How would someone with a Boston Accent say the word Rookie?

I think it would sound more like rocky. I think the letter r’s only get distorted or changed when they fall in the middle or end of words. I’m pretty sure that when they’re at the beginning, they would sound the same as most other American accents.

If I didn’t have to run, I would look for some youtube videos of John Kerry or Ted Kennedy talking.

A few years ago we were saying it “Jacoby Ellsbury”. But he’s not so new any more. This year we might be saying it “José Iglesias”.

Seriously, there’s no r-dropping at the start of words. Rookie in Boston (and heah in the Hahtfohd area too) is “rookie”. ‘Rocky’? No way.

I went to college in Boston, married a Bostonian, and hung out with only Bostonians for 10 years. Rookie is rookie. As @WasCy notes, the broad “r” appears only in middle of a word . “Haavaad” is one example.

I have been here since college days. Rookie is rookie, not wookie like some may speculate.
Correct on the dropping only mid word.

I think Barbara Walters is one of the few people who would say it as “wookie.” But that’s not a regional accent, it’s a slight speech impediment.

I think that the accent is kind of like making English simpler to roll out of a mouth. Just my opinion.

@dxs yep, all part of that fast talkin, city slicker.

The r’s are sounded more like long a’s like bar sounds like bahhh, I grew up in mass and have a very strong mass accent so I know it very well. Its always the ending r’s, never the begining as stated above. Think of the r as a long a and you will have it.

I had a boss who has a very heavy viet nam accent. Rookie to him is wookie, and it doesnt sound to Bostonian. :) Thanks all!

Pretty standard way. The r at the beginning of a word doesn’t fall prey to the “Boston r.”

Not to be too pedantic heah, @answerjill, but I’m sure you meant to say “the Boston ahhh”.