Boston vs NYC Accents

www.AccentHelp.com coach Jim Johnson explains the big distinctions between New York City accents and Boston accents - Pahk yuh cah, indeed!
I dig more deeply into each of them here:
www.accenthelp.com/products/n...
www.accenthelp.com/products/b...
#bostonaccent #brooklynaccent #nycaccent #accents #phonetics #lexicalset

[@jimgolab536]

As a freshman in college in upstate NY, I watched as the Boston and NY folks settled on "I shocked a shark" as the distinguishing phrase.

[@kiarce3]

oh my gosh, i cant hear the difference when I say it

[@cielledoux3805]

@@kiarce3 me neither

[@johnleeson6946]

Big difference to me. Youngstown, Ohio native. Now, Don and Dawn are pronounced the same… “Time to get me a pop.”

[@loder6179]

i shahcked a shahk

[@acermortuus8550]

@@kiarce3 Boston: I shauwked a shahk NY: I shahcked a shahk

[@rog9317]

I have a typical "neu yawk" accent being born and raised in Queens. I had a couple people tell me I sound Italian. And I was like what?? But it's funny because when people see me, I'm Indian by race so people think I might have a Indian accent or think I'm west Indian/Caribbean, but once my mouth opens, people are like "what!?".

[@k.5425]

Because in movies, that's the accent the Italian mafians have. Me, not being American, that's the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear that accent : "Italian"

[@jamestribie3387]

@@k.5425 yup cause nyc is heavily influenced by Italians, blacks, and Puerto Ricans/Dominicans

[@alix8062]

Being a born and raised Minnesotan who moved to MA with my Bostonian husband this is the best explanation I’ve heard. When I asked him the difference all he said was “We’re Bettah” 🙄😆 You’re knowledgeable with a very calming voice. Keep being great!

[@DrDolan2000]

Sounds like something a Bostonian would say And if he were New Yorker, he would say the same thing

[@Genny-Zee]

I’m Australian, and find New Yawk and Bahstan accents very intriguing, therefore this video really helped. Thanks!

[@mtaylor620]

I'm from NY born raised. I cannot for the life of me say drawer. I say draw, draw. Saying draw-er that er part is unbearable to my mouth to pronounce.

[@Heavens-Humanaterian-Army]

ozzy here too...thoes 2 accents are like listening to nails on a chalkboard to me...painful...butchering of the English language

[@andreaalexis1484]

Oh my ghad, why is tha way i tahlk thaat fancy for yah to figyuh out. Jeesh, im just lazy and dont wanna move my mouth that much

[@tovarisch2788]

It can never be "Bahstan" (I'm from there), because that "ah" sound only happens when there is an R in there. If Boston were spelled "Barston" it would be pronounced "Bahstan." But, instead, it is pronounced Bawst'n by the natives. I hope that's clear.

[@arambhikrut7258]

You mean bwuauston accent

[@coltonbond9429]

Your voice is calming as hell lol. Remind me of my chilled out horticulture teacher in highschool.

[@AccentHelp]

Y'know he was growing pot in the greenhouse, right?

[@coltonbond9429]

Lol he wasnt but he told us how to grow "tomatoes"of our own ;)

[@romancarlise4738]

yo i wanna horticulture teacher that sounds so poggers

[@stevejimjam2182]

@@AccentHelp if you sound the same as that teacher does that mean you're growing pot as well ???

[@alberthoward8859]

Car do people in Michigan pronounced it like Boston on NYC

[@piercerobinson5400]

I’m Irish, the Boston accent is very similar to a lot of Irish accents, which makes sense given the number of Irish who emigrated there centuries ago. We often pronounce “th” as just “t” and you can hear that slightly in the Boston accent. The “a” in “father” also isn’t as long or deep in an Irish accent (again, similar to Boston). Great video ☺️

[@endeavor1664]

That's so interesting! I'm from Massachusetts and while I don't have this accent very strongly myself, I'm very used to it, and I have always found it pretty easy to understand Irish accents. I love watching Irish television and film as well :)

[@fizzy-frenzy]

Well the Boston population is primarily Irish so it makes sense. If the Celtics are anything to go by they embrace that heritage very strongly.

[@JohannesVanDerStuyvebode]

You couldn't be more wrong

[@caldjlaw6329]

Family guy provides a fairly good, yet dramatized, template for accents from Boston to New York, and especially in Rhode Island, obviously.

[@chasbodaniels1744]

The Rhody accent makes FG more enjoyable, because it shows Seth MacFarlane’s attention to detail. I don’t consciously notice it while watching, but I subconsciously know it’s there, and it just works.

[@spongebobmiscellaneous]

Which characters specifically have the Rhode Island accent? I assumed Peter was Boston, but perhaps I might be wrong. I’m no accent expert.

[@richlisola1]

@@spongebobmiscellaneous He’s 💯 % Rhode Island

[@MatthewJohnHadodo]

@@richlisola1 He's supposed to be Rhode Islander but with more of a Boston accent. RI has some things in common with both Boston and NYC accents, but the bother/lot/cloth/thought vowels tend to pattern more like NYC. And Seth definitely follows more of the Boston pattern for those

[@Joelswinger34]

That's funny, because as you were discussing the NY accent, I was pronouncing the Words to myself and I was thinking that father and lot didn't sound the same to me,and now I know I why - because I have a Boston accent! I never really thought I did. Fun!

[@McdonaldsInFallujah]

Being born in Boston, and raised near Boston. I used to have a general american accent mixed with a Boston accent. Ever since I moved to Brooklyn Newyork, I have a brooklyn accent and a Boston accent

[@inthem8riX_]

red sox or yankees

[@scottmcquarrie7295]

My Father is a Boston born Irishman and a Jersey City born Italian Mother. Add on being born and raised in the Jersey City area, I have a heavy,heavy New York/ New Jersey accent with a little Boston thrown in. My Wife has a heavy accent as me. All Jersey City Italian!

[@andreaalexis1484]

I was tryina figyah out why i sound so wheiiahd when i tawlk, toiyns out ah travelled a bit too much tween bahhstan an new yawk/jeysey, so now mah accents fhaackin butchahd.

[@gemofthewoods5802]

@@scottmcquarrie7295 oh, I would love to hear you guys talkin'. I have a Boston accent, and I live in NY. It's fun! ...and I don't pick sides. I wear Red Sox hats & NY Yankees. Its wickid fun to freak people out.

[@scottmcquarrie7295]

@@gemofthewoods5802 I happen to be a HUGE Patriots and Red Sox fan lifelong. I grew up in the shadow of Giant stadium but with Dad being from Boston, no way I was getting out of the house with out being a Pats and Red Sox fan. My Wife and I sound like we are stand ins for the actors in my cousin Vinny!

[@gibbsm]

Just watch a ton of This Old House, and you can pick up the "Boston" accent.

[@leslienaomii]

Where can I watch it ?

[@seniorbuttocksbiggusdickus7147]

Boston ...... did the forget world forget about mass like what the fack.

[@jzen1455]

Or more like various New England accents.

[@hardworkerjoseph]

Don't let "This Old House" fool you. Some of that show isn't spoken in a Boston accent. There are many different accents in New England. That show represents so many different ones.

[@ecruthy]

No complaining here! Born in NY, now I live near Boston and you nailed them both. #WickedPissah #GoMets

[@dgames8900]

Go Yanks

[@alix8062]

@@dgames8900 Go Sox

[@bdjsjshhehehd8989]

@@dgames8900 how’s last place

[@dgames8900]

@@bdjsjshhehehd8989 it happens. Lol. 27 chips, nuff said.

[@bdjsjshhehehd8989]

@@dgames8900 Nobody gives a fuck about ancient old rings only won with roided trashcans.

[@sciencerscientifico310]

Intriguingly, the New Orleans accent sounds a bit New York or Boston-ish mixed with southern and some AAVE, in other words, it's a Frankenstein accent!

[@marycirimele70]

Being from California, I sometimes think we have no accent... but, I know it's there! I love all accents and find this video greatly interesting! I especially love the Bostonian and New York accents! You all rock!!

[@thatgirlreacts5465]

Literally everyone in the world has an accent. An accent is the manner in which you pronounce words.

[@k.5425]

Everyone has an "accent". Once you're a human being and know how to speak, you have an accent. And as these people have proved in the video your accent can and will change one way or another depending on the people you surround yourselves with, interact with or the environment you're in. Because a couple of them spoke with a "neutral" American accent till they maybe changed it, to demonstrate the accent of their home state.

[@Heavens-Humanaterian-Army]

California has a very strong accent I can tell you...if I had to describe it visually...its would be a very stoned surfer with a strong slure...and don't get me startded about the doubt blond Valley girl type voice. I love the people but it's hard to talk to some of my California friends...but still less painful than new York and Boston...witch are the most offensive usa accent.

