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A dialect includes more than an accent

Dialect covers vocabulary and grammar as well as pronunciation, while accent focuses on how speech sounds. Describing those differences does not require ranking one group of speakers above another.

3–5 min

Questions you could explore

  • What would count as a vocabulary difference rather than a pronunciation difference?
  • Why can describing variation be more useful than ranking speakers?

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  • Merriam-WebsterDialect

    Merriam-Webster provides a starting definition of dialect; a fuller account can explore its social and linguistic setting.

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Who decides when a new word belongs in a dictionary?

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A dialect includes more than an accent | Speech Topic | speaking.app