As the Latino population grows in southwest Kansas, youths are developing a new accent

Residents in southwest Kansas are starting to speak with a distinct, new accent as the Latino population continues to grow — and the accent is most prominent among young people.

A research team at Kansas State University has found that as demographics change in the region, the way people speak English also changes.

The team is calling this new way of speaking a “Liberal accent” or “Liberal sound.” Liberal is a Seward County, Kansas, town of about 25,000 people. About 59 percent of the town’s population was Hispanic or Latino in 2010, according to the U.S. Census. Just a couple of decades ago, Liberal’s population was about 20 percent Latino, the K-State news release says.

The sound change, which lead researcher Mary Kohn calls a “Latino-English” sound, is more prominent in youths — including those who do not speak Spanish.

Read more: Wichita Eagle.