Is there no difference between Bronx and Brooklyn accents? You be the judge... [View all]

[GreatGazoo]

This controversy erupted in another thread and I thought it was worth exploring further.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027266106#post7

While I take Oberliner's point about ethnicity being the larger factor I do think there is an indentifiable Bronx accent and a distinct Brooklyn accent.

Starting around 2:00 this video presents a range of modern Bronx accents which all tend to share punchy front end consonants, a faster speed, slightly higher pitch and a more latin influenced phrasing and vowel sounds.

Then here is a native Brooklyn accent from an Italian American neighborhood. This is definitely an accent which is distinct from the accents in Bronx video. Slower, more dramatic, more back of the throat, deeper pitch, more extension of the ends of words. A more interesting comparison might be to put this woman side by side with someone from Arthur Ave in the Bronx. I find this woman's accent true to the neighborhood I lived in the Brooklyn:

and here is another woman from Brooklyn reading a list of words which emphasize the differences in pronounciation. The accent tag list is: Aunt, Roof, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught, Naturally, Aluminium, Envelope

One last one, this is Arthur Ave in the Bronx. To my ear different from the Italian influenced Brooklyn accent -- much faster, a little cleaner, more staccato, some Spanish influenced sounds: