Ope! Are we losing our Midwestern accent?

Green Bay, Wis. (WGBW) – Whether it’s the rounded “O’s” or the classic “ope!”, the Midwestern accent is a staple of Wisconsin life. But is our unique way of speaking actually fading away?

A recent study by the linguistic website Word Finder surveyed Americans to find out which regional accents are being used less frequently—and why.

The Accents on the Decline

According to the survey, the two regional speech patterns seeing the biggest decline are:

Many respondents noted that they consciously “veer away” from these local dialects. The reasons? Most often, it’s an effort to avoid regional stereotypes or to sound more “professional” in workplace settings.

How Wisconsin Ranks

Good news for Wisconsinites: our Midwestern accent ranked quite low on the list of disappearing dialects. Meaning, we tend to speak the way we always have no matter where we go, don’t ‘cha know.

However, the study did note one shift: the Great “Pop vs. Soda” Divide. It appears that the hard line between these two terms has softened over the years.

The Verdict

While the study didn’t weigh in on our use of the word “bubbler” for a drinking fountain, it seems the Midwestern charm is here to stay for now. As for the rest? “I dunno, ya know… who knowsss.”