General American


![Diphthongs of typical Midwestern English, from Mannell, Cox & Harrington (2009b).• When monophthongized, /eɪ/ and /oʊ/ tend to be closer to cardinal [e] and [o], respectively.• For many speakers, the first element of /aʊ/ is more front than what appears on this chart.](/uploads/202501/15/Midwestern_American_English_diphthongs_chart.svg3210.png)
General American (abbreviated as GA or GenAm) is an umbrella variety of American English—a continuum of accents—commonly attributed to a majority of Americans and popularly perceived, among Americans, as lacking any notably regional, ethnic, or socioeconomic characteristics. Due to the prevalence of a General American sound system throughout the United States, General American is sometimes, though controversially, known as Standard American English.