The Boston accent is one of the best known in the United States. It is often imitated or used by comedians to tell jokes. Here are some tricks for imitating this accent even if your best would be to spend time in Boston!
Steps
Say the R like AH, Park the Car at Harvard Yard will become Pahk the Cah At Hahvad Yahd. Don't do it with words that have an "R" 'at the beginning, crisis remains crisis.
Step 1. Pronounce the "O" as if it were "ahh" ('Boston' becomes Bahhhst-inn, 'Octopus' (octopus) becomes 'Ahhctapus')
Step 2. Say the "A" as if it were "ah", last becomes lahst
"The first shall be last" becomes The fihst shahll be lahst.
Step 3. Bostonians correct and replace the R where For example, instead of saying "He was d (R) awing a picture" (he was drawing a picture) they could say "He was draw (R) ing a picture" or better again "He was draw (R) ing a pitchah"
Hear and speak as JFK (US President John F. Kennedy): vigor (vigor) becomes vigah and Cuba becomes Cuber
Advice
- Tie the "r" into a sentence with two words where one ends with "r" and the other begins with a vowel. For example, "Where are you?" (Where are you?) Becomes "Whe-rah ya?
- If you live in the suburbs of Boston and many of your family members have been Bostonians since birth, then there will be a lot of chances for you to have the same accent. Make an effort to move the R in the words and put it where it really doesn't go!
- Use the slang. Instead of turn signal (directional arrows), say blinka. Instead of drinking fountain, say bubbla. Instead of remote control, say click. To emphasize, use the word wicked (gorgeous). Instead of trash, say barrel. Instead of soda, say tonic. Use the words milkshake and milkshake instead of each other.
- If you search Wikipedia for "Boston accent" you will find all the mispronounced words and dialectical forms.
- If you have a hard time saying these words, go to Boston and talk to people. This will give you an idea of how to speak.
- If you try to speak Boston Brahman (the language of the ancestors who founded Boston), use the English language of Boston, with a British tone.
- Accept that you may never be able to talk like that. Even if you're from Boston! Even teachers who have lived in Boston may never be able to speak like JFK!
- Boston is a generalization. People in eastern Massachusetts from Lowell to Rhode Island to Provincetown also have this accent, but with some variation. Not everyone eliminates the R.
- Bostonians and Massachusetts residents, be proud of it! You might as well be the only one who talks like that, but don't lose your accent!
- Normal people would say car (automobile), a person with a Boston accent would say cah (like when you say AH at the doctor).
