valleyspeak
Like, totally vocal
Valleyspeak is a speech style associated with Southern California's San Fernando Valley, stereotypically used by young women.
It features vocal fry, high rising intonation on statements, and filler words like like, totally, whatever, and oh my God.
The style spread through popular culture in the 1980s and has influenced American teenage speech broadly: She was like, totally freaking out.
Language variety by group
- uptalkStatement-ending pitch rise
- intonationPitch variation in speech
- inflectionWord form alteration
- cadenceRhythmic pulse or pattern
Comparable to, or enjoy
Teen loiterer at shops
- EncinoLos Angeles community
- 1980sFourth-to-last twentieth-century decade
- materialismPrioritizing goods over spirit
- consumerismPreoccupation with acquiring goods
airhead · vapid · preppy · Galleria · pop-culture · stereotype · caricature · parody
sociolect
Language variety by group
- uptalkStatement-ending pitch rise
- intonationPitch variation in speech
- inflectionWord form alteration
cadence · vernacular · lingo · regionalism · sociolinguistics
like
Comparable to, or enjoy
mallrat
Teen loiterer at shops
- EncinoLos Angeles community
- 1980sFourth-to-last twentieth-century decade
- materialismPrioritizing goods over spirit
consumerism · airhead · vapid · preppy · Galleria · pop-culture · stereotype · caricature · parody
valleyspeakformal speech
Prepared public address
Standard English · Queen's English · academic discourse · professional language · business English
valley, valleys, speak, speaks, spoken, speaking, speaker, speakers