Why Do Some People Say "Impordant"?

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

Nov 09, 2022

∙ Paid

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”:

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0:00

-0:04

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