[@zbrownbb]

@@Heavens-Humanaterian-Army the valley girl accent isn’t as common as you think, same with the stoner surfer talk. But it’s definitely a real thing 😂

[@SopranoAlive]

How appropriate that he mentioned the word "palm" as an example, because today, the day on which I'm currently watching and listening to this video, happens to be Palm Sunday!

[@ciel1083]

The funny thing is I'm an American who says it without the L.

[@coolsideofthepillow4205]

I'm from Boston and that was a great impression of the accent, I can't stand when people get it mistaken for a New York accent lol you should use the word "there" I've gotten chuckles by the way I say it and I never noticed I sounded like that 🤣

[@eegoal]

I've noticed that the New York accent is easier for me than the American standard accent, probably because I'm from a Brazilian city that had a huge British and Italian influence years and years ago due to gold mining.

[@matheuspavan2336]

Im also brazilian, 'caipira' accent in portuguese, and for me the calif9rnian is the easiest to get

[@thatgirlreacts5465]

Where are you from in Brazil?

[@AlanSilva-bu1kp]

Where u from exacly? Shou out from MG, homie!

[@antoniomoa844]

Huge BRITISH influence in Brazil ???

[@eegoal]

@@antoniomoa844 Yes in Minas Gerais

[@marylally693]

I have lived in Massachusetts for many years and you are right. The reason why the division happens there for Boston is because they use the short "o", so with that sound lot, cloth and thought are pronounced with the short "o". Totally on point.

[@cmyk8964]

I was taught English from a young age in Japan, using materials that were mare probably a decade or a few ago, so I’d probably describe my accent as “a conservative American accent”. I completely lack the father-bother, cot-caught, or Mary-merry-marry merger, and my sᴛʀᴜᴛ is different from my commᴀ. While lacking those mergers is an advantage when imitating accents, I find that my lot-cloth merger gives me a bit of an issue with the New York City accent.

[@jjjj1234_]

This is helpful, thank you!

[@hellophoenix]

I like watching your videos and I hope you’d do more videos for non native speakers wanting to acquire American accent.

[@AccentHelp]

That's not the focus of my work, but I know some of what I cover helps with that. My work is focused on actors learning accents, but there is often helpful info in that for people learning English in various accents.

[@hellophoenix]

@@AccentHelp thank you for responding to me. It’s something you might want to think about for the future . It will expand your audience and it’s easy to teach because non native speakers want to learn only the American standard pronunciation.

[@fatahtani7886]

I hope if you could show us how the standard American differs from and or overlap with some of the main local accents in the US awesome channel I can sense the passion for the subject

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

There's no "standard american" just as there is not "standard accent"

[@tim_despair]

thank you so much, you're great, love your accent

[@tessamoquin3262]

Fall River and New Bedford, and basically all of Rhode Island and Connecticut stuck somewhere in between the two hahah

[@AccentHelp]

I need to do dialect recording all around that area!

[@selysse]

This is fascinating. I'm from the southern midwest and after moving to Chicago, I adore the northern vowel shift I hear around here. My husband is a native new yorker without an accent. This is all so interesting, and kind of hard to pin down, because some of these changes are so subtle.

[@AccentHelp]

Indeed, they can be VERY subtle! Now, I'd argue that your husband does have an accent because everyone does, but perhaps he doesn't have an accent indicative of where he is from - though he may have minor elements. Again, the subtlety is really challenging sometimes...

[@triis2]

the cot-caught merger is actually most prevalent in the west of the US. like with me

[@videogra5645]

I have no hate, I love these videos!

[@waynefarrellvoiceovers]

Super helpful. Thank you

[@jimgolab536]

I bought a cot that I ought not, as it was shot. To ME, all of these use the same sound. North West PA native.

[@AccentHelp]

Reach out to me if you'd be willing to record your accent for my work! You can email me at jim at accenthelp.com. I'd love to hear this in action - I'm guessing there's a slight rounding to each of these sounds...

[@gemofthewoods5802]

Me too. Grew up near Boston.

[@KeyserTheRedBeard]

great upload Accent Help. I killed the thumbs up on your video. Continue to keep up the superior work.

