Vowels and Diphthongs         Consonants

Audio Samples

Y’at is a term for the dialect of the “neighborhoods” – a ubiquitous term which encompasses different areas of working class New Orleans.  It’s a combination of Creole (French, Spanish and Black) and Irish sounds combined to form a unique sound peculiar to New Orleans.  The term y’at refers to the familiar form of greeting that you hear all over the area”

“Where y’at?”  means “hello”.  The true New Orleans response would be:  “Aw right.”

Principal Characteristics

• There is a rhythmic cadence with each phrase ending in a rising inflection.  There is not the twang or nasality that is characteristic of most southern dialects

• Drop the ng at the end of a word and substitute n

• th sounds are pronounced with a t or d

• er endings are pronounced with the schwa uh

• as in ‘boy, toilet, boil’ is pronounced with the sound as in ‘earn’