Why do people pronounce "Austin" as "Boston" (subdivisions, shop)

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by BriansZ
I always thought Austin and Boston rhymed...

Originally Posted by owlman

me too

Same here.

[Gorfml]

They do...

[Eastcoasting]

I only really notice it when I hear about the Austin Marathon.

As long as no one creates Austin Baked Beans we're all good.

[torero]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Because that's how Stephen F. Austin pronounced it. And he got to say.

If it's a trend, it would have started before I was born, as that's how I've heard it pronounced all my life (no "b" in front, though, I never hear that, I think you may have a hearing problem, OP!), and I'm 63 and lived in Texas all that time.

Seriously, I can't imagine how else it would be pronounced, OP. How would YOU pronounce it, given your druthers?

I don't know... Maybe if each city would be pronounced a little closer to the way it is spelled. Maybe Austin could rhyme with the material of which some cans are made: tin. And Boston could rhyme with the unit of measure: ton. I guess it could be a vowel shift type phenomenon that occurs in linguistics, but I do not know.

Pronunciation of austin - how to pronounce austin correctly.

The above link does give two options to pronounce it, with one souding slightly more "tin" and the other slightly more "ton."

Thanks everyone for the input. I'll try to correct my pronounciation of Austin to match that of everyone else.

[torero]

Originally Posted by Eastcoasting

I only really notice it when I hear about the Austin Marathon.

As long as no one creates Austin Baked Beans we're all good.

Exactly! That is a glaring example. But maybe it is just my ear that is used to hearing Boston Marathon.

[EzPeterson]

Originally Posted by Eastcoasting

I only really notice it when I hear about the Austin Marathon.

As long as no one creates Austin Baked Beans we're all good.

I had a nightmare time trying to book a replacement flight on United's old IVR system one time. Kept trying to direct me to Boston, when I was asking for Austin.

[torero]

Originally Posted by EzPeterson

I had a nightmare time trying to book a replacement flight on United's old IVR system one time. Kept trying to direct me to Boston, when I was asking for Austin.

Thank you! It is comforting to know that I'm in good company (although just a computer!), when it comes to this.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by torero

I don't know... Maybe if each city would be pronounced a little closer to the way it is spelled.

In English, possibly the biggest mistake non-native speakers make. For instance, pronounce the word "wound".

What is probably totally perplexing you is the fact that a native Texan would end Houston and Austin with the same second syllable sound. That's why you have to use context, and not just spelling - as in the example above. Otherwise, Refugio, Mexia, Elgin, Manor and Manchaca wouldn't be pronounced anywhere near the way they are.

[G Grasshopper]

This seems like a strange, self-evident question to me. In American English, the word endings "ton" and "tin" are pronounced the same, because Americans almost always gloss over word endings. And I don't know how else you would say the "Aus" part. I have never heard anyone put a "b" in the front. I think that is your imagination.

[Danbo1957]

It's natively pronounced: "AUGH-stun