EVERYONE has an accent. An accent is just a way of speaking/pronouncing words. There is no one right, non-accent way to do it. What’s normal and standard for you is different for someone else. There are certainly more unique and niche ways to do it but everyone has an accent.

I’m not sure if this is still available to non-subscribers but this can probably nail down the city your family is from/near just based on how you pronounce words and the phrases you use:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html

Burlington county has hints of a Philly accent

Grew up in North Brunswick. Folks say I have a Philly accent.

I work in a call center. I get NY too.

Burlington is central?

I moved from Monmouth/Ocean to London, I didn't think I had an accent, but we do. Cawfee is apparently the biggest offendor

I grew up near the Burlington/Mercer border. Lived in N. California for 14 years. I don't know how many times people asked me to say "water". We definitely have accents.

You can’t hear your accent or anyone else’s because you grew up here. To you, everything you say is the “ normal” way to say it. It’s probably not a thick accent, but if you have some words that people pick up on, yes, you have an accent.

I hear the accents more because I didn’t grow up here. But the longer I’m here, the less I hear it.

Someone told me I had the accent of Randal from clerks

That’s how I learned Monmouth has an accent

Lemme tell you, as someone from Camden County, Burlington is categorically not Central Jersey

If you're thinking "we're the only ones without an accent" then you're the ones with a big accent

burlington county is south jersey. bordentown is the cut off for central jersey. i agree abt the lack of accent in central jersey though

If you get really far from the tri state you’ll notice everyone else in the country - and maybe even the world - sounds like *a complete utter fucking slack jawed yokel moron*.

You don’t realize how erudite and sophisticated we in the tri state speak until you go immerse yourself in bubble fuck hick dum dum land. We do have accents and its the accent of success, honor, and sexual prowess.

I imagine its like how Roman soldiers felt while galavanting around the territories they conquered.

edit: really though, i think ive read that the internet is killing regional accents and we’re all just starting to sound like broccoli headed genz’ers from tiktok.

The most consistent difference ive noticed is less on pronunciation and more on conversational style. In Jersey we speak quick, get to the point, and interrupt in a cooperative way to make an awesome conversation. In hickville they talk at half speed, talk about bullshit for way past when you want to leave, and wait their turn to speak like children.

Burlington is not central jersey. Period.

Central has a blended north-south accent. It’s “cawfee” and “chawclate” not “cahfee” and “chahclate” but also it’s “wooder” not “wawter” or “worter”

Burlington county is not central jersey.

Everyone on planet Earth has an accent, and that’s okay. On average, it might be less pronounced than nearby neighbors, but you can’t say we properly pronounce ‘coffee’ and ‘water,’ to name a few common special linguistic traits from the NE.

Burlington is south jersey

I agree central jersey exists but Burlington county? I dunno

Grew up in Old Bridge and now live in Philly. Mom is from Staten Island, dad is from Manalapan. The one accent thing I've noticed myself (and CJ family and friends) doing is pronouncing "both" as "bolth"... idk why there's an L in it, there just is. I also get made fun of for the "rad" in "radiator" rhyming with "bad". Other than that yeah, I think of myself as having a relatively neutral accent (compared to full on Philly accents or full on north Jersey/NY accents) but I know there really is no such thing.

And imo Bordentown is South, barely... I get what you're saying, it's close, but it's below 195 and it is more culturally Philly. I always think of Central as where they call it pork roll but root for the Giants.

Central Jersey 100% exists, but Burlington County is 100% South Jersey.

What’s a North Jersey accent? I grew up in Sussex County. I’ve been told by a couple people on the phone I sound like I’m from the mid west. I’ve also been told by southerners to slow down when I talk. That’s fair as I’ve never noticed how fast I talk until I had to record my voice for menus on phone systems.

CNJ here, I def have an accent but probably bc I was raised by Brooklyn transports

I moved to Central Jersey from North Jersey and half of the people here sound like they’re from Staten Island.

As a transplant from the midwest, the land of no accents....you all have accents. Sometimes it's just certain words, but yeah that accent exists.

There is no such thing as not having an accent. But even if there was: we do, in fact, have an accent. See for yourself: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html

I've traveled around the US and Canada for work a lot. No one can place me. Most guess east coast but never Jersey. Hell I grew up super close to New York with parents from Brooklyn but I rarely get NY either.

This is a crazy take.

1. Burlington county is south Jersey: towns like maple shade, palmyra, cinnaminson, Burlington, up to to Florence - they’re connected to PA by bridges. They’re Philly suburbs. Many people in north Jersey haven’t even heard of those towns.

