Great American Vowel Shift

Well, now it appears that the English language is changing so fast that we are barely aware of it. This vowel shift causes problems. People call it the Great American Vowel Shift because it is changing how we speak. Originally it was called the "Northern Cities Shift", but it has left the big city and invaded our farms and is heading south.

It began with urban young hipsters and has spread to old farmers. At one time confined to the rust belt state of Michigan it moved to neighboring Ohio and Indiana. Finally making a beach head in the mighty city of Chicago. People called it The Northern Cities Shift (NCS) because it first affected Great Lakes towns including the big cities of Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Rochester and Buffalo.

Like an epidemic it has spread as far west as Kansas City and infected speech patterns as far south as Cincinnati. As time passes more and more words are shifted; one cannot help but wonder how this will alter the american dialect.

Maps show how language changed

2000 - Problem spreads west and south. Many words affected.

2010 most words shifted. Accent is common.

2020 Most of US has shifted, old movies from 80's & 90's sound "funny".

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