Study: 'Uptalk' Spreads From Valley Girls To Young Men

When there is an upward inflection at the end of a sentence, as if it were a question, that’s called uptalk or upspeak. It’s often referred to as talking like a “valley girls.”

But a new study presented at the Acoustical Society of America by researcher Amanda Ritchart has found that uptalk in Southern California has spread to young men.

Carey Goldberg, co-host of WBUR’s CommonHealth blog, joins Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson and Robin Young to talk about uptalk?

• Study: Do We All Speak Like Valley Girls? Uptalk in Southern Californian English

Guest

• Carey Goldberg, health reporter and co-host of WBUR’s CommonHealth blog. The blog tweets @commonhealth.

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