When it comes to how we talk, accents are often the thing people focus on first. We love to do impressions, and certain accents even have an impact on what we buy. But what exactly is an accent, and how does one develop?

For starters, whether you’re a Bostonian craving some “chowdah,” a Southerner asking for a pin (or is it a pen?) or a Chicagoan looking for a new “jab,” everyone has an accent, even if you don’t think you have one.

“We all have our own accent, but it’s interesting to see the levels of awareness that people have about what qualifies as an accent or not,” says Adam Cooper, teaching professor and director of linguistics at Northeastern University.

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