Relationships & Partners and Writing Skills Tips. (A Writing Advice Guide Book

Dialect And Slang

Dialect And Slang Lessons

You don't know nothing about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter. That book was made by Mr.
Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary.
-Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The opening of Huckleberry Finn is a classic example of the richness of dialect. The narrator, Huckleberry, tells the story in his natural speech, Southern style. This is Huck's dialect.
We learn our dialect from the people we grow up with. Hearing their language, we adopt it as our own. There are hundreds of dialects just within the United States. Before continuing, we should distinguish between dialect and Standard English. In most countries, there is a standard dialect. In the United States, this is called Standard English, which represents "the correct way" to speak and write. However, most of us speak our own dialects, which differ in vocabulary, pronunciation and syntax.

Many of our slang words and expressions are born of dialect. The word 'dude, for example, originated during the Westward movement. It meant "an Easterner or city person staying in the West." Now, in many parts, 'dude is slang for "person," or "you."

The proper use of dialect can enrich your writing. In Huck Finn, the Southern dialect adds believability and charm to the character of Huck. He can say "you don't know nothing," and we understand him. This makes dialect useful for dialogue; after all, people usually don't speak in Standard English! However, in writing avoid dialect unless it's used for a purpose. For example, in an essay about Mercury, you don't want to say,

-Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. It would be a drag to live there.

Writing Exercise Prompt
1. Rewrite the Huck Finn passage, replacing Southern dialect with Standard English.

Writing Exercise Prompt
2. In a small group, brainstorm a list of dialectical and slang phrases. Beside each word or phrase, write down its source. Where did you hear it first? Do you know its origin?

Using Dialect in A Story—Writing Exercise Prompt
3. Write a one-page story that uses plenty of dialect. The narrator should be close to your own age. The dialect doesn't need to be regional, as long as it's accurate.