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The Fastest And Slowest Talking States In The U.S.

The fastest talkers in the United States are from Oregon, according to a new analysis by the firm Marchex.

In a state-by-state breakdown which studied speech speed, density and patience, the firm found that northern states tended to speak faster, say more words and grow impatient quicker than southern states. However, some, like Florida, stood out as outliers.

Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson speaks with Derek Thompson of The Atlantic for a breakdown.

The fastest talkers by state:

1) Oregon

2) Minnesota

3) Massachusetts

4) Kansas

5) Iowa

The slowest talkers by state:

1) Mississippi

2) Louisiana

3) South Carolina

4) Alabama

5) North Carolina

A farmer in Missouri talking on the phone. (United Soybean Board/Flickr)
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A farmer in Missouri talking on the phone. (United Soybean Board/Flickr)

  • Read more on the study via The Atlantic
  • Guest

  • Derek Thompson, senior editor at The Atlantic. He tweets @DKThomp.
  • Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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