Eastern New England English

Eastern New England English, historically known as the Yankee dialect since at least the 19th century,^[1][2] is the traditional regional dialect of Maine, New Hampshire, and the eastern half of Massachusetts.^[3][4] Features of this variety once spanned an even larger dialect area of New England, for example, including the eastern halves of Vermont and Connecticut for those born as late as the early twentieth century.^[5] Studies vary as to whether the unique dialect of Rhode Island technically falls within the Eastern New England dialect region.^[6]

Eastern New England English, here including Rhode Island English, is classically associated with sound patterns such as: non-rhoticity, or dropping r when not before a vowel; both variants of Canadian raising, including a fairly back starting position of the /aʊ/ vowel (as in MOUTH);^[7][8] and some variation of the PALM–LOT–THOUGHT vowel distinctions, the marry–merry distinction, or both.^[9] Eastern New England (excluding Rhode Island) is also nationally recognized for its highly front PALM/START vowel.

As of the 21st century, certain traditional characteristics are declining due to many younger Eastern New Englanders avoiding them, particularly non-rhoticity and the aforementioned vowel distinctions,^[10][11] which they tend to perceive as old-fashioned, overly rural-sounding,^[12] or even overly urban-sounding with regard to Boston.^[13] New Hampshire speakers on the whole are particularly well documented as retreating from these older Eastern New England features since the mid-20th century onwards.^[14][13]