Joey Stanley
@joeystanley.com
Sociolinguist at BYU. American English (Utah, Georgia, and Latter-day Saints), mostly vowels, some methods. Organist, bread maker, fan of succulents, beginning knitter.
joeystanley.com
joeystanley.com
Reposted by Joey Stanley
If you have a regional accent, please never try to get rid of it. Accents tell stories.
November 7, 2025 at 8:30 PM
If you have a regional accent, please never try to get rid of it. Accents tell stories.
Reposted by Joey Stanley
Y'all know what to do!
November 1, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Y'all know what to do!
Reposted by Joey Stanley
I recently realized that this month is the twentieth (!) blogiversary of Arrant Pedantry. My posting frequency has been pretty bad the last few years as I've dealt with health problems, pandemic burnout, and regular burnout, but I wanted to mark the occasion by sharing some of my favorite posts.
October 31, 2025 at 7:05 PM
I recently realized that this month is the twentieth (!) blogiversary of Arrant Pedantry. My posting frequency has been pretty bad the last few years as I've dealt with health problems, pandemic burnout, and regular burnout, but I wanted to mark the occasion by sharing some of my favorite posts.
I knew I was looking at AI-generated student work when the supposed linguistic data they were reporting on was normally distributed.
Newest LLM tell/quirk in coding assignments this semester: instead of generating code based on the CSVs that I provide, LLMs have been inventing datasets with rnorm() and sample() (and an obligatory set.seed(42)) and then making plots with the fake data.
I'm so tired.
I'm so tired.
October 31, 2025 at 1:56 AM
I knew I was looking at AI-generated student work when the supposed linguistic data they were reporting on was normally distributed.
I put together this brief guide for myself to keep track of FORCE, NORTH, START, and (surprise!) CLOTH. It might be helpful for you too if you work with lower back prerhotic vowels. joeystanley.com/blog/north-f...
FORCE, NORTH, CLOTH, and START – Joey Stanley
joeystanley.com
October 27, 2025 at 8:09 PM
I put together this brief guide for myself to keep track of FORCE, NORTH, START, and (surprise!) CLOTH. It might be helpful for you too if you work with lower back prerhotic vowels. joeystanley.com/blog/north-f...
Does anyone else have a vowel quality distinction in "hearty"-"Hardy" or "carted"-"carded"? Like if the following consonant is voiceless, it's higher (and shorter)?
To me, it's akin to the "writer"-"rider" or "cited"-"sided" thing that I and others have.
To me, it's akin to the "writer"-"rider" or "cited"-"sided" thing that I and others have.
October 24, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Does anyone else have a vowel quality distinction in "hearty"-"Hardy" or "carted"-"carded"? Like if the following consonant is voiceless, it's higher (and shorter)?
To me, it's akin to the "writer"-"rider" or "cited"-"sided" thing that I and others have.
To me, it's akin to the "writer"-"rider" or "cited"-"sided" thing that I and others have.
In "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream", I have vowel quality, vowel length, stress, and possibly aspiration differences going on (e.g. [ˈaɪ̯ ˌskɹiːm] vs. [ˈəˑɪ̯s.kʰɹiːm]). Like, the joke didn't even land for me as a kid. Are they truly homophonous for some people?
October 24, 2025 at 8:31 AM
In "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream", I have vowel quality, vowel length, stress, and possibly aspiration differences going on (e.g. [ˈaɪ̯ ˌskɹiːm] vs. [ˈəˑɪ̯s.kʰɹiːm]). Like, the joke didn't even land for me as a kid. Are they truly homophonous for some people?
So I guess we’re just going to have to live with the super bright headlights then, huh?
October 24, 2025 at 3:47 AM
So I guess we’re just going to have to live with the super bright headlights then, huh?
I'm enjoying scrolling through TikToks of British comedians to finding the best videos to show in class and having that count as work.
This is my first time teaching Varieties of English since the British Library cyberattack. I didn't realize how much I relied on it for audio. If anyone has recordings (or preferably, TikToks that I can download) featuring regional British accents, I'd love to get a copy.
October 23, 2025 at 7:53 PM
I'm enjoying scrolling through TikToks of British comedians to finding the best videos to show in class and having that count as work.
Reposted by Joey Stanley
The department of #CognitiveScience at @jhu.edu is seeking motivated students interested in joining our PhD program -- including #sociophonetics in my lab! Applications due 1 Dec; for those interested, we have an Application Mentoring Program thanks to current grads. See flyer for QR link.
October 22, 2025 at 12:56 AM
The department of #CognitiveScience at @jhu.edu is seeking motivated students interested in joining our PhD program -- including #sociophonetics in my lab! Applications due 1 Dec; for those interested, we have an Application Mentoring Program thanks to current grads. See flyer for QR link.
After talking about density plots today, I moved on to violin plots and, in a genuine no-pun-intended moment, I said "plot twist: it's just a density plot turned on its side." It was hilarious. And then someone made this for me.
