Donald Trump’s New York accent has subtly shifted over the past five decades

Recent research published in American Speech reveals that Donald Trump's New York accent has subtly evolved over the past five decades, according to a study by scientists who analyzed his speech patterns from 1980 to 2023. Though he has maintained a traditional accent overall, his pronunciation of certain stigmatized vowels has gradually changed, providing insight into how social perceptions of language can influence an individual's speech patterns throughout their life, even for prominent public figures.

Linguists study how speech patterns adapt or remain stable as people age, focusing on lifespan language change to determine if adults continue to adopt new pronunciations as their local community's speech evolves. The research team examined 70 speech events featuring Trump, ranging from a 1980 television interview to a 2023 political video, to track these subtle vocal shifts over time.

They focused on six specific vowels known to be changing in the New York City region, alongside a few stable comparison vowels. The data collection, which extracted measurements for 212,279 distinct vowel sounds, revealed that Trump largely preserved a traditional New York City vowel system throughout his adult life. His pronunciation remained remarkably stable, aligning with his consistent projection of a steadfast persona.

However, the study identified a consistent long-term shift in one specific vowel sound, tracking a steady lowering of the pronunciation of the vowel in words like "thought," "daughter," and "coffee," which are typically pronounced higher in the mouth in a traditional New York accent.