How to do a Boston Accent

Have you ever wanted to know how to sound like you are from Boston? How to do a Boston accent? Or how to sound like Mark Wahlberg in the Fighter, talk like Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting, speak like Ben Affleck in The Town, or drop your R's like Casey Affleck in Gone Baby Gone? Well, you’re in luck. My hubby grew up in Massachusetts, and happens to have a rather sexy Boston accent, IMHO. So, if you want to speak like you’re from Boston, then you’ll want to watch this Boston accent tutorial.

Below are some bookmark links that will take you to specific times in the video. This should make it easier for you to revisit the sections of the video that you want to continue working on to sound like a Bostonian.

AR to AH 1:25
O to AWE 5:18
ER to AH 9:36
Combining Words 12:39
Letter Dropping 14:13
Intrusive R 14:50
Tricky Diphthongs 17:13

[kenaldri]

This guy has a nice, soft, gentle Boston accent that I associate with a wealthier, more proper Bostonian. It relaxes you rather than seems angry or tough guy. Its soothing.

[Gadgetmumma]

I am Australian but I worked in Boston for a while (well, just outside Boston). I actually felt at home there and no one had any trouble understanding me and, likewise!

[yenikkidays]

I never knew I would click so fast for a video of an accent I never even heard before—

[heatheralfano]

Aw ok as a New Englander and Bostonian, I so love and appreciate this video: his authentic accent and your earnest attempts (and not for nothing, pat yourself on the pack!! I don’t sugarcoat it when people mess up our accent but I think you did very well!) Plus, like there are so many variations (thank you for addressing this, much appreciated) of the accent within Boston itself, let alone the different New England accents... It’s really difficult to catch on if you didn’t grow up hearing people talk like this

[rebeccavandam]

I grew up in Boston and went to an international camp for teenagers in Colorado. We were told to bring a pencil to the party. So I told others to bring a pencil to the party. They were puzzled and wondered why they should bring a pencil to the pottie.

[yuffiehighwind]

This video was a revelation. I grew up in the suburbs of Boston and
I do literally every one of these things except for the Dropped R, lol. I didn't think I had an accent because it wasn't the stereotypical urban Boston accent. But I do all those other things. I didn't know how difficult it was for people from elsewhere to pronounce vowels the way we do. Also this was really cute and funny.

[elgrigorio]

I think the best American accent is the Boston accent.

[Warpedsmac]

As an Australian I can tell you this accent is at times IDENTICAL to the Australian accent. weird.

[WastedGTAZ]

I really need to send this video to my online friends because I once said “do you have an elastic?” And nobody understood what I said, and this is a good start to introducing people what the Boston Accent is.

[kittencourageous]

Funny, a lot of this sounds very much like the Australian accent!

[alZiiHardstylez]

I heard having a thick Australian accent makes the Boston accent pretty easy but that's a straight up lie. Dropping the R's were easy but saying 'lobster' with that accent gave me an aneurysm

[edwardmiessner]

The intrusive 'R' also comes at the end of a syllable when it's followed by a vowel; for example, "drawing" is pronounced "drawring". As in: "Yawe drawring? I nevah sawrit."

[oliviabelichki]

I have an audition for Brighton Beach Memoirs this week, you don't know how helpful this is! Thank you!

[emilianeale]

This sounds quite Australian! And yes I am an Aussie, we drop our vowels too

[VolatileSupernova]

As a Bostonian.. Yeah pretty much. Wicked good. Also extra marks for the Brady jersey :) but seriously guys obviously from Boston he shouldn't be giving our secrets away ;) just kidding. Anyway if you want a movie that really showcases a real Bostonian accent well you should all watch Gone baby Gone with Casey Affleck. Me and a friend grew up with that kind of neighborhood and he had to leave the theater because it was so realistic to how he grew up. Casey and the mom are the most real in that film. Reminds me of people I grew up with in Dorchester. EDIT: Go Sox! EDIT2: "I work at camp hi howareahya" "do you teach archery?" okay that made me ma laugh out loud lol

[ocelotxp]

The absence of expletives makes me call this lesson into question ;D

[lelsewherelelsewhere]

The depth and level of detail, especially by those well chosen examples, very good! A lot of the minor things that even Bostonians don't realize they're doing.
The "draw'r" example is an intrusive "R" that I forgot I do!
You're good!

[juless]

Well spokem Madeleine and husband, I was convinced that you were imitating an Australian accent and yet I shall say that the Bostonian accent to me sounds like the transatlantic accent which I like as well. I would be glad to assist you with an educated Australian accent. Both of you entertained me.

[McSmacks]

I think my new band name is going to be "tricky diphthongs" . So thank you.

[amaega]

The ar to ah sounding words sound Australian hehe