Are there different accents within the Boston area like a north end, Dorchester, and cambridge (Somerville: neighborhood)

[NJ Brazen_3133]

Are there different accents within Boston and metro area much like the NYC metro? Does the north end, southie, Harvard U area, or Somerville all have their own accents?

I found this vid of a person from the north end. It sounds very similar to the NYC italian accent. It does not sound like Ben Affleck's accent in "the Town"


Tough Guy from Boston's North End (from AMERICAN TONGUES) - YouTube

[BHboston]

Yes, accents vary across the area. There are different clusters (Dorchester/Southie, Everett/Revere, "North Shore," etc.) but whether or not someone has a particular strain of the Boston accent (or any accent at all, for that matter) can vary quite a bit based on their age, ethnicity, upbringing etc. That being said, I can't say I've ever really heard anyone talk like the guy featured in that video.

[Bob Lanata]

I remember many years ago, listening to a WBZ radio talk (tock) show where folks from Boston and the area would call in, and just by talking to this guest, he could tell what neighborhood you come from. Not only from what area, but close to the street you grew up on.

That video you posted did not even sound as thick as some of the accents that I have heard from North Enders. It did not sound like what I remember thier accent to be. That also reminded me of the 80's. I cannot speak on the Charlestown accent as I have only heard it a few times. I grew up in Hyde Park "HIGH PAAHK"

[9162]

These accents sound exaggerated, actually not necessarily traditional, more low class slang. Not sure why people make such a big deal out of Boston accents, when there are people in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Georgia, etc that really sound horrible.

[NJ Brazen_3133]

I am not saying boston accent sounds horrible. TNT was showing "The Town" and the accent are a heavy part of the movie. So I looked it up on youtube, and found that vid. In that vid, the guy sounds like he is from NYC, and nothing like the movie. So I was curious

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by BHboston

Yes, accents vary across the area. There are different clusters (Dorchester/Southie, Everett/Revere, "North Shore," etc.) but whether or not someone has a particular strain of the Boston accent (or any accent at all, for that matter) can vary quite a bit based on their age, ethnicity, upbringing etc. That being said, I can't say I've ever really heard anyone talk like the guy featured in that video.

Everybody has an accent.

[TAM88]

Originally Posted by NJ Brazen_3133

I am not saying boston accent sounds horrible. TNT was showing "The Town" and the accent are a heavy part of the movie. So I looked it up on youtube, and found that vid. In that vid, the guy sounds like he is from NYC, and nothing like the movie. So I was curious

The Boston accent is one that Hollywood has generally gotten wrong over the years.

It's funny that whenever I travel outside of the area and I tell people that I live in Boston, they always ask me to say car, or park your car in Harvard yard.

Depending on where you go in this area, most people don't have as thick an accent as many would believe.

[missionhill]

With all the radio, TV, movies, etc. modeling standardized American English, plus all the moving in and out over the years of large numbers of people, it's a wonder any regional accent persists, much less accents specific to Charlestown or Dorchester, etc. Same for the NY-NJ area-- no one in Brooklyn or anywhere else says "toity-toid 'n toid" any more.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by Bob Lanata

I remember many years ago, listening to a WBZ radio talk (tock) show where folks from Boston and the area would call in, and just by talking to this guest, he could tell what neighborhood you come from. Not only from what area, but close to the street you grew up on.

I'm a far cry from the guest on that show. No way that I'd be able to associate variations of the accent to particular local areas, but I am aware that variations exist.

A few I've noticed are:

People often talk about dropped "r"'s, but many Bostonians also have a tendency to add "r"'s where they don't belong, like pronouncing the name Lisa as "Leesser." I've noticed that some people display a more pronounced use of this speech pattern than others.

The soft "a" sound pronounced more like "ah." In particular I've noticed that some people pronounce a certain part of the anatomy in this way, sort of like "aahss." I've wondered whether that might be a vestige of the old word "arse," The only time I've heard that pronunciation from someone when I knew where the person lived, the guy was from Chelsea. Since I haven't known the area of residence of anyone else I've ever heard use this pronunciation, I have no idea whether it's associated with certain localities, or if so, which ones.

I've heard some people pronounce the "r" sound at the beginning of words as kind of an "r," "v," "h" combination. "The weather for our day at the beach was rvheally grvheat."

Generally, the accent in whatever variation seems to be very, very diluted (possibly sometimes even nonexistent) in most suburbs (the exceptions being somewhat urban and/or blue collar suburbs as opposed to towns with a quintessentially suburban feel, and among older individuals who grew up in the area before the accent began to fade in many locales).