Why Do Some People Say "Impordant"?

Plus, features of Black English that are rooted in white dialects.

Aretha Franklin at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 1968. Earlier that year she released the album Lady Soul, including the song “Ain’t No Way.”

This week, inquiring minds, such as that of April Redford Eby, want to know about things such as:

For the past couple of years I’ve noticed that some people are saying “important” differently, but I can’t pin it down to a specific geographical area. It always strikes me when I hear it, and I turn it over and over in my mouth. The other day I broached this with my (79-year-old) dad, who was immediately electrified with fervor (haha!) and I was so thrilled that someone else had noticed this! But we still don’t know why.

She included a recording, and what she means is people saying “impordant” rather than “important”: