Across the central plains, a widespread conviction persists among many residents that their manner of speaking represents neutral American English, completely devoid of any distinct regional accent. However, linguistics researchers at the University of Kansas are actively challenging this long-held perception, demonstrating that Kansans do indeed possess unique patterns of speech that are interpreted in contrasting ways depending on who is listening.
The investigation into the state's linguistic identity is being led by Jeff Holliday and Lacey Wade, both assistant professors of linguistics at the University of Kansas. Upon relocating to the state to teach, both scholars repeatedly encountered locals who insisted that Kansans speak without an accent. As linguists, however, the researchers recognized that every speaker possesses an accent, prompting them to launch a deeper inquiry into how Kansas speech is actually heard and characterized.
The initial findings of their research have been published in an academic paper in the journal American Speech. Titled "What does Kansas speech sound like? It depends who you ask," the article examines the distinct ways in which listeners from different geographic backgrounds perceive and evaluate Kansas voices.
To explore these dynamics, the researchers designed an experiment featuring 64 participants recruited from various regions across the United States. Each participant was tasked with listening to a wide array of audio recordings representing dozens of individuals who spoke with varied regional accents and dialects.
As they evaluated each audio sample, the study participants were asked to rate the likelihood of whether the speaker originated from Kansas. The resulting data uncovered a stark division between how native Kansans perceive their own local speech and how people from outside the state imagine it sounds.
For participants living within Kansas, voices that were perceived as the least accented were consistently rated as the most representative of the state. Wade explained that this strong correlation illustrates how local residents equate a lack of noticeable inflection with Kansas identity, thereby reinforcing the community's internal belief that their speech lacks an accent entirely.
In sharp contrast, participants from outside Kansas arrived at an entirely different conclusion. When listening to the same collection of audio samples, out-of-state listeners frequently selected speakers with prominent Southern accents as the individuals most likely to have grown up in Kansas.
To determine whether this outsider assumption stemmed from poor geographical knowledge, the researchers incorporated a map-based exercise into the study. Each participant was presented with a blank outline map of the United States and asked to correctly identify and place the state of Kansas.
The mapping results revealed that the vast majority of participants were fully aware of where Kansas is located on the national map. This finding ruled out basic geographic confusion as the cause of the Southern association, presenting the researchers with a deeper linguistic and sociological question.
According to Holliday, the fact that participants could accurately locate Kansas while still associating its speech with the South suggests that certain accent traits are culturally linked to concepts that extend beyond geographic borders. The researchers concluded that outside listeners, who generally have limited direct knowledge of Kansas speech, draw on what they do know and associate the state with rural living, which they in turn link to Southern linguistic characteristics.
Beyond external perceptions, the researchers emphasized that speech within Kansas itself is far from uniform. The state's geographical size and positioning foster considerable linguistic variation, with local accents naturally sharing characteristics with neighboring states across regional borders.
As Wade noted, dialect boundaries rarely conform to strict political borders. Consequently, communities in eastern Kansas often share speech features with neighboring Missouri, whereas residents living in the western portion of the state exhibit distinct vocal characteristics that sound noticeably different.
In addition to broad geographic differences, speech habits across Kansas are influenced by specific community settings, including urban centers, suburban neighborhoods, and rural areas. Wade pointed out that these speech patterns reflect not only regional influences but also social connections and how individuals position themselves within their communities.
This research represents one component of a broader effort by the KU linguistics team to provide a more nuanced understanding of Kansas culture and identity. Holliday highlighted that people outside the state often reduce Kansas to an empty expanse on the map, overlooking the social vibrancy and linguistic diversity present throughout the region.
The research team is actively looking to expand its data by recruiting additional Kansas residents to participate in ongoing research. Anyone who is from Kansas and over the age of 8 is eligible to join the study by contacting the university research lab via email.
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