[@mackatt5154]

From one of the five boroughs of New York City; from my area especially you hear the stereotypical accent us city folk have (not in everyone, but some, even the younger generation). I don't personally, though living amongst speakers who have it for my entire life I never picked it up the same way. It somehow comes out suddenly if I'm in a rage and talking assertively I noticed-how odd. Anyways I got a mix between general American and hints of a classic New York accent. I sometimes notice it and think to myself where the hell did that come from! Really annoying and cringe though, I hate it. Lol. If you ever hear it in person you'll see what I'm talking about.

[@copeseticgirl]

I'm from NJ ... 13 miles from GW Bridge. My A's tend to be nasal. I also pronounce au words as aw ... West coast (and Montanans) say daughter like dotter. I had no idea what they were saying at first.

[@AccentHelp]

I was just recording all through the Rockies this summer, including Montana. Father Lot Cloth and Thought all tend to use the same vowel, a slightly rounded AH sound, so I can totally see that you'd hear it as "dotter" - quite different from your own very rounded vowel for that!

[@jonball290]

There is a big difference of NY accents depending on how close to NYC you are and then how close to CT by westchetsr than going up north towards VT and canada, for a basic map

[@chasbodaniels1744]

Haha absolutely. It’s fascinating how native accents shift and flow based on your distance from either NYC or Boston. I can hear the differences which 25-50-75 miles make from those big cities. In central CT, there’s even a corresponding shift from Red Sox fandom to Yankees/Mets (or Patriots and Giants) allegiance.

[@Mocs6574]

There's even a difference if you're in Yonkers Westchester vs Scarsdale Westchester. Somewhere the Bronx never left.

[@marycirimele70]

That is SO interesting! But again, I'm in CA, and I guess it's the same for nor Cal compared to the beach-y vibe of So Cal...

[@sciencerscientifico310]

And the New York City accents are native to exclusively that city, whereas the Bostonian accent claims a much bigger "territory" that lays beyond the city as well.

[@7MPhonemicEnglish]

I grew up in Vermont. For me, they're all merged. We need an alphabetic character for the 'awe' sound, in our common use alphabet. The bending toward /ə/ or /æ/ is fine as long as it doesn't merge, but I think it preferable to stay centered and as distinct as possible.

[@videoviewer8818]

I’m too high for this

[@ErgonomicChair]

Nice explanation!

[@hummerman62]

Definitely being English it easier to understand a NY accent, once you get to Bawston, lol things get fun, thinking Matt Damon in GWH, etc, i just love American accents, as they are diverse as in my small England, fancy the challenge..

[@12345robjohn]

I’m from Rhode Island so it’s totally different.

[@MegIsSleepy]

Haha I'm a Michigander living on the West Coast and I think you nailed the great lakes vowel shift. I'm proud of that wide open accent now, even though I don't use it regularly anymore (I don't think...) :)

[@AccentHelp]

As a NW Iowa boy myself, I barely have a difference between them - not quite a full-on COT/CAUGHT merger, but very close!

[@DuncGaming]

We Michiganders don't have an accent lol 😅😅😭😭

[@chasbodaniels1744]

Nor do Buffalonians! Haha.

[@dontmindmyname7563]

I’m a Michigander and we don’t have the merger here. Cot and caught are pronounced differently, as are lot and cloth. You must either be a yooper or the west coast changed you.

[@catherinemcgrory6230]

I’m Scottish and my pronunciation of these words is as the Boston division. However, with ‘father’ the a is more open, less of the u-sounding diphthong, at least to my ear.

[@jeans.p.7822]

Accent variarion is so interesting but complex, that's why mine is sort of a mix of different ones haha. As you talked about northeastern accents, could you tell me your thoughts on the horse-hoarse (aka north-force) distinction? I've read some New England accents preserve it. As a native speaker, do you think it sounds weird? Is there any hint to know how the split is made (I've read it's really nebulous)? Please don't feel the need to make a video for such a specific topic and quirk interest of mine, though. Keep on the good work!

[@AccentHelp]

I talk about that in my AccentHelp materials for both Scottish and India & South Asia because it occurs there. It is, indeed, really hard to track and figure out... and it's rare as well... I have some understanding of it, but perhaps sometime in the future when I really feel I've figured out something insightful about it (IF I ever do!) I'll be sure to share it!

[@reanolan]

@@AccentHelp Well we're here for that discussion if & when it happens. (It's not just your quirk Jean S. P. !) Even if you look at it from the non-native speakers of English angle, Jim, I'd love to know more about that split because I haven't sorted it out myself. (Nor have I done a deep phonetic dive into Maine, so maybe there's a clue or two there...?) Anyhow, we love your videos, as always. Thank you so much for posting!

