Accent Tag Questions

Did you know that this game originated back in 2000s? It was in 2003 that the Harvard Linguist, Prof. Bert Vaux, posted a series of questions and words on his own website, to determine the dialect differences of regional American Accent.

He wanted to study how people from different regions of the country pronounce different words. And what words are used to describe certain situations in their own regions. Which started as a study, soon became a popular game on the Internet – Accent Tag Questions. This survey has taken a form of viral Internet challenge, which people are loving to play.

How to play this challenge?

There are 2 parts of this game – Accent Tag Questions and Accent Tag Words. In the first part, you will be given a series of questions to answer. And you have to tell what is the best suitable answer used in your region. In the second part of the game, you will be given some words to pronounce. They will be used to study your accent respectively.

Accent Tag Questions

1. What is that thing called with which you change your TV channels with?
2. What word you use to call your grandparents?
3. Who treats accident victims?
4. What word is used to describe a passenger seat next to that of a driver’s?
5. What word you use for a group of people standing together?
6. Who is the one that preach in a church?
7. What do you call your gym shoes?
8. What sounds do birds make?
9. Which thing you wear on your foot when you have to go play soccer?
10. What do you call your shuttle bag?
11. What is that wheeled thing in which you carry groceries and things in a supermarket?
12. When rain falls while sun shines, what do you call that?
13. What do you call a body fragrance?
14. What word you use to describe the food you eat every morning?
15. How do you greet elders every morning?
16. What is the use of a fan?
17. What nick name you use for your spouse?
18. How do you address a group of people?
19. What word you use for someone who pays the bill?
20. Which bug curls into a ball when you touch it?
21. What is the use of a phone?
22. What word is used to call the animals which people keep at home?
23. Which word you use to wish someone good night?
24. Which game is that where people play with feet?
25. What do you call a bubbly carbonated drink?
26. What do you call that person who cooks for you?
27. When you take a short sleep, specially in the afternoon, what do you call that?
28. Which objects lets you see yourself, the way you are?
29. What word you use to refer to your family head?
30. What do you call that insect which has an oval body and extremely long legs?
31. When somebody presses you, what do you say?
32. Where do you use your ATM card most often?
33. How do you greet elderly people when you meet them?
34. Who is your idol whom you pray to?
35. What are Australia’s citizens called?
36. Where do you purchase your groceries from?
37. Where do you go when you have to relax overnight?
38. What word is used to describe a mean that is taken after breakfast, but before lunch?
39. When you fall sick, who becomes your go-to person?
40. What do you call that physical activity which most people do every morning?
41. What do you use to type any message?
42. How do you warm your cold food?
43. Which product do you definitely need in a toilet?
44. What do you call the one who gives advice and teachings in a college?
45. Why would somebody need a knife?
46. What do you call the head of a college?
47. Which device helps you check the time?
48. What thing you need to trim the grass?
49. Which piece of clothing is used by women to tie on the head?
50. Which social network website is the most popular?
51. How do you call your best friend?
52. Why do you need a chair?
53. What is the head of a company called?
54. Who attends you the first when you enter any organization?
55. What word you use to call your mother’s mother?
56. How do you travel from one country to another?
57. What is the use of a pool?
58. Which place is that where you sit to study silently?
59. Who do you need when you have to fight some case?
60. Where do you most often go for having fast food?
61. What do you call when you plan a day out with your friends?
62. What do you need when you have to see in the dark?
63. Which place is that where the food is prepared?
64. What do you wear on your foot before putting on a shoe?
65. What do you do in a bathroom?
66. How do you do your laundry?
67. What do you call people who lead a luxurious life?
68. Where do you go when you have to get medicines?
69. What is that thing called where musicians stand to perform?
70. What do you use when you have to clean your teeth?
71. Which utensil will you use to have water?
72. Where do you dump the trash?
73. What word you use to call a beauty shop?
74. What do you call that water body which is surrounded by land from all sides?
75. What does email stands for?
76. Where do you sit and eat your food?
77. When do you have to use an eyeglass?
78. What do you use to carry lots of small stuff?
79. Which thing helps you save yourself from mosquitoes?
80. What are the people of America called?
81. Who is the son of your brother to you?
82. What does MS Excel stands for?
83. What do you have to obtain, if you want to travel from one country to another.
84. When you wish to apologize to someone, what do you say?
85. What is the night food called?
86. What is your mother’s sister to you?
87. When you want to go to sleep, what do you say?
88. What is the use of a bed?
89. What quenches your thirst when you are very thirsty?
90. Where do you get your visa stamped?

The answer to these questions will help the linguist to study variations in the dialects of different parts of the region. Once these answers are submitted by the participants, they now move to the second round – accent tag words.

Accent Tag Words

Here, a series of some words are given which the participants have to pronounce. This further enhances the study which helps understanding the accent difference of people, who have grown up in different parts of the country or world. Below are some of the words you can use:

class, water, schedule, aunt, vitamin, ball, ballet, tomato, wash, vase, banana, dance, address, route, crayon, pajamas, sure, calendar, envelope, probably, France, data, accept, analysis, theatre, iron, moustache, coupon, garage, figure, advertisement, brazil, address, flag, internet, syrup, roof, rude, oil, cucumber, bowl, vaccine.

This game has become so popular and viral, that millions of people across the world are taking this challenge, and even encouraging others to do so. They are recording their own videos showing them taking up this challenge. If you want to see some of the popular such videos, or want to see how to play this game, all you have to do is go to Youtube, and type “accent tag”. You will notice thousands of videos here.

What is the benefit of this game? People are not linguistics themselves. So what good does it do to them?

People are not really bothered about how to pronounce words in their language. But with the help of this game, they will realize the correct pronunciation and the proper way to speak their own language.