# Beat this for hard-to-understand pronuciation **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656 "2014-07-08T18:04:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/61 "2014-07-10T23:44:59Z")
This is why I’m fond of the Ohio approach. We have a town named after Worcestershire. We spell it “Wooster”, just like it’s pronounced. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/62 "2014-07-11T00:06:32Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > 'Round here we have a Gloucester, but people try to pronounce it like "GLOU-kester, or “GLOU-chester.” > The pronunciation is the same as the UK: GLOS-ter. It’s Glos-ter here too. Do people _really_ pronounce the other Bangors in the US as “banger”? I heard that on Jeopardy once… If you tried that in Maine people would look at you like you had two heads. Its Bang-gor, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/63 "2014-07-11T00:55:36Z")
> [@Elemenopy](#): > > ETA: Help me out, here, aren’t they both “Nak-a-DOCH-es”? No, that is roughly the right pronunciation for the small city of Nacogdoches, Texas. It is pronounced like “Nak-a-DOCHE-es”. It has 4 syllables with the emphasis on the 3rd syllable. Natchitoches, LA only has 3 syllables and is simply pronounced roughly “Nak-i-Dish” with a minor emphasis on the first and third syllable. They are only about 2 hours apart by car and part of the same general region. People that grew up between them (like me) would never get them confused in conversation even without the state designation because they are pronounced so differently even though most people can’t spell either of them to save their lives unless they live in that zip code. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/64 "2014-07-11T01:13:45Z")
Yachats - a town on the Oregon coast. Pronounced: YAH-hots. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/65 "2014-07-11T01:57:41Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Norfolk, England has many, not least: > > Happisburgh > Wymondham > Tacolneston > Costessey > > HAZEburruh, WINDum, TACKLEstun, COSSee > > And there’s the story of an Australian in the Midlands looking for “Loogabarooga” (Loughborough, pronounced LUFFburruh) Yes, well, here in Australia we have a fairly relaxed attitude towards names and pronunciation. Example - there is a town who’s name is pronounced ‘Younger-borough’ - we spell it Yungaburra. No worries… ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/66 "2014-07-11T02:02:23Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > My mother’s version was “WOO-stuh.” I felt all uppity when I decided to add a version of “sher” to the end when I was old enough to be all rebellious and shit. > > So I tend to say “Woo-stu-shur” – or A-1. 🙂 New an old native AMerican lady when I was a kid back in the 50’s. Her name was Henshit, pronounced Hens’hit. ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/67 "2014-07-11T05:39:34Z")
> [@vontsira](#): > > I’m a lifetime UK citizen and resident. Assuming that I’m right – Google seemingly not totally unanimous re which is Alabama’s third-largest city, but going by their seemingly majority-verdict re same: Mobile, by my understanding pronounced “Moh-BEEL”. There’s a rude song, long popular in Britain, concerning said city, in which so-and-so is said to obtain, “in Mobile” (pronunciation as just given). I’m ready to be informed that we have the pronunciation wrong… > [@Zeldar](#): > > No, that’s the Alabama way. Outside the state types say it that way sometimes, but not as often as Moh-ble (as in noble) or more gratingly as MOH-beel. > > And you’re right also about the population ranking. I assume the other choice is Huntsville? > > And I must assume the song you reference is not [this one from a while back.](http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/m/mobile.shtml) A couple of Google entries seemed to suggest that Montgomery was third-largest, and Mobile second-largest. Song that I mentioned, isn’t the one you link to. “Mine” has six to eight verses, in various ways scurrilous and, I’m sure, libellous. Example: “Oh, they say to drink’s a sin, in Mobile; Oh, they say to drink’s a sin, in Mobile – Oh, they say to drink’s a sin, But they guzzle all they kin, And the drys are voted in, in Mobile.” ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/68 "2014-07-11T05:46:16Z")
> [@Wallaby](#): > > Yes, well, here in Australia we have a fairly relaxed attitude towards names and pronunciation. > > Example - there is a town who’s name is pronounced ‘Younger-borough’ - we spell it **Yungaburra**. No worries… That has a rather finely Aboriginal look to it. Hope you’ll forgive a bit of cheek from a “Pommy” who has the impression that most Australian place-names seem either markedly English; markedly Aboriginal; or just plain weird… ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/69 "2014-07-11T08:00:24Z")