[@phrebh]

I once had an English teacher in Georgia (the US state) tell me that there was an obvious and distinct difference in the pronunciation of horse and hoarse. My Midwestern ears couldn't hear it even when she emphasized it.

[@psyriv444]

Would love to see you deep dive into the upstate NY accent. It seems to be a blend between Brooklyn & Boston in some ways.

[@AccentHelp]

I need more recordings from there! I don't know the accent well enough to dig into it yet... Need to plan a future road trip to record some folks...

[@C-NoteTheCyberpunk]

As someone who was raised in Boston (and born in NYC) I can easily tell the difference between the NYC accent and the Boston accents lol

[@taradc6037]

I visited NYC and Boston for the first time recently and can barely tell the difference! Lol. They sound so similar to me. Like the word “ferry” is pronounced “FEH-ry” versus “fair-y” like we’d say in the west coast. I did notice the “r” sound is more vowelized in the Boston accent like how they say “cah” when saying the word “car”. Other than that I can barely tell the difference between the two but that’s also just based off of a 1.5 week long trip to the east coast. I’m sure if I spent more time interacting with locals there I’d be able to pick up the subtle differences between the two accents

[@sonofabiscuiteatingbulldog]

As someone born in Mississippi, living in Louisiana most my life and still getting asked by people in the same area where I'm from, I really wish I knew what unholy accent I have

[@AccentHelp]

Proud Mutt. I'm a Mutt speaker as well, being from Iowa, living in Chicago and Texas, and having theatre training, especially a ton of speech and voice training. Proudly be a Mutt.

[@Gordon302]

My Cousin Vinny, "Yea; two youts." 😆

[@flumpdaddy2322]

Now we need Chicago & Jersey

[@denisecranson831]

I came here hoping to determine what kind of accent Patches O'Houlihan had in the movie "Dodgeball" (the younger Patches played by Hank Azaria). My sister and I thought it was either New York or Boston. Maybe neither. Can you help? I couldn't determine it for myself from just this video.By the way, for anyone who hasn't seen Dodgeball, do yourself a favor and rent it. It's hilarious. Also stars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Rip Torn, Alan Tudyk, Justin Long and others....just a really good cast.

[@AccentHelp]

The rounding of words like BALL leads me to think NYC rather than Boston. It's Hank Azaria, and he's the freakin' king of daring to go too far with everything he does. He is a god.

[@denisecranson831]

@@AccentHelp Thanks for the fast reply. Actually I was the one who thought it might be New York and my sister thought it was Boston. Now I get to tell her I was right. Tee hee. And you are right about Hank. He also killed me as the somewhat fanatical Abraham in Year One.

[@jack_corvinus]

The test for me is "not" Boston tends to round it out while NY is way less round. When I point that out people realize a strong element of Long Island in my mutt of an accent

[@briwire138]

I'm from NW England and we pronounce father and though very similar to the Boston accent.

[@UnknownFork]

Can you do Philadelphia vs Baltimore next?

[@AccentHelp]

I'll do it at some point when I've done a refresher. (Haven't coached those two in a little while.) I need to get back to both for more dialect recordings when the pandemic is over!

[@bororobo3805]

1:31 This shounds like Michigan 😂 "Chain Saa"

[@sammstormborn]

Nah, man, think you nailed the difference. It’s hard to articulate but yeah, this is it. - someone from Boston

[@LunarLocusts]

As my Bostonian grandma used to say "Getin' tha cah, go to the bah down by the hahbah."

[@Clara-eu3mp]

We used to tease my Bronx-born nana for the way she said phrases like "hot dog" and "hot chocolate", with the vowel in "hot" being very open and the vowel in dog/choc being very rounded. (In my mom's accent there was very little difference in the vowels, and in mine there's none.) Is there a rule for when a NY accent does or doesn't round vowels like that?

[@AccentHelp]

A linguist named JC Wells laid out the concept of "lexical sets" of words - words that almost always behave the same. You could watch my video on Hell's Corner to find out more about these specific sounds if you want. That said, there's not a spelling rule that is consistent or anything like that because... English... Aaargh!

