Features of the Upstate New York Accent

The Upstate New York accent is rhotic (pronouncing 'r' in all positions). It features a fronted 'a' (like "cat"), a raised 'o' (like "boat"), a merged 'aw' sound (becomes "ah" as in "father"), and a glottal stop often replacing 't' at word ends or before consonants. Examples: "cat" → "caht", "boat" → "boht", "water" → "watah", "button" → "but'n". This accent spans all walks of life in upstate New York.