Features of the Southern American Dialect

This paper examines the frequency of the Southern American dialect in the modern context. The American series 'True Detective' set in Louisiana was analyzed for dialectal features. The results were categorized into: merger of /e/ and /ɪ/, monophthongization of /aɪ/, Southern drawl, loss of postvocalic /r/, unstressed nasal /ŋ/, dropping of plosive /d/, dropping of fricative /h/, and dropping of fricative /ð/. The findings indicate that the merger of /e/ and /ɪ/ and the Southern drawl are becoming less frequent in modern speech, suggesting ongoing phonetic change in the dialect. The study contributes to understanding phonetic changes and media representation of the Southern American dialect.