2. I lived in Cherry Hill and later moved to Bordentown city to be closer to work. While cherry hill obviously has an “all Philly all the time” vibe, and the generally crappier pizza and especially bagels of south Jersey, Bordentown was still about 75/25 Philly : North Jersey/NYC influence.

You do see some NY sports flags/merch on houses and cars, a lot more than points south. The pizza is a lot better than Camden county and you’re near good bagels over the Mercer county line in Robbinsville and Hamilton.

But any local I met from even up in Bordentown, there was still a south jersey sound to their accent. Maybe a little more watered down compared to Cherry hill, but still there. Especially on any vowel with a “o” in it.

Burlington is a huge county and it’s got its own regions. But even northern Burlington is still south Jersey. The towns that border PA and Camden county? 100% south!!!! I’d argue Mercer is south also. Trenton locals also sound like south Jersey, it’s Philly tv/ more Philly sports than NY.

west Windsor and even south Brunswick have plenty of commuters from PA at those route 1 Office parks.

Maybe I’m a little biased because my mom was one of the “south Jersey starts at the Driscoll bridge” people.

I have no idea why there is so much central Jersey discussion in this subreddit. There’s north, south, and then an area Murphy needed more votes from.

Burlington County is basically Alabama

My brother in christ in no world is Burlington in Central Jersey.

Can't have an accent if you don't exist

Agreed, born and raised CNJ, I've traveled all over the country and people I've spoken with have always said they wouldn't know where to peg me from haha.

five day old account, their first post that isn't self promotion is being confidently wrong about something ("burlington county which is central jersey"), bottery/trolley appears to be at work

I live in Central NJ About 5 years ago I visited Los Angeles for the first time. There were four different occasions with unrelated individuals who asked where I was from and each time they said "you don't sound like you're from NJ".

I couldn't tell if they were expecting a Jersey Shore or some type of New Yorker accent, but just interesting to see this thread after my experience several years ago.

I was born and raised in the Los Angeles area and have lived in Monmouth County for 22 years.

When I first moved here I definitely detected accents from the locals but now I don't. I do hear the accents from North and South Jerseyians and people who've moved to Monmouth County from Brookyn and Staten Island but not from people born and raised in Monmouth County.

In my mind that's another way to determine what constitutes Central NJ. NY accent= North Jersey. Philly accent= South Jersey. An accent thst can't be detected by someone from CA= Central NJ.

Yes, we all have an accent compared to people from other states and countries but IMHO the Central NJ accent is closest to the way national news anchors speak.

I'm ready to be downvoted in true NJ fashion.

I have a central NJ accent. I do not sound like I'm from Staten Island/NYC and I don't sound like I'm from Philly. I absolutely say "wader". It's probably not the most noticeable thing in the world, but the "t" sound is more like a "d" sound for sure. I also have some "caw" in the way I pronounce coffee. It's not the most distinct or noticeable accent in the world, but it's there and I recognize it at this point in my life.

Lastly, Burlington is not Central NJ. Central NJ is between 78 and 195. Now if you live somewhere like Bordentown and want to say you're from CNJ, I'm not going to start a fight about it. Just like if someone from Stirling NJ wanted to say they were from CNJ, I wouldn't start a fight about it. At the end of the day, when you live on the border of 2 regions, you typically share characteristics of both. You're brackish. Just accept it and move on.

Do you say CAWFEE and DAWG for coffee and dog? You have an accent.

People don’t hear their own accents

I am also from Central, (which DOES exit…I will die on that hill). I’m in Monmouth where we have a LOT of NY transplants. I grew up in Union County. Husband grew up in Middlesex. We’ve never lived in NY. But I feel like we do have a bit of the NY accent. We definitely say words like “Fl-ah-rida” and “h-are-er” movies, but our kids do not! They say “Fl-Or-ida” and “h-Or-er” movies.

There are many more examples I can’t think of rn. It’s gotten to the point where we stop each other and say, “wait, how do you say that?!” And make fun of each other (in good jest). But man, idk who raised my kids with these weird accents they have! 😂

Its funny, everyone has an accent except for the people that sound like me!

burlington is not central jersey….

Leave Jersey for a hot second and see just how much there is no accent.

I moved to Medford from Colorado and hit a Jersey/Philly accent like a wall.

Bullllllllshit

My accent has become so much stronger since I moved here.

Burlington is more South Jersey/Philly imo-y’all definitely have an accent. You just don’t hear it. Something in the wudder.

You can't have an accent if you don't exist.

Do you say CAWFee for coffee, is TrenTON…TREin ?? If …so you’ve got a central jerz accent. Enjoy!

Burlington county is not central Jersey…that’s it. Bye lol

as someone who lives in burlington, accept that we are south…

That’s because for some people, central Jersey doesn’t exist.

