mˈæk wˈɪni ˈɜːnd ɐ bˈiː.ˈeɪ. ɪn ɹˈɛɾɚɹˌɪk ænd dʒɪˈɑːlədʒi fɹʌmðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv kˌælɪfˈoːɹniə, bˈɜːkli ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti fˈaɪv, æt ðɪ ˈeɪdʒ ʌv nˈaɪntiːn.
MacWhinney earned a B.A. in rhetoric and geology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1965, at the age of 19.