Eye Dialect for Dummies

Hey there! So, "eye dialect" is a term used to describe the way words are written to represent how they sound in speech. When you see certain words written in a way that reflects how they are pronounced, that's what we call "eye dialect."

Imagine reading a book or a story and coming across a word like "gonna" instead of "going to," or "wanna" instead of "want to." These words are written in a way that shows exactly how we say them when we talk. That's eye dialect in action!

It's kind of like hearing someone speak with a specific accent or dialect, and then seeing those same words written down in a way that captures the unique sound of that person's speech. It's all about showing the spoken language through written words.

And just so you know, "eye dialect" can also refer to the use of nonstandard spelling in writing to convey a dialect. So, when you see words written with different spellings to show how they sound in a particular dialect, that also falls under the umbrella of "eye dialect."