A Boston accent is a local accent of Eastern New England English native specifically to the city of Boston and its suburbs. Northeastern New England English is classified as traditionally including New Hampshire, Maine, and all of eastern Massachusetts, though some uniquely local vocabulary appears only around Boston. Some traditional Boston accent characteristics may be retreating, particularly among younger residents, but linguist William Labov claims that, in the twenty-first century, the accent remains relatively stable, though subsequent research suggests it is increasingly becoming limited to the historically Irish-American neighborhood of South Boston.