I don't know if this map had such a quiz - I was looking for one and couldn't find it. It's interesting to compare notes with the quiz if you work with people from across the US (what do you mean, "bag" doesn't rhyme with "vague"?)
This confirms that I am utterly incapable of discerning the subtle nuances of different american accents. All I can distinguish is the main families American vs. British vs. Australian.
Good, I am Canadian. :)
One minor nit though, I thought Mary and marry sound the same and merry sound different, but there was no option for that, so I chose "all three different".
My other answers must have been pretty different from yours though: I only got 22% for "North Central", with 93% for "the Inland North".
> You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?
Interestingly enough though, my parents ARE from Chicago. Hmm.
Then again, most people I meet, who aren't from the South, say they think I have no noticeable accent at all, and guess that I'm from somewhere in the Midwest. Good grief.
Language is a funny old thing...
what do you mean, "bag" doesn't rhyme with "vague"?
Wait, where does "bag" rhyme with "vague"?
Wisconsin/Minnesota
bag /bæɡ/
vague /veɪɡ/
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vague#Pronunciation
Another example, which is also a minimal pair, is "bat" vs. "bait".
If you look at the posted article you can probably find the exact dialects that pronounce these words like that. But I'm pretty sure "bag" doesn't rhyme with "vague" in most English dialects (including British and Australian dialects), even if they don't use /æ/ and /eɪ/.
LOL! No, I was born and raised in good old North Carolina.
Interestingly, it seems to have pegged me mostly correctly. I've lived all my life in and around Atlanta. Most people notice a Southern accent on me, but I definitely don't have a Classical Southern accent.
Should probably polish my marry and merry.
Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
I once heard this is the preferred accent for news anchors?
Thought that was kind of cool, even if I don't really drop my R's anymore.
On a slightly more serious note, I got 93% North Central. As a non-native speaker, I have no idea why or how.
I've lived in Syracuse NY for the last 15 years, so I suppose that makes sense.