[@YTOnceAgain]

What's presented here as NY accent is kind of linked to Brooklyn in my head. But then I'm a non-native speaker. It sure sounds like Leah Remini and Tony Danza to me. Foaget aboud id. It's the way New Yoakes of Italian origin toak. On a different note, it really is hell's corner: I think it's also one of the main areas where you can tell if someone's a native or a foreign speaker - no matter which English accent they (try to) speak. However, maybe sounding native is only a matter of finding the dialect/accent that has more or less the same vowel sounds as your native tongue. Too bad if you don't like your match. ;-)

[@roselover411]

I had no idea that we in the north Midwest combine those word sounds (I caught the cot does sound the same to me when I say it) but that isn't the way it is in the rest of the country XD

[@AccentHelp]

There are other parts of the US that combine them all as well. I heard that through most of the Rockies this summer when I was recording people there, and I just heard it two days ago from a woman in Florida - but all of these folks had a slight rounding to the vowel they used for all of them, while upper Midwest folks tend to keep the vowel open (which is what a lot of people call "flat").

[@roselover411]

@@AccentHelp I've been so used to hearing that we don't have an accent here at all because what you hear on TV is usually the generic 'American' voice, which sounds like it's devoid of the more "colorful" sounds of natives from Georgia or Texas or New York, etc. So it's just funny to realize that we do have an accent too. It's just harder to notice.

[@dontmindmyname7563]

I’m from Michigan and we don’t combine them here

[@AccentHelp]

@@dontmindmyname7563 Just replied to your other post on this - some folks in Northern Michigan do merge all of them, based on recordings I've done up there.

[@glennhower9265]

New York: Thought. Brooklyn: Though-TUH

[@Floof_Da_Pom]

born and raised Hoosier here, to Midwesterners, a non local's accent is either southern, new england, valley, canadian/minnesota. then there's me, an amalgamation of all of these? in other words, y'all sound the same unless you explicitly tell us

[@romancarlise4738]

I pronounce father and thought both with the vowel sound that you use for father; it’s the same as your caught-cot comparison, but I’m from north jersey

[@AccentHelp]

I woudn't expect that at all, if you were born and raised there! Parents from somewhere else...?

[@romancarlise4738]

@@AccentHelp My ma is from New York and my dad is from Ohio... but I’ve been here all my life; so maybe its a small thing with northwestern NJ? Idk, but most of my friends say it like I do.

[@AccentHelp]

@@romancarlise4738 I still need to explore that area for dialect recordings... (If you'd be willing to do a recording, please let me know!)

[@romancarlise4738]

@@AccentHelp I would love to!

[@SundownerMGRR]

Yea yea thanks

[@nicoleroderick5685]

Boston here (he-ya) (closer to the south shore) this video is mostly correct. it’s accurate for Southey for sure but other parts are a little different. It’s pretty similar for much of New England but there’s some subtle difference especially with younger generations. to me farther is fah-the, thought is thaw-t. We take r’s out of words that have them and toss them in words that don’t have them like pizza is Pete-zer or Alexer for Alexa. Personally I don’t have a real hard (hahd) h at the end of all my words.some I’m sure but not all. I save those h’s for the middle of words like hard=hahd. I’d pronounce gotcha as gut-ya or gut-cha or possibly got-ya more than gotchah. A tire is a Tie-ya. I don’t even know how to describe shore. It’s got the “ah” but there’s a w sound before that. We pronounce things in ways you can’t even spell. So no complaints just an add on.

[@machineman6498]

Potato… the D’s are silent.

[@bennigan88]

someone is wicked local

[@xxLUNCHYxx]

Ya did good kid......Boston

[@gabriellesepeda2160]

i literally searched this up because of Matthee D'addario's accent

[@heishyn.8492]

My native language is Spanish, this is like spot the difference but for my ears 🧐

[@padicle7148]

I’m just confused on if i have a accent or not 😂

[@marcoescobar447]

After watching this why do I feel like “father” is such a weird word 😭 I don’t know how to explain but for a brief moment the word didn’t even make sense

[@xxLUNCHYxx]

And I've also heard the Downeast Mainers....sound a lil Australian.....and they do LMAOOOOO

[@andishawjfac]

As a non America, to me a lot of the Boston accent sounds very similar to a Rhode Island accent, I've heard other Europeans think Peter Griffin is from Boston 😂

[@darkblueismyfavoritecolor.4082]

*@andi shaw* As an American, nobody knows what the fuck a Rhode Island accent is. I swear, some people try too damn hard to sound smart. SMH

[@lukeabergen]

Don't they also differ a lot in terms of dropping/inserting "r"s (for Boston, but not NY)?

