How to Have a Jersey Accent

Step 1: Skip the last letter Replace the “r” at the end of a word with an “uh” sound and drop the last “g” in any word altogether. For example: “My sis-tuh is so vain; she’s always lookin’ in the mir-uh.”
Step 2: Say yoo If a word starts with “h,” pronounce it as “yoo,” as in “It’s just yooman nature.”
Step 3: Skip middle consonants Skip over middle consonants, so “mittens” and “kittens” become “mih-ens” and “kih-ens.”
TIP: For a hardcore Jersey accent, drop the “h” that follows a “t” so “thrifty” becomes trifty.
Step 4: Pronounce “tt” as “dd” Pronounce double t’s as double d’s to have a Jersey accent, as in, “I’m waitin’ for the mailman because I’m expectin’ a ledder.”
Step 5: Say “aw” Pronounce some o’s like “aw,” as in: “Put the chawk-lit awn the table so the dawg can’t reach it.”
Step 6: Change “I” to “e” Change the “i” in the middle of words to “ee,” as in, “Those shoes are byoo-tee-ful.”
Step 7: Don’t say “Joisey” Never refer to the Garden State as New Joisey.” Contrary to popular belief, native Jerseyites pronounce the “r” in Jersey.
FACT: Southern New Jersey natives owe some of their accent to the Italian and German immigrants who settled in nearby Philadelphia.

Lessons in this Guide