Pronunciation of towns/cities (Boston, Cambridge: bars, rated, island)

[LexWest]

Originally Posted by rranger

Not really, since any number of the presumptuous "pronunciations" is wrong:

Boston - pronounced Baws-tin by everybody I know - both local and non-local alike (like me). I have never met anyone who pronounces it Bahs-tin (except in very bad movie accents).

Raynham - Don't know why this is such a hot button in discussions on this fourm (I saw it mentioned somewhere), correctly pronounced Rayn-um (including in Bristol County itself). Don't know where this Rayn-ham stuff is coming from. In fairness, there might be people who say that, but I've never met them.

Taunton - Similarly, Taunton can be pronounced either as Tawn-tun or Tahn-tun (reserved only for those semi-literate locals who say things like "I'm going to the dawk-ta 'cause I have the flu.")

Worcester - Variously pronounced Wis-ta, Woos-ta, Woos-ter. Anything goes except Wor-cester or - worse yet - Wor-chester, in which case you get whatever response you get (and deserve)!

I think it will vary, although I don't see the difference between "Bawstin", "Bahstin", (unless you're purposely putting more emphasis on the "ah"); (at least, in my mind), "ah" and "aw" don't really sound different. Depending on how an individual reads them, they could come up with the same sound for both. This is something one would actually have to hear to make sense, because of the variety of interpretation.

If you do find a better site, I would like to know. I'm open to suggestions.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by rranger

Raynham - Don't know why this is such a hot button in discussions on this fourm (I saw it mentioned somewhere), correctly pronounced Rayn-um (including in Bristol County itself). Don't know where this Rayn-ham stuff is coming from. In fairness, there might be people who say that, but I've never met them.

Lived in next town over and never heard it pronounced "Rayn-ham" once. It could just be those "real Yankees" have gone into hiding though.

[NEOhioBound]

The pronunciation of "Worcester" really gets my goat lol. Isn't pronounced at all like it is spelled. Makes me wonder if people just got lazy about how it should actually be pronounced from what it originally sounded like when the town was named.

I also can not stand the way my TomTom says "Dartmouth" She always say "Day-art-math"

[Verseau]

Originally Posted by NEOhioBound

The pronunciation of "Worcester" really gets my goat lol. Isn't pronounced at all like it is spelled. Makes me wonder if people just got lazy about how it should actually be pronounced from what it originally sounded like when the town was named.

Worcester was named after the city in England, which was already pronounced as it is today when Worcester MA was settled.

Place names in England have had hundreds or thousands of years to evolve, largely predating widespread literacy. That's why many city names of English origin don't sound exactly as they're spelled.

Although "Worcester" was most likely pronounced in a more phonetic manner at one point in time, the name had already undergone significant change before this spelling was officialized: Wireceastre, from Old English Wigranceastre, from Latin Weogorna civitas, from Weogora, the name of a local tribe which meant "from the winding river" in their Celtic language.

[rranger]

Originally Posted by NEOhioBound

The pronunciation of "Worcester" really gets my goat lol. Isn't pronounced at all like it is spelled. Makes me wonder if people just got lazy about how it should actually be pronounced from what it originally sounded like when the town was named.

I also can not stand the way my TomTom says "Dartmouth" She always say "Day-art-math"

You see, it's a city in England - and there it is pronounced precisely as it is in MA - Wooster (just like the town in Ohio). If that drives you nuts, don't ever try to pronounce Leicester!

[rranger]

Originally Posted by LexWest

I think it will vary, although I don't see the difference between "Bawstin", "Bahstin", (unless you're purposely putting more emphasis on the "ah"); (at least, in my mind), "ah" and "aw" don't really sound different. Depending on how an individual reads them, they could come up with the same sound for both. This is something one would actually have to hear to make sense, because of the variety of interpretation.

If you do find a better site, I would like to know. I'm open to suggestions.

Bawstin and Bahstin are completely different pronunciations - time for that overdue hearing test

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by rranger

don't ever try to pronounce Leicester!

:: waves arms frantically ::

I know that one! I know that one!!

Well, at least I do NOW. I didn't last week.

[rranger]

Originally Posted by DandJ

:: waves arms frantically ::

I know that one! I know that one!!

Well, at least I do NOW. I didn't last week.

Lester or Lestah . Again, same as in England.

FYI: Not a Massachusetts city, but Warwick, RI is pronounced either Waw-wick or Warwick, which - oddly - is NOT the way it is pronounced in England, where it's pronounced Warrick. Ever more confusing, I know!

[elhelmete]

Berlin = BER lin, right?

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by elhelmete

Berlin = BER lin, right?

Oh! Funny, there's a Berlin in CT also, and the first time I heard it pronounced on the news as BER-lin, I was all, "Whaaaaat?" It's probably like that in MA, too. Y'know... just to throw me off again.