We live in the Narnia of NJ. We’re magical.

Only Americans even entertain the idea that anyone might "not have an accent". If you speak, you have an accent. You don't think you have an accent because you're judging everyone else relative to yourself. Move the center of the world outside yourself.

I had a teacher at my college (Monmouth) who definitely had the "Jersey" accent, cawfee and all. And I've lived here all my life.

I agree! I live in mercer now but I used to live in south jersey (Gloucester) and everyone up here in Mercer says I have a Philly accent bc I say wooder and other stuff. It’s so crazy that just an hour drive is so different

You absolutely do. And you’re South Jersey. Central exists but south of 195 is South.

I dont know where you're from in Burlington County, but people in burlington county definitely have south jersey accents.

Burlington is socially South Jersey. I can see Philly from my cousins home in Delanco and Philly proximity in culture and IRL is what mostly defines South Jersey. If she were to turn on a radio, most of the stations would come out of Philthydelphia

I was traveling to Chicago and got a massage and I told the massage therapist my shoulders hurt from driving in from New Jersey and she literally said “Wow, you have no accent at all. You sound like you could read audiobooks”. Central Jersey my whole life.

I’m in central Jersey and I have no idea where Burlington is LOL. Anywho, I’m right next to the Outerbridge/Staten Island so I def have an accent that comes out but it’s not heavy to the point where I’ve been mistaken for a NY’er

Mercer's got a bit of an accent. Very subtle; Trenton is Tre-nn.

I think its because we are here and here it all day. Ive got the philly "wooder" not the NY "waaater". I didnt think I had accent either. No twang. No brooklyn gangster. Ppl just sound dry and normal. But then I haplened across a youtube channel by a guy named Joe Franta. Im all over youtube with creatkrs from florida, utah, england, australia etc. Then hearing Joe with his just no frills narration i was like "thats a weird accent. Wheres he from?" Here. XD

We have a typical New York metro accent. If you ever leave Burlington County and NJ then you be told you sound like you’re from New York. And if you dare to get a passport and step outside the country, you’ll be instantly marked as an American because of your accent. So yes you have an accent genius.

Yes and no.

I think the likelihood of somebody having an accent who was born, raised, and stayed in central Jersey, is lower than North or South Jersey. But New Jersey is such a small state, that people are more encouraged to move around a lot. I feel like half the people living here are from Brooklyn or Staten Island anyway, and 100% of them have an accent. It's 50/50 accents vs no accents in central Jersey IMO.

One thing is for certain though, Millennials and Gen Z have less of an accent, when compared to Gen X and older, no matter where you are in NJ.

This is nuts, I just had this conversation with my CJ gf because my nnj accent slipped in the car just this morning!

Originally from outside Trenton. Moved to Florida and everyone thinks I have an accent. I probably have more Philly accent than anything but down here everybody just thinks I have a NY accent. They can't tell the difference

Burlington county gang >>>>>>>

I’m from Monmouth county and I don’t feel like I have the jersey accent either

Moved from union county to California, I don’t think I have an accent at all. Everyone I meet in California won’t stop making fun of my accent though when I talk to them…

I thought I didn't have an accent but when I listened to a recording of me doing Shakespeare. My NY accent came through loud and clear! I think I've modified it since then.

I didn't realize I had a bit of a Jersey accent until I left Jersey and people started asking me where I was born😅

We do some say Florida some say Philly it’s weird

I've often been told that I had no accent. I believe that the majority of New Jerseyans have what I'd called a "mid Atlantic" accent. This the way most news readers sound. When I was in Jackson, Wyoming, a park ranger was surprised when I told him I was from NJ. I told him that we all don't talk like the Sopranos. This past fall, I was in Hawaii and a store clerk pegged me as being from north Jersey or southern New York. Her dad was from Brooklyn.

lol at Burlington county being central jersey, but agree with everything else.

Only Freehold and Howell is in Central Jersey. Go south one more town you’re in some third world country where they weaponise Sienna and school buses

“Hundrette”

Ok but how do you say, “water.”

My husband is from central Jersey and as someone who isn’t from there I still hear an accent with the way he pronounces certain words like ‘aunt’ and ‘orange’. It’s not super strong but it’s there.

It really depends. My peers who have lived in Central Jersey for a few generations have a more “neutral” accent, but my family’s from up north so I have a more obvious “Jersey” accent. I pronounce “Florida”, “orange”, and “authority” the Northern way, but I flip-flop on “coffee” and “chocolate”. My Marylander friend laughed at how I said “daughter” recently lmao

Sometimes people pick up that I'm from Jersey from the way I pronounce certain words

YEAH, NO SHIT...THATS BECAUSE YOU HAVE A JERSEY ACCENT. 🤣

I grew up in Central NJ (Bridgewater) and I definitely have an accent. My Lancaster friends like to give me crap for say wadder and I give them crap for pronouncing the County name Lancister.

