Earlier this year, an Eastern Kentucky voice was heard all over TikTok. “Shh, don’t bother me,” the voice, accented with tones of Appalachia, said. “I’m having enrichment time in my enclosure.” The ...

The project includes hundreds of audio samples, including recordings from 54 Kentucky counties. An accent isn't just the way you pronounce words, but a representation of the community you're apart of.

I never thought I would move to the South and still have people comment on my accent daily. Realizing it is a pure Appalachian Kentucky accent and very “thick,” as they say, I have never even begun to ...