the star of an impromptu novelty show: Her cousin invited over friends and charged 25 ...

Whether it’s Julia Garner’s foul-mouthed Missouri twang in “Ozark” or Dolly Parton’s soft yet (fittingly) steely drawl in “Steel Magnolias,” the Southern accent is as variable as it is recognizable.

In Boston, there are reports of people pronouncing the letter “r.” Down in Tennessee, people are noticing a lack of a Southern drawl. And Texans have long worried about losing their distinctive twang.

*In 2025, new research confirms what many Southerners have long suspected: the classic Southern accent is fading, especially in major cities like Atlanta, New Orleans, and Raleigh. Studies from the ...