It’s not so much an accent as it is a dialect identifying a region of the country. How we use language, pronounce words and even define words represents where we’re from.

Central Jersey may indeed exist but Burlington is South Jersey for sure.

The NJ tell is how someone pronounces Coffee - caw-fee and Orange - Awe-ranj

You think you're not hearing accents because you either haven't heard yourself speaking when you're not aware you're being recorded or your part of the world everyone has the same/similar speech inflection (accent).

Cause central Jersey don’t exist

FWIW, I grew up in the same house as my sister, with the same parents, the same schools, etc. (and we're just a couple years apart), and yet she and I have very different accents - she sounds much more stereotypically "Jersey," and I sound more "neutral." So..... :::shrugs::: I guess there are just a lot of factors.

First off all, Burlington County is the Deep South. Might as well be Georgia at that point.

Secondly, literally every human who speaks a language has an accent.But I'll concede the average South Jerseyan sounds more like the Midwestern American accent

Thirdly, regional accents are in sharp decline almost everywhere in the USA.

Fourthly, the people in South Jersey say the O sound in home and Ocean way longer than people in North Jersey.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t think I had a strong accent (born and raised northwest NJ, in both Sussex and Morris County).

Never heard when I lived there.

Then I moved to central Florida about four years ago… and NOW I hear my accent. I work with a lot of born Floridians, and oooooo, do they love to tease me about my accent. 😅😅

Plus I can absolutely pinpoint when someone is from NJ or NYC.

I didn’t think my accent was too Jersey until I moved south. Apparently I have a Jersey accent.

That's because central jersey doesn't exist

Grew up in Somerset County NJ and moved to Florida. Nobody ever said anything about a NJ accent, but they said I sounded like a yankee. Whatever that means lol

That’s weird. The central Jersey unicorn barn has a ton of central Jerseyans with heavy

Agreed we sound like normal people lol

The Philly accent can pop out when you least expect it. I think it's because so many people live in PA and drive to central NJ for work. We picked up a lot of Philly phrases like wood-er(water), up air(up there) and, of course, da iggles (the Eagles).

Kansans don’t think I have an accent, but also a KS transplant from abroad told me I sound like I’m from Boston 🤷‍♀️

Guys I should say that I’m from Bordentown. That’s basically central jersey—at least that’s what everyone’s told me 😭 I feel like we sound the most normal over there compared to everywhere else

Originally from Staten Island. I've lived in 4 of the 5 boroughs at various points in my life. Moved to Union County several years ago. No one around here has an accent. Every couple of weeks, someone will ask me "you're from New York?" after hearing me speak. You'd think living less than 10 miles away from where you grew up, your accent wouldn't stand out, but apparently it does.

As someone who moved from North to central, trust me Central has its own distinct accent. Central just doesn't match the stereotyped Jersey accent which is based on an accent from a very small area in Hudson county.

Zoomers have no accent. Boomers do. If you grew up in trenton it’s not chambersburg, it’s chambesbug. Also it’s not monday tuesday wednesday. It’s mondee tuesdee and wednesdee. It’s not a potato. It’s a putatu.

I’m also from Burlington county, I totally understand what you’re saying. My dads from Newark and I hear the north jersey accent with the drawn out “ah”s and such. I also work in Mercer and here it a tiny bit out there. At the same time I catch myself saying “warter” instead of “water”.

Ps: I try not to have a dog in this fight but imo the top of Burlington county is quite literally the middle of the state. (Don’t shoot me yall)

I kinda agree. My family and I are from the central-est of central Jersey and I always felt like we have a pretty “neutral American” type of accent. Definitely not as distinct as north or south Jersey.

I think the neutral Central Jersey accent definitely was a thing, not sure how much it is anymore with the continued growth of North Jersey and Staten Island folks. I remember an article long ago stating as much, citing the coastal Pacific Northwest, and Central Jersey as the most neutral American accents, but I've never found it again when I've searched.

My parents are Jersey City and both sound exactly how you think. I was JC born, but Ocean/Monmouth raised and I am very rarely called out for an accent in Colorado where I now live. My sister was actually born in Point, but definitely picked up my parents' accent. Friends upon meeting them often asked why I didn't have an accent. Same when they compared me to my ex, who was South Jersey, "wooder and begals".

When I was last back a few years ago I definitely noticed a way more pronounced accent everywhere I went (from Matawan down to Beachwood to visit friends and family). The North Jersey accent is definitely taking over.