People from different regions, cultures, and upbringing speak differently. Even if they speak the same language, they’re most likely speaking it in a distinct way. They have their own style of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.
This is what a dialect is. It’s easy to identify when you’re hearing it from a person, but how do you convey it in a soundless medium such as writing?
What is Eye Dialect?
Eye dialect is the purposeful use of nonstandard spellings to demonstrate how a word is being said. It is a dialect that engages the eyes instead of the ears.
In writing stories with varied elements, you want characters who are memorable and unique, not ones that blend into each to the point that you find it difficult to distinguish them from one another.
Eye dialect can be used to illustrate that diversity. It clues the reader in on the character’s accent, place of origin, mannerisms, level of education, and other possible character traits. For example, many writers replace wh and th with v’s and z’s to demonstrate some German or Slavic accents: “Vat is ze meaning of zis vord?”
Sometimes it is also used to reflect the current physical or mental state of the character. Like how slurred, disorganized dialogue can be used to tell that a character is drunk: “Geroff me! I ain’t d-drunk. I’m ash shober ash you urrr!”
Added elements like these make the characters and their dialogues more believable. It also helps readers visualize them more clearly, making the reading experience better. You can also combine eye dialect with other ways to suggest a character’s speech patterns such as punctuation, altered syntax, and colloquialisms.
Examples of Eye Dialect in Literature
Below are a few examples of eye dialect being used in a variety of literary works.
1. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
In the first scene of Pygmalion, Dr. Henry Higgins overhears Elizabeth Dolittle chastising Freddy in her cockney accent:
Ow, eez ye-ooa san, is e? Wal, fewd dan y' de-ooty bawmz a mather should, eed now bettern to spawl a pore gel's flahrzn than ran awy atbaht pyin. Will ye-oo py me f'them?
It’s a bit difficult to understand, especially when you’re not familiar with her accent. In standard English, this translates as:
Oh, he’s your son, is he? Well, if you’d done your duty as a mother should, he’d know better than to spoil a poor girl’s flowers, then run away without paying. Will you pay me for them?
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Lee uses eye dialect to further solidify the setting of her novel. One scene has a young scout named Jem quizzing his new neighbor, Dill:
“How old are you,” asked Jem, “four-and-a-half?” “Goin‘ on seven.” “Shoot no wonder, then,” said Jem, jerking his thumb at me. “Scout yonder’s been readin‘ ever since she was born, and she ain’t even started to school yet. You look right puny for goin’ on seven.” “I’m little but I’m old,” he said.
By combining phrasing, spelling change, and letter omission, Lee is able to convey to the readers the strong Alabama accent.
3. Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce
James Joyce is known for his prose. Finnegan’s Wake, known as his most challenging work, combines dozens of languages, new and nonsensical words, spelling changes, and even the longest word found in literature:
The fall (bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk!) of a once wallstrait oldparr is retaled early in bed and later on life down through all christian minstrelsy. The great fall of the offwall entailed at such short notice the pftjschute of Finnegan, erse solid man, that the humptyhillhead of humself prumptly sends an unquiring one well to the west in quest of his tumptytumtoes: and their upturnpikepointandplace is at the knock out in the park where oranges have been laid to rust upon the green since devlinsfirst loved livvy.
The above is only a sample of what kind of prose the book contains. It is so unique that it is almost untranslatable in other languages.
The Trouble with Eye Dialects
There are many possible downsides to using eye dialects, the most obvious being the added difficulty in reading them.
Some misspelled words such as enuff, gurl, and cuz can be obvious to readers, but longer or rarely used words can be more difficult to understand. Adding too much also makes the dialogue more unreadable.
Eye dialect also has an unfortunate tendency to make readers think about a character’s education and social status. Many readers might equate less complex dialogue to people who are simple-minded or illiterate. On the other hand, characters with sophisticated speech are seen as refined and intelligent.
Take the comic strip Li’l Abner as an example. Only “rustic” characters have dialogues that contain spellings such as correkt, introduckshun, and lissen. Linguist Denis R. Preston argues that spellings like these “denigrate the speaker so represented by making him or her appear boorish, uneducated, rustic, gangsterish, and so on”.
The largest issue with eye dialect, however, is representing the dialect itself. If done poorly, portraying the speech of certain ethnic and social groups can cause offense.
Using Eye Dialects
Conveying a dialect that isn’t your own can quickly get out of control. You might try so hard to mimic the “foreignness” of it that it comes off as forced, prejudiced, or comical.
Changing or dropping one letter is ok, but altering a word to the point of bafflement is just ridiculous. “I’m tellin’ ya” is preferred compared to “Ahm tellin’ yuz.”
Remember, your readers must still be able to understand a character’s dialogue. Too many changes will have your readers struggling to make sense of what’s being told. This also leads to them having trouble identifying with your characters and following the plot.
And don’t rely too much on any single word to create an impression of an accent. For example, using y’all too many times to express a Southern accent is tiring for the readers. Variety is key.
Make minimum changes to words and phrases. Sprinkle just enough in a dialogue to show that a character is speaking differently. And don’t rely solely on eye dialects to portray diversity—try also using narrative cues, colloquialisms, character mannerisms, and other techniques.
Did you find this post useful? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- Rules for Formatting Dialogue: How to Punctuate and Capitalize Your Characters’ Speech
- How to Craft Realistic Dialogue: Six Dos (and Two Don’ts) for Making Your Dialogue Sound Genuine
- He Said, She Said: Grammar and Options in Dialogue
- How to Write Better Dialogue Tags: Improve Your Novel with Great Dialogue
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
