Readers Say

A majority of respondents said their hometown passed the test — but Quincy (and a few other classics) sparked loud debate.

Readers had plenty to say after Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Jimmy Fallon took a shot at pronouncing every city and town in Massachusetts on “The Tonight Show” Tuesday night — especially whether their own hometowns passed the test.

Of the more than 100 readers who responded to a Boston.com poll asking whether their hometown was pronounced properly, 68% said yes, while 32% said not at all. Many readers praised Damon’s delivery, with one calling him “the most authentic,” while others pointed out towns they felt were obvious misses, including Amherst, Woburn, Tewksbury, and, most of all, Quincy.

The segment, titled “Three Guys from Boston Say Every Town and City in Massachusetts,” featured Damon and Affleck, both Massachusetts natives, alongside Fallon, who is from upstate New York. The trio leaned into exaggerated Boston accents as they worked through the entire list.

One reader wrote: “Felt like I was waiting for my town to be called for a snow day! Ha!”

Even among readers who thought the trio did well overall, Quincy quickly became the most hotly contested pronunciation. One reader wrote, “C’mon guys. It’s Quinzee!” And dropping some local knowledge: “Home of the very first Dunkin! And John and Abigail and John Quincy Adams too.”

Another reader who corrected the South Shore town’s pronunciation: “Was Damon even born in Massachusetts?

And a third: “Too much time in LA.”

Others said the segment was fun precisely because Massachusetts town names are so irrational. “They did a great job,” one reader wrote. “Fallon wasn’t right on but gets an A for attempt and an A+ for some of our towns that sound NOTHING like they’re written.”

Some readers said the video even taught locals something new, including the existence of towns they had never heard of. “I didn’t even know there’s a town called Peru in Massachusetts,” one reader wrote, echoing Affleck’s own moment of disbelief during the segment.

Still, many viewers were delighted when the trio nailed notoriously tricky names. “Woostah!!! Loved it,” one reader wrote, while another said they were “impressed they got Leicester and Leominster right.” One respondent highlighted a particularly satisfying moment, noting that while Affleck “butchered Mattapoisett,” it was “really satisfying hearing him say ROCHESTAAA.”

Below, see a sampling of readers reacting to Fallon, Damon, and Affleck’s Massachusetts town pronunciations.

Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.

Did Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, or Jimmy Fallon pronounce your hometown right?

Yes!

“The boys did a good job.” —An Instagram user

“Loved Matt saying Methuen!” —Mary R., Methuen

“Pronounced Taunton just like a Taunton townie.”—Christine, Taunton

“Ben was spot on when he said EAST BRIDGEWATER.” —A Boston.com reader, East Bridgewater

“Loved it. Accent was spot on.” —Chris, Somerville

“Yes, most impressed with Woburn. That always gets out-of-towners.” —A Boston.com reader

Not at all

“So many were not quite right. And I really can’t believe they messed up Quincy of all towns! My hometown sounds like SalzBree, not Salzberry!” —Charlotte M, Salisbury

“Affleck pronounced Amherst ‘Am-herst.’ It is pronounced ‘Am-erst.’ As the saying goes, ‘In the Town of Amherst, Massachusetts only the H is silent.’” — Tom M, Amherst

“Damon said Oxbridge instead of Uxbridge.” —Donovan, Uxbridge

“Matt Damon said Woo-burn but it’s Woo-bin! He should know that being from Cambridge.” —Kerri, Woburn

“Ben butchered Petersham with his Peter-sham.” —Gayle, Lenox

“Yeah, they kind of did Quincy dirty. It wouldn’t have bothered me except he just made a movie there!” —A Boston.com reader

“It’s BER-lin, not Ber-LIN.” —Tammy S, Dorchester

“Jimmy could give Ashburnham another try.” — An Instagram user

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