How to Speak With a Pittsburgh Accent

If you're planning to travel to Pittsburgh, or to Western Pennsylvania, you may want to touch up on your "Pittsburghese." Although thought to be incorrect speech or bad grammar in other areas of the country, Pittsburghese is Pittsburgh's own dialect.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Learn the basics. To speak with an accent, it's important to know what everyday life in Pittsburgh entails. Pittsburgh is also known as the "Steel City" and people say "steel" so it sounds like "still." "Da" and "de" take the place of "th" in the beginning of words.
2. Incorporate sports lingo. Football, baseball and hockey are part of Pittsburgh. For football's Steelers you have "Dem Stillers," "Da Pens" or "Da Gwins" for the Penguins hockey team, and none other than the "Pahrts" for Pittsburgh's Pirates.
3. Know where you're going. Places in and around Pittsburgh also take on a different accent. "Ahia" represents one of the three rivers running through Pittsburgh, a boulevard through the city and the neighboring state, all meaning "Ohio." If you travel north out of Pittsburgh to Butler, or "Buh-ler," you'll want to come back to "Da Burgh."
4. Say it, not spell it. The Pittsburgh accent is easier to say than spell. One word may have different spellings, such as "yinz," "yunz" or "younz," but since it's not a standard word in the English language, don't fret over proper the spelling because it's the accent you're going for.
5. Respect Pittsburgh and its residents. Speaking with a Pittsburgh accent is a way to communicate and show your knowledge about the city. Remember that it's best to ask for a pronunciation, rather than guessing.