My two favourites in Australia are: Mungindi (pronounced MUN-gin-die) and Canowindra (pronounced ca-NOUN-dra). ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/70 "2014-07-11T09:12:27Z")
> [@Wallaby](#): > > Example - there is a town who’s name is pronounced ‘Younger-borough’ - we spell it Yungaburra. No worries… How else would you pronounce it? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/71 "2014-07-11T13:17:28Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Canowindra (pronounced ca-NOUN-dra). I find that interesting; because memory yields up a snatch of an old song, about a bunch of bushrangers – messrs. Dunn, Gilbert and Hall – doing a Robin Hood number, including: “In Canowindra’s best hotel, they gave a charity ball: ‘We don’t hurt them who don’t hurt us,’ said Dunn, Gilbert, and Ben Hall.” In order to scan, this needs the place’s name to be pronounced with four syllables. Poetic licence, maybe? – the versifier asking for four-syllable pronunciation in just this one instance, so that it will scan? ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/72 "2014-07-11T13:56:29Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > There is no ‘H’ in Worcester even though many people mentally insert one because they assume it should be there. > > Massachusetts people mangle lots of pronunciations too. One of the most unitituve ones has to be Leominster. The spelling looks straightforward but the pronunciation is actually ‘Lemonstur’. That makes slightly more sense than the English Leominster, pronounced “Lem-ster”. A few more English ones: Horwick, pronounced “Orritch”; Frome, pronounced “Froom” and a personal favourite, Harewood House, Harewood, pronounced “Har-wood House, Hare-wood”, or possibly the other way round. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/73 "2014-07-11T14:31:56Z")
Somebody please tell us how to pronounce Sault-Ste-Marie. I assume it’s not “Salt Saint Marie.” Lake Ouachita in Arkansas is pronounced WA-shi-taw. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/74 "2014-07-11T14:43:36Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Worchester, MA is also pronounced Wooster. I grew up in MA, and we always pronounced it “wis-ter” If someone pronounces it 'Kwin-see," you know they are not from Massachusetts. It’s KWIN-zee." And there is no BO-ga-ta, New Jersey. There is a BA-go-da. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/75 "2014-07-11T14:55:49Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Somebody please tell us how to pronounce Sault-Ste-Marie. I assume it’s not “Salt Saint Marie.” Try this: [Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sault_Ste._Marie,_Michigan) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/76 "2014-07-11T15:09:12Z")
Calais, ME - Pronounced ka-LIS Berlin, NH - Pronounced BUR-lin Milan, NH - Pronounced MY-lin ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/77 "2014-07-11T15:40:20Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > That makes slightly more sense than the English Leominster, pronounced “Lem-ster”. I’m English, living in England. I have a friend who corresponds to that description in both parts. He holds the conviction that English spelling and pronunciation match up phonetically, far more than – per almost all English-first-language-speakers – they actually do. This stuff was thrashed into him in his schooldays some fifty years ago, by schoolmasters who – then as now – held very eccentric views on this particular subject. My friend totally bought this whole bill of goods. He insists, nowadays, that the proper pronunciation of the name of the English town Leominster as above, is “LEE-o-min-ster”. I say to him, "But everyone in Britain except you, pronounces it “LEM-ster”. He replies with the utmost seriousness, “Then they’re all wrong”. My friend is, in some ways, a bit weird. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/78 "2014-07-11T17:23:32Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Try this: [Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sault_Ste._Marie,_Michigan) Thanks, but I wanted to see how many different answers I’d get. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/79 "2014-07-11T20:51:07Z")
Sequim, WA…pronounced “skwim” ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656/80 "2014-07-12T06:15:11Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > How else would you pronounce it? 😕 That’s the point. It’s spellt how it’s pronounced. It avoids the issues as outlined on these pages. Aborigines didn’t have much of a written culture, so when their place names are used, the spelling adopted was ‘what you see is what you say’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-this-for-hard-to-understand-pronuciation/692656.md?page=5)