Dialect and Accent Discrimination

The way we speak — our accent and dialect — is one of the most immediate markers of our social identity. It signals where we are from, what social class we belong to, and often (rightly or wrongly) how educated, intelligent, and trustworthy we are perceived to be. This lesson examines linguistic prejudice, the research that exposes it, and the arguments for and against greater linguistic equality.

---

What Is Linguistic Prejudice?

Linguistic prejudice (also called linguicism) is discrimination based on a person's language variety — their accent, dialect, or use of a minority language. Unlike other forms of prejudice (racism, sexism, homophobia), linguistic prejudice is widely regarded as socially acceptable. People who would never publicly express racial or gender prejudice will freely describe certain accents as "ugly," "stupid," "lazy," or "common."

Key Definition: Linguistic prejudice (linguicism) — discrimination against a person or group based on their language variety, accent, or dialect. The term was coined by Tove Skutnabb-Kangas (1988) on the model of "racism" and "sexism," to highlight that language-based discrimination is a form of social injustice.