From the Massachusetts Travel Survey, pulled out of the appendix and cleaned up.
The following list of Massachusetts cities and towns have somewhat unusual pronunciations. In addition to the text below, audio samples will be used to help interviewers to understand the local dialect. Please note that each interviewer will need to pass a pronunciation test demonstrating a general knowledge of the local dialect before being allowed to dial.
Note: Many, but not all, Massachusetts residents “drop their Rs” – meaning the vowel before the R is all that is heard. It often comes across as an “h” sound at the end of words. In most cases, it is not critical that you pronounce it this way, but the guide below is provided to help you understand the respondent. There are a few towns and cities to which you should pay particular attention, and they are marked with an asterisk (*):
Abington AB-ING-TON
Acton ACK-TON
Agawam AG-UH-WAHM
Allston ALL-STUN
Amesbury AIMS-BER-EE
Amherst AM-HURST
Andover AN-DOV-ER (sometimes “er” pronounced “uh”)
Arlington AH-LIN-TIN (“r” is silent and “g” is silent)
Ashburnham ASH-BURN-UM (second “h” is silent)
Ashland ASH-LAND
Athol A-THOL
Attleboro- ATTLE-BORO
Auburn-AW-BURN or OBBIN (sometimes “ur” pronounced “uh”)
Ayer AIR (single syllable)
Barnstable BAHN-STUBBLE (“ar” pronounced “ah”)
Barre BEAR-REE
Bedford BED-FUD (“or” pronounced “uh”)
Bernardston BURN-ARD-STON (sometimes “ar” pronounced “ah”)
Beverly- BEV-ER-LY (sometimes “er” pronounced “ah”)
*Billerica BILL-RICK-A (“e” is silent)
Bourne- BORN
Brewster-BROO-STUH (“er” pronounced “ah”)
Brighton-BRIGHT-UN (“o” is silent)
Cambridge- CAME-BRIJ
Canton- CANT'N (“o” is silent)
Carver- CAH-VAH (sometimes “er” pronounced “ah”)
Charlemont SHAR-LA-MONT
Chatham- CHATUM
Chelmsford- CHEMS-FID (“l” is silent and “or” pronounced “id”)
Chicopee CHIC-UH-PEE (“oh” is pronounced “uh”)
Clinton-CLIN-TN (“o” is silent)
Cohasset- KOH-HASS-ET
Concord-CONK-ID (“or” pronounced “id”)
Danvers- DAN-VUS (“er” pronounced “uh”)
Dartmouth DART-MUTH (“o” is silent)
Dedham-DEAD-UM (“h” is silent)
Dighton DI-TON
Dorchester- DAH-CHES-TER (sometimes “Dor” is pronounced “Dah”)
Dunstable DUNS-TA-BLE
Duxbury DUCKS-BURY
East Weymouth- EAST WAY-MUTH (“Mouth” is pronounced “Muth”)
Everett EV-RETT
Fairhaven-FAIR-HAY-VEN
Falmouth FAL-MUTH (“mouth” is pronounced “muth”)
Florence- FLAWR-ENCE
*Gloucester GLOSS-TER (The “ces” part is silent)
Goshen- GO-SHN (The “I” is silent)
Groton-GRAWT-N (The “O” is silent)
Groveland GROVE-LAND
Hampden HAM-DEN (The “P” is silent)
Harvard- HAH-VUD (The “R” is silent)
Harwich- HAR-RICH
*Haverhill HAV-RILL (long A as in “save” the “er” is silent)
Hingham- HING-UM (“Am” is pronounced “Um)
Holyoke HOLY-OKE
Ipswich- IPS-WHICH
Lancaster- LAN-KESS-TAH
Leicester LESS-TER (“I” is silent)
*Leominster LEM-INSTER (“O” is silent)
Leyden LAY-DEN
Marblehead- MAHBL-HEAD
Marlborough- MARL-BORROW or MALL-BROW (First “R” is silent, borough pronounced“Brow”)
Mattapoisett MATTA-POIS-ETT
*Methuen METH-OO-EN
Monson- MAHN-SUN (“Son” is pronounced “Sun”)
Montague MONT-A-GUE
Mount Washington- MOUNT WASHEN'TIN (“G” is silent, “Ton” is pronounced “Tin”)
Nahant NAH-HAUNT
Natick NAY-TICK
Northfield- NORTH FIELD
Norton- NORT-IN (“Ton” is pronounced “Tin)
*Peabody PEA-BUD-E (“Bod” is pronounced “Bud”)
Pelham- PEL-UM (“H” is silent, “Am” is pronounced “Um”)
Pepperell- PEP-RIL (“Rell” is pronounced “Ril”)
Petersham PETER-SHAM
*Quincy QUIN-ZEE
Raynham RAIN-AM (“H” is silent)
Reading RED-ING (“Read” is pronounced “Red”)
*Rehoboth Ruh-HOE-buth
Rochester- RAWCH-IS-TUH (“Roch” is pronounced “Rawch”, “Ter” Pronounced “Tuh”)
Rockland- ROCK-LIND (“Lan” is pronounced “Lin”)
Rowley RAUL-LE (“Y” is silent)
*Salisbury SAWLS-BURY
Saugus SAW-GUS
*Scituate SIT-CHOO-IT (“A” is silent)
Seekonk SEE-KONK
Sherborn SHER-BORN (sometimes “Sher” is pronounced “Share”)
Shrewsbury SHROOS-BURY
Spencer- SPEN-SUH (“R” is silent, “Cer” pronounced “Suh”)
Stoneham- STONE’M (“H” and “A” are silent)
Stoughton STOW-TON
Sunderland- SUN-DUH-LIND (“R” is silent, “Land” pronounced “Lin”)
Swansea SWAN-ZEE (“Sea” pronounced “Zee”)
Taunton TAUN-TON
*Tewksbury TUKS-BURY (“Tewks” pronounced “Tuks”)
*Tyngsborough TINGS-BORO (rhymes with kings)
Wareham Ware-UM (“H” is silent, “Ham” is pronounced “Um”)
Wellesley WELLS-LEE
Westport-WES-PORT
*Weymouth WEY-MUTH (“Mouth” is pronounced “Muth”)
Winchendon WINCH-EN-DON
Winchester- WIN-CHESS-TER
Winthrop- WIN-THRUP (“Throp” is pronounced “Thrup”)
*Woburn- WOO-BURN (sometimes “R” is silent, “Burn” is pronounced “Bin”)
*Worcester WUHS-TER (or WUHS-TAH)
Yarmouth YAR-MUTH (“Mouth” is pronounced “Muth”)