Valerie Fridland

Stop what you're doing and listen to an excerpt from WHY WE TALK FUNNY by Valerie Fridland (@likeliterallydude ), the fun, smart, and "fascinating guide to unlocking the power of your accent" (@scottbarrykaufman )! ⁣🗣️⁣ ⁣ In WHY WE TALK FUNNY, linguist Valerie Fridland uses linguistic science, psychology, and history to explore the evolution of human speech, why accents develop, and how they shape our lives. Along the way, Valarie Fridland emphasizes that accents don't always set us apart but can also bring us together. ⁣ ⁣ If you haven't read WHY WE TALK FUNNY, consider this your sign to pick it up — or give it a listen 🎧

I absolutely loved my conversation with @likeliterallydude author and UNR professor, Valerie Fridland! I’ve always loved learning about the history of words and phrases. Now in her new book she explores accents, both from the linguistic and the social construct, which I find just as fascinating! Since I grew up in the military, I found myself really quick to adapt to the language and dialect of my peers because I wanted to fit in. And even to this day, when I’m around people with a southern accent, I often slip right back into my own drawl without even realizing it. And now, Fridland has a book that explores why that is and so much more. • #localauthor #booksofinstagram #renonv #whywetalkfunny #universityofnevadareno

Award-winning fiction, urgent global narratives, music history, cosmic questions, and the surprising science of how we speak: the latest releases have arrived at The COOP. “James” by Percival Everett, now in paperback. Pulitzer Prize winner, #1 New York Times bestseller, National Book Award winner, and in development as a feature film produced by Steven Spielberg, this bold reimagining of “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” tells the story through Jim’s eyes as he escapes enslavement and journeys toward freedom. “Why Do We Exist?: The Nine Realms of Universe that Make You Possible” by Hakeem Oluseyi with Nils Johnson-Shelton. An astrophysicist blends cutting-edge science, philosophy, and personal narrative to explore humanity’s place in the cosmos through nine interconnected realms of reality. “The Memory Museum” by M Lin. (@the_memory_museum ) In this piercing debut story collection, characters move between China, America, and imagined futures while navigating migration, identity, race, class, and resilience with striking emotional depth. “Small Boat” by Vincent Delecroix, translated by Helen Stevenson (@helenmstevenson ). Inspired by the 2021 English Channel migrant tragedy, this searing novel examines moral failure and collective responsibility through the imagined perspective of a rescue operator who chose not to act. “Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician” by Christoph Wolff, updated edition. Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Biography, this landmark life of Bach returns expanded with new scholarship, offering a vivid portrait of the composer as artist, teacher, and human being. “Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents” by Valerie Fridland (@likeliterallydude ). With wit and insight, this fascinating study reveals how history, psychology, and social belonging shape the accents we hear and the voices we carry. #NewReleases #HarvardCOOP #MITCOOP

Your accent isn’t just how you talk — it’s who you belong to. The new episode of Grammar Girl is up. Mignon Fogarty sits down with linguist Valerie Fridland to unpack the real stories behind our accents — why they’re fading, what they signal about us, and why the brain will literally invent one that isn’t there. The part about hallucinating accents based on someone’s photo? 🤯 Link in bio.

A new book from the Author Valerie Fridland explores the real story behind our accents. It’s called “Why We Talk Funny.” Tune in to our conversation with Fridland this Thursday to hear more. #NewBook #BookTalk #Accents #Linguistics #WhyWeTalkFunny #Radio #RadioWest #Podcast #NewEpisode

Can't believe today is the day! My new book WHY WE TALK FUNNY is officially out in the world! WHY WE TALK FUNNY is the story of language, the story of humanity. I reveal the secrets of what linguistic science, psychology, and history can tell us about the evolution of human speech, why accents develop, and how they shape our lives. Whether it's the accent that hints at your hometown, your social status, or your ethnicity, the sounds of our words reveal a lot about who we are and where we’ve been – even for those who might think they have no accent at all.⁣ Pick up this fun and surprising dive into the past, present, and future of accents today!

The countdown begins! Less than 3 weeks until my new book, Why We Talk Funny, is released with @vikingbooks . In WWTF, we'll follow the accent trail back in time to the ancient accents that spawned our own and also back in life to how our own accents emerge. We'll also come to understand the history behind why we hear place, race, nation, and class in the sounds people say. I hope you'll join me on this accent journey!

Who's that one person in your life with the poshest telephone voice? 👀 Here's a short preview of this week's episode. Valerie Fridland is a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada, Reno, and author of Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English. With decades of research into how language actually works in the real world, she's dedicated to dismantling the myths and judgments we carry about speech patterns. Through accessible science and cultural analysis, Valerie helps people understand that the vocal habits they've been told to eliminate are often markers of connection, adaptability, and social intelligence. If you don't know where to find Awaken Out Of Context by now, we're not friends (link in bio) x

Good vibes only at the 2025 Nevada Women’s Fund Luncheon, a truly inspiring afternoon dedicated to celebrating the achievements of exceptional women across our state. Among the incredible honorees was the College of Liberal Arts’ very own Dr. Valerie Fridland, recognized as one of the two University awardees. Dean Isabelli proudly joined Dr. Fridland for the celebration, connecting with community leaders and fellow supporters of women’s empowerment along the way. It was an afternoon filled with inspiration, recognition and powerful conversations about the future we’re building together. #NevadaWomensFund #WomenOfAchievement2025 #CollegeOfLiberalArts #ValerieFridland #WomenInLeadership #EmpoweredWomenEmpowerWomen#LiberalArtsLeadership #CommunityCelebration #SupportWomen #UNR #GoodVibesOnly #NevadaStrong

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Valerie Fridland, faculty member in the English Department, has been selected as one of the two University of Nevada Reno’s representatives for the Nevada Woman of Achievement award! 🎉 Her dedication, hard work, and commitment to both the Wolf Pack Family, her research and the College of Liberal Arts community have truly made an impact. 🐺 #WolfPackPride #WomenOfAchievement #UNR #Inspiration

Congratulations to Dr. Valerie Fridland, faculty member in the English Department, on receiving the Outstanding Researcher Award from the University of Nevada, Reno! Your groundbreaking work in American dialectology, regional vowel variation, and the intersection of gender, ethnicity, and language is truly inspiring. Keep doing amazing things! #Research #Linguistics #AcademicAchievement

Our tendency to drag our feet and exaggerate our timeliness has shifted the meaning of these words over time. Check out the full story behind our words for time in my latest for Psychology Today: http://bit.ly/ravages-of-time