October 20, 2025 at 7:46 PM
After talking about density plots today, I moved on to violin plots and, in a genuine no-pun-intended moment, I said "plot twist: it's just a density plot turned on its side." It was hilarious. And then someone made this for me.
Maybe it’s because I literally do research for my job, but I hate the “[here’s some interesting thing I noticed] and that needs to be studied” trend on social media recently.
October 19, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Maybe it’s because I literally do research for my job, but I hate the “[here’s some interesting thing I noticed] and that needs to be studied” trend on social media recently.
Reposted by Joey Stanley
#Linguistics at the University of Georgia is hiring a tenure-track faculty member in #phonetics and #phonology. Spread the word and let me know if you have questions!
linguistlist.org/issues/36/31...
linguistlist.org/issues/36/31...
LINGUIST List 36.3129 Jobs: Phonetics, Phonology: Assistant Professor in Phonetics and Phonology, University of Georgia
The LINGUIST List, International Linguistics Community Online.
linguistlist.org
October 17, 2025 at 2:59 PM
#Linguistics at the University of Georgia is hiring a tenure-track faculty member in #phonetics and #phonology. Spread the word and let me know if you have questions!
linguistlist.org/issues/36/31...
linguistlist.org/issues/36/31...
It was SUCH AN HONOR to speak in the Michigan State University Linguistics Colloquium Series and hang out with their awesome faculty and students! Beautiful weather and beautiful campus!
I forgot to take a decent photo of so here's an awkward one of me with a scoop of the Spartan Swirl ice cream.
I forgot to take a decent photo of so here's an awkward one of me with a scoop of the Spartan Swirl ice cream.
October 18, 2025 at 12:37 AM
It was SUCH AN HONOR to speak in the Michigan State University Linguistics Colloquium Series and hang out with their awesome faculty and students! Beautiful weather and beautiful campus!
I forgot to take a decent photo of so here's an awkward one of me with a scoop of the Spartan Swirl ice cream.
I forgot to take a decent photo of so here's an awkward one of me with a scoop of the Spartan Swirl ice cream.
Reposted by Joey Stanley
Postdoc in #sociolinguistics jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabeli...
Postdoctoral position in Sociolinguistics at TRANSITION – Center for Changing Urban and Rural Lives (Center of Excellence), University of Copenhagen
jobportal.ku.dk
October 15, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Postdoc in #sociolinguistics jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabeli...
This is my first time teaching Varieties of English since the British Library cyberattack. I didn't realize how much I relied on it for audio. If anyone has recordings (or preferably, TikToks that I can download) featuring regional British accents, I'd love to get a copy.
October 15, 2025 at 8:41 PM
This is my first time teaching Varieties of English since the British Library cyberattack. I didn't realize how much I relied on it for audio. If anyone has recordings (or preferably, TikToks that I can download) featuring regional British accents, I'd love to get a copy.
It’s just free variation.
In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand
I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.
I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.
October 13, 2025 at 12:26 PM
It’s just free variation.
The box we use for our Halloween decorations is about 10 years old and I can tell because it’s an Amazon box that was originally sealed with Amazon Fire phone packing tape.
October 5, 2025 at 3:16 PM
The box we use for our Halloween decorations is about 10 years old and I can tell because it’s an Amazon box that was originally sealed with Amazon Fire phone packing tape.
It’d be cool to have a Midwest grammar toggle and make this say “needs charged” instead.
September 26, 2025 at 1:30 PM
It’d be cool to have a Midwest grammar toggle and make this say “needs charged” instead.
✅ Submit tenure portfolio.
September 24, 2025 at 8:18 PM
✅ Submit tenure portfolio.
Every time I teach about surveys, I have students spend time in class making the worst survey imaginable. Fluorescent colors, random images, terrible question design. They LOVE it. And what they don't know is that they're learning a lot about how to make surveys in the process.
September 24, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Every time I teach about surveys, I have students spend time in class making the worst survey imaginable. Fluorescent colors, random images, terrible question design. They LOVE it. And what they don't know is that they're learning a lot about how to make surveys in the process.
Footage of me getting my 7x7 cube in the mail today.
September 18, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Footage of me getting my 7x7 cube in the mail today.
![Comic. PERSON 1: That movie was so good. Maybe even the greatest movie of all time question mark? PERSON 2: Yeah comma, but you said that about italics *Charlie’s Angels Colon: Full Throttle* period. Paragraph break. I question your judgement period. [caption] When people say “question mark” out loud as a rhetorical device, it always makes me want to say my other punctuation and formatting too.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreihxesft4pcq3aeu62qofxlnddonvqehkf7o2n4kwtot3a6zh6qj6y@jpeg)
10% of my students in one class (3/27) didn't know how to "right click" on their laptops.
September 18, 2025 at 10:15 PM
10% of my students in one class (3/27) didn't know how to "right click" on their laptops.