Do you live in the Boston area?

[phorsenuf]

Then you must also say Hairy instead of Harry...

Nope. They are the same. Hmmm....maybe I have a speech impediment. (along with my family and friends.)

 

[eeyoresmom]

My mother's Worcester accent makes horse "hoss". Quarter is "qwaduh". Water is "waduh". Of course park is "pahk", then there's Octobuh, Novembuh and Decembuh

 

[BDL]

I live an hour west of Boston but I say Mary as Meary, and marry as maahry (the aa sounding the the a in at) . I do agree that there are lots of different Boston accents, almost a neighborhood thing. I also agree that "meery" sounds like RI to me.

I agree with this. That other pronounciation is either RI or Fall River.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

My mother's Worcester accent makes horse "hoss". Quarter is "qwaduh". Water is "waduh". Of course park is "pahk", then there's Octobuh, Novembuh and Decembuh

And let's not forget Boston Rob's (from Survivor) wife am-BUH.

 

[dogluva]

This.When everyone who's posted here use the "ah" as a way of writing the pronunciation, to me, that means like when the doctor says to say "ahhhh". I cannot watch a movie with fake Boston accents. Especially a movie about the Kennedys, who I swear had their very own accents. Altho I'm not sure which was worse...the actual Kennedys or the actors who played them. Ugh.

The worst accent was from the town, Blake Lively. We do not talk like her. I went to South Carolina and people said they could not understand me.

 

[KAMLEM]

Another poster seems to insist I am wrong and that if I did have a Boston accent I would be pronouncing marry as meery confused3). I have never heard it pronounced that way.

So, how do you say them? Do they sound the same?

See, now I totally agree with the whole different areas have different accents. I've heard it myself plenty, but I'm sure I still would have been wrong.

I did not say you were wrong, go back and read my post. I said that they were different WHERE I WAS FROM and that I couldn't think of anyone who would pronounce them that way. Don't be so sensitive.

 

[dakcp2001]

I grew up in Boston. I say Mary similar to Lake Erie but with an M. I say Marry like Larry.

 

[KristaTX]

I don't live in Boston, but I'm gonna post anyway .

The following words all sound and are pronounced the same to me. They all sound like the word "airy":

Barry/Berry
Carry/Carrie
Cherry
Derry/Dairy
Fairy/Ferry
Gerry
Harry/Hairy
Jerry
Kari/Kerry
Larry
Mary/Marry/Merry
Nary
Perry
Query (I think, but I'm not sure I've every actually had to say it out loud)
Sherry
Terry/Teri
Vary/Very
Wary


I think some people must pronounce some of those words like I pronounce the word "starry", but I've only ever heard people with British accents pronounce things like "Harry Potter" that way. I've never heard an American in this part of the country do that, and wouldn't know that at all if it weren't for threads like this on the DIS that pop up every now and again.

 

[phorsenuf]

I did not say you were wrong, go back and read my post. I said that they were different WHERE I WAS FROM and that I couldn't think of anyone who would pronounce them that way. Don't be so sensitive.

I'm far from sensitive, just curious how other people from Boston said it as it got me thinking. Like I had said, I've always been told I have a very strong accent.

And technically, you never said where you were from, this is what you said;

People with a Boston accent wouldn't pronouce Mary and marry the same. Mary sounds more like "meery", marry sounds like it looks.

I grew up just south of Boston and Mary and marry are very different, I can't think of anyone who would pronounce them the same.

But I'm curious now where south of Boston you are from. I was from the South Shore.

 

[3boymthr]

Born and raised in the Boston area and we generally speak the same as this.

Mary = Mare - ee
Marry = Mah-ree (like the short a in at)

The same is said for most rhyming words - scary = scare-ee and Harry = Hah-ree

I grew up/live in the "metrowest" area but on the southern side closer to RI and pronounce these words like this.

It's funny though my parents have strong accents but I only have a strong accent when I'm mad. I guess I worked it out of myself by associating all the way thru school with two best friends who were from the midwest and CA, but there are still a few words that I absolutely have my accent for example aunt - pronounced ahnt - because as I tell DH your aunts (he says "ants") might have 8 legs but MINE don't.

 

[stargazer2892]

Dh lived in Revere untill he was 12 and his whole family still lives in Boston so his accent comes right back any time we are visiting and he says Maah-ree for Mary and Me-ree for Merry.
My favorite is DS's name goes from Connor to Ka-Nah.

 

[KAMLEM]

But I'm curious now where south of Boston you are from. I was from the South Shore.

I grew up in Norfolk County, now I'm in the Metrowest area. It's interesting to read the posts from all the MA people because apparently there are quite a few different accents within the state.

 

[mtemm]

My favorite is DS's name goes from Connor to Ka-Nah.

DS9 was almost named Christopher but I just couldn't get over the idea of my mil calling him christophah! lol.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I grew up/live in the "metrowest" area but on the southern side closer to RI and pronounce these words like this.

It's funny though my parents have strong accents but I only have a strong accent when I'm mad. I guess I worked it out of myself by associating all the way thru school with two best friends who were from the midwest and CA, but there are still a few words that I absolutely have my accent for example aunt - pronounced ahnt - because as I tell DH your aunts (he says "ants") might have 8 legs but MINE don't.

Growing up I had a friend who'd say "arnt". I have no idea why but it drove me nuts every time she said it.

Once in a while I'll hear someone say "ant". It just sounds weird to me. "Antie" sounds even weirder.

 

[ols386]

I've never lived in Boston area, but I've visited there a handful of times, and I just have to say I love that Boston accent.

 

[threeboysmom]

Mary, marry, Harry, Larry, all the same to me.

But the way you say Mary is how I say it.

Same here. Those ALL sound the same to me! Mary, marry, Harry, Larry, lol.

M-AIR-ee
M-AIR-ee
H-AIR-ee
L-AIR-ee

I've lived in Mass. the majority of my life and have never heard a distinction between Mary and marry...

 

[phorsenuf]

Same here. Those ALL sound the same to me! Mary, marry, Harry, Larry, lol.

M-AIR-ee
M-AIR-ee
H-AIR-ee
L-AIR-ee

I've lived in Mass. the majority of my life and have never heard a distinction between Mary and marry...

Maybe it's a cross then between a Mass and NH accent.