[@AccentHelp]

Both tend to drop Rs after vowels - so they're both "non-rhotic" - and they both may also do "intrusive Rs" when connecting words, so that "America is" may become "America-r-is."

[@lukeabergen]

@@AccentHelp oh interesting. I don't know why I never noticed that. Just always seemed more pronounced in Boston to my ears. Love the channel btw. Any chance you'll explore the center of the vowel IPA chart at some point? Schwa vs wedge, do we use the beta-looking character in English? And then some of these can be done with rhodicity? Like we do "murder" as these center vowels but with rhodicity, but are they the only ones?

[@AccentHelp]

@@lukeabergen I'm starting a series on the various vowels soon - but I will start with more traditionally used symbols towards the outside first. You might want to check out the series I did on diacritics for some insight on the inside of the chart...

[@heliotropeness]

@@lukeabergen I would love to see a video from this channel about schwa vs wedge

[@taniac4063]

What area is the American accent that seems to gargle the words and speak from throat

[@AccentHelp]

I don't think that's about accent... I think you're talking about a person's vocal quality.

[@anonymoususer2756]

Hahaha I know what you’re talking about. I think that’s California??

[@costarhica9132]

From a Latino's perspective, Georgia :p

[@Nyasahi]

neat

[@dangercat9188]

As a New Yorker, I am guilty of saying thought like "Thoawt". But I say father like anyone else around the nation.

[@richlisola1]

No New Yorker is ashamed of how he speaks. Shame on you

[@dangercat9188]

@@richlisola1 well i think the accent can ge annoying at times which is why i am a little self conscious about it. A real new yorker isn't afraid to disagree with other new yorkers.

[@gerardcosloy6946]

Meanwhile, in my Pacific Northwest Canadian accent, there is absolutely no vowel difference between father, lot, thought, and cloth. They all sound like the "aw" in paw.

[@taradc6037]

From southern CA and yup this is exactly true for us as well😂

[@fredeaston3988]

Pretty good.But sometimes in Boston an r is inserted ex the lor is the law like JFK's Cuber is 90 miles from Miami

[@helmutsecke3529]

Meine Mutter stammte aus Brooklyn und denn Vater stammte aus Boston. 😬

[@eightace2000able]

Very strange as even though we're still all speaking English, in NE England there couldn't be a bigger distinction between the vowel sounds in "Father" & "Thought"...... TOTALLY different sounds, not even remotely similar!

[@AccentHelp]

Yes! Most of England has a massive difference between them, but for most Americans, they're quite close - completely merged for most Americans in the upper midwest and throughout the Rocky Mountain region.

[@brve_he4rt29]

Park the car in Harvard yard! It's wicked.

[@RubyJeans943]

I'm from Kansas. I'm not sure we have an accent. Maybe a lot like Colorado. North eastern and upper Midwestern accents sound like nails scraping on chalkboard.

[@anthonyscully2998]

are there many people who have the kennedy style boston accent?

[@AccentHelp]

Not anymore. It's in the "Boston Brahmin" family of accents, which is basically gone these days. That was the posh Boston area accent pre-1980s. Not sure if there are still some pockets or families who speak that way, though I'm sure the youngest generations wouldn't have held onto it even if the grandparents still speak that way.

[@solveigabdelhaq7050]

Not really, the Kennedy's had an awkward mix of the Boston Irish accent and a Brahmin affectation, so it's a super rare sound to begin with. There are certainly still Boston Irish accents around, and although mostly extinct, there are vestiges of the Brahmin accent in the wealthier and academic areas--I was raised in Cambridge alongside wealthier peers, and I think I picked up some of it. Most children of the old money class have adopted standard American media accents or sound Californian at this point, though.

[@Mocs6574]

Sadly the NYC accent is dwindling. Too many transplants moving in with their goofy Valley Girl accents where they sound like they're singing while asking a question. Like nails going down a blackboard. My grandmother used to call the toilet the terlit. Rarely hear that anymore.

[@AccentHelp]

I want a recording of your grandmother!!!!!

[@Mocs6574]

@@AccentHelp she passed in 1989. You need to find some old timers 80+.

[@Liam-iv7wk]

The Manhattan accent is dying but I don't see the Long island, Staten island and Jersey accent going anywhere.

[@Mocs6574]

@@Liam-iv7wk I think the Manhattan accent is dead and has been dead for some many years.

