Denfeld class of 1992 used to illustrate Minnesota accent on TikTok

@marcus200113 This video is from Duluth-Denfeld Hs in 1992. Really no breakdown needed. Listen to how the first girl says “about” and how the 2nd kid speaks generally. Those two have the thickest accents. But as you guys have pointed out, the way they pronounce their vowels makes the accent #minnesota #duluth #linguistics ♬ original sound – marcus2001

A clip from a 34-year-old Denfeld High School class video has accumulated more than 2.2 million views on TikTok in two days. TikTok user “marcus2001” posted the clip with the headline “Different U.S. accents part 141: Minnesota (Duluth).”

Indeed, the entire TikTok account consists of posts highlighting various American accents, beginning with a clip on July 27 featuring North Carolina.

The source video for the Duluth post appeared in its entirety on Perfect Duluth Day in 2017 in the post “Video Archive: Denfeld Class of 1992.”

The TikTok post description reads:

This video is from Duluth-Denfeld Hs in 1992. Really no breakdown needed. Listen to how the first girl says “about” and how the 2nd kid speaks generally. Those two have the thickest accents. But as you guys have pointed out, the way they pronounce their vowels makes the accent #minnesota #duluth #linguistics

Below are notes churned up in TikTok’s artificial intelligence-generated description:

Lead
This short clip from Duluth-Denfeld High School in 1992 captures local Minnesota speech features, with two speakers standing out for their strong regional accent. The most noticeable features are vowel shapes and the way the word “about” is pronounced.

Body
What to listen for
– The first girl’s pronunciation of “about”: note the vowel quality and glide that many perceive as the stereotypical Minnesotan rendering.
– The second student’s general speech patterns: vowel targets, rhythm, and intonation that mark a Duluth/Upper Midwest accent.

Why these features matter
– Vowel pronunciation: The clip demonstrates regional vowel realizations that differentiate Duluth speech from General American. These shifts are central to identifying a Minnesota accent.
– Intonation and pacing: Beyond single words, the speakers’ overall cadence contributes to the local sound.