The Curious Case of 'Warsh': The American Dialect That Adds an 'R' to 'Wash'
Key Details
- The pronunciation of "wash" as "warsh" is associated with certain American dialects.
- Linguists attribute the origin of the intrusive "r" to the migration of Scotch-Irish people to the South Midland U.S. starting in the late 18th century.
- The pronunciation is found in parts of Appalachia, from Baltimore to Southern Ohio, up to Michigan, and to Washington state.
- The pronunciation is more common among older speakers and is declining in use.
The Linguistic Phenomenon
The process of adding an "r" sound is called coarticulation, where the "sh" sound influences the preceding vowel. This linguistic quirk appears in late 19th-century literature, including an 1875 paper and an 1897 poem.
The "r" sound in American English is rare, used by less than 1% of the world's languages.
Voices on the Accent
Patricia T. O'Conner, an author and language commentator, recalled her grandmother saying "warshed."
Paul E. Reed, associate professor of phonetics at the University of Alabama, said the Scotch-Irish were "super 'r-full'" — meaning they pronounced the "r" sound with particular emphasis. He explained the pronunciation persists because of "rootedness" and local attachment.
Robin Dodsworth, professor in linguistics at North Carolina State University, noted that the pronunciation is less frequent in the Midlands area where it may have started.
Nicole Holliday, acting associate professor of linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, summed up the complexity simply: "'Rs' are just a mess."
Cultural Touchpoints
- The pronunciation appears in the song "Rain is a Good Thing" by Luke Bryan
- The late U.S. Sen. John McCain used the pronunciation for "Warshington"
- The accent features in films by John Waters and in the show "American Horror Story"