How do you pronounce "Massachusetts"? (Boston, Worcester: stations, career)

[tribechamy]

At first I thought, "S, of course, who pronounces it with the Z?" But after listening to myself, I realize I do. I also visit muzams and Quinzy market.

Actually what I say is more like "Mass-ah-choo-zih's". I don't pronounce the Ts and the E is more like a short I like "its" but that's barely pronounced either. Like many born & raised New Englanders I swallow final syllables of words.

Who's the broadcaster? Maybe they are Italian or have family origins in NY/NJ? Ending with a -zetts sounds kind of New York-y.

[accufitgolf]

Is it Pee-body or Pee-buddy? Is it I got to pee...I got to wizz...I got to go the basement?

[western mass and love it]

It is Peebiddy....grown ups don't say either pee or whiz.....we say we have to use the bathroom.....And I have always used the word basement.


As far as Massachusetts....I say it like Mass a choose its. Not a real z sound but more like the word choose. But I do say Quinzy.

[Glacierx]

Massive chew shh its.

[BruinsFan91]

It's certainly not with a Z

[Newdaawn]

Mass a chu setts There is no e at the end before the s

I lived there for 19 years while growing up.

[in_newengland]

Life long resident here and it's S, not Z.

I was told back in WMass by an EMass person that Quincy was with a Z. She was disgusted that we were saying Quinsy. The person who told me was about 75 years old back in 1980 when she told me btw so that goes back a ways.

[accufitgolf]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

Life long resident here and it's S, not Z.

I was told back in WMass by an EMass person that Quincy was with a Z. She was disgusted that we were saying Quinsy. The person who told me was about 75 years old back in 1980 when she told me btw so that goes back a ways.

I say it is Quinn-zee not Quinn-see. Let us try phonetic spelling for pronunciation discussions. Makes for an easier definition.

I am from MA and my wife is from SC. When we first met I had to ask her to spell a few words like when she said boiled peanuts, I thought she was saying bald peanuts. When she was in Graduate School at BU one of her classes required she observe and help instruct some Boston public primary school classes. Phonetics was big back then. When she first opened her mouth and they heard that SC accent, she was told all she had to do was attend and she would pass the class. There was no way they were going to let her try phonetics in MA...........LOL

[bostonguy1960]

Originally Posted by tribechamy

Who's the broadcaster? Maybe they are Italian or have family origins in NY/NJ? Ending with a -zetts sounds kind of New York-y.

It's Eric Fisher, apparently shifting here from The Weather Channel." He's from some town near Worcester, I think.

Tonight is his third night -- and he seems to have said "MassachuZetts" again.

[maggiekate]

Originally Posted by accufitgolf

I pronounce it massa choos its I hear others say massa choo sitts

me also and it rhymes with the nick name tax a choos its