[@howtodostuff1732]

I would say that Hollywood is responsible for the spread of the "Valley Girl" accents in which you speak. It seems to now be the "teenage accent" in a lot of TV and Movies. Not sure how you can compare a Valley Girl accent to nails going down a blackboard though. And weirdly, also singing? What kind of music do you listen to?!

[@crankyturtle9704]

As a foreigner… I’m mad.

[@vansh4383]

Sir can you tell the mouth placement for NY accent pls?

[@AccentHelp]

I go into it in depth in my NYC materials (www.accenthelp.com/products/new-york-city) but it varies. It tends to be lower in the front with rounded space at the back for a more Brooklyn sound, while high, wide, flat, and forward for a more Bronx sound. Not as wide, but forward and higher for NYC Latino influenced.

[@boneeatsdog]

as a native of NYC for 57 years.....i can help you learn the native tone.

[@vansh4383]

@@boneeatsdog pls help me

[@vansh4383]

@@boneeatsdog pls reply

[@boneeatsdog]

@@vansh4383 ask me questions....

[@soffwhere]

For what it’s worth, the Boston accent also makes it much more natural to say things like: “F the Yankees”, or, “Jay-Z is overrated”.

[@dontmindmyname7563]

I’m from Michigan and we don’t have the mergers here.

[@AccentHelp]

Some folks further north in Michigan do, but I haven't found it to be consistent. (I recorded two people in Ludington, for example, and one merged them all, and the other kept a slight rounding on Cloth & Thought.)

[@dontmindmyname7563]

@@AccentHelp I could see it in the UP I suppose, but certainly not in the LP (where I am). It should also be noted that the accent you used while explaining it is only actually found in older white people. It honestly sounds more wisconsinite or minnesotan to me, although I’m aware you never specified a specific state in the video.

[@imdanielw]

y did i get this recommended xd

[@SGhosht]

My Boston accent is so thick when i travel for work I have a complex and I’m waiting for the predictable unfunny jokes from unfunny people constantly… it’s pretty annoying tbh

[@AccentHelp]

Let me know if you might be willing to hop onto a call for a dialect recording! I'm a fan, so I promise no jokes - though I am always unfunny.

[@QUANTRELLBISHOP]

Melk

[@AccentHelp]

That's how I grew up saying Milk in Iowa... super common to say Melk!

[@boneeatsdog]

also....in words like cloth and thought......the 'h' is cut short in 'cloth'...almost like 'clottth' w the tongue behind the front teeth and an abrupt end....like your spitting out a tiny seed from between ya front teeth...............and 'thought' is almost like 'taught' with soft t's.....'th' is like a waste of time for NYers to fully express. 'Thank you' sounds like 'dtankyoo' etc. This is coming from an old working class NYC guy......like your vid

[@AccentHelp]

Some Boston folks do that as well, but it's not as common.

[@boneeatsdog]

@@AccentHelp interesting stuff

[@JewelRocks123]

Its roughly the same, as is the Italian American and Jewish American accent.

[@matthewschiavi7353]

Q: Who was the tallest US president? A(the rest of the world): Abraham Lincoln. A(New Englanders): Wait, I thought he was shot? ... when you know, you know.

[@gqedpbeicq]

Eh. Seh. Interesting.

[@bankovicalexandre7221]

and what about your own accent. Can people say where you are from ?

[@AccentHelp]

I'm a midwestern mutt: small town Iowa mixed with Chicago and Texas, completely screwed up by theatre training and too much awareness of the sounds that come out of my mouth.

[@aaroncarter99hk]

sh!t....they sound the same to me .... 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲

[@timucinbahsi445]

i'm dead sure u're huge fan of suzie dent but but i can't prove it

[@SuperDrLisa]

Ohhhh you missed the difference between NY, Boston and Rhode Island (vrodiland). We are an amalgam of NYC and Boston. To me palm sounds like pom, nothing like father.

[@andreaalexis1484]

So a nyc accent is basically a stressed out lazy boston accent and a boston accent is a nyc accent on too much adderall and dunkies. Got it.

[@nadjibbenchikh8224]

I was born in Boston and I never see this

[@richlisola1]

Boston sounds nothing like New York

[@ogreman-lll-957]

Most would disagree

[@richlisola1]

Most don’t have much of an ear for northeast accents

[@gqedpbeicq]

2:35 Ehhhhhh S'LAMEST ACCENT EVER.

[@BruceLee-kf7rl]

Wait a minute, this is not funny!