Influences on accents go far beyond regional upbringing. Credit: Deposit Photos

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Regional accents in the United States are far more complicated than their oversimplified stereotypes . Take that reductive “Southern” twang heard so often across pop culture. Researchers routinely identify significant differences throughout the region, with variants including Appalachian, Ozark, Coastal Southern, Louisiana Cajun, and many more. These geographic dialects evolve through a complex combination of cultures, demographics, ancestry, and class, but growing evidence indicates there’s even more to it.…