# City names: local pronunciation vs everyone else **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 11, 2014, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849 "2014-07-11T13:49:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/1 "2014-07-11T13:49:59Z")
City names. Pronounced a distinctive way by residents, but a different way by everyone else. Examples: Baltimore Locals: Bawl-mer (Merlin. Hon. ;)) Everyone else: Ball-ti-more Louisville Locals: Loo-ah-vull (kinda all muddled together) Everyone else: Loo-ee-ville Others? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/2 "2014-07-11T14:00:30Z")
In Australia: Melbourne is Mell-bun Elsewhere, it’s Mell-born. Presumably, we needn’t mention Cholmondeley Castle in England. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/3 "2014-07-11T14:06:28Z")
Lancaster, PA. Locals: Lank-aster Others: Lan-Cast-er ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/4 "2014-07-11T14:12:00Z")
In Spain, Oviedo is ov-ee-ay-do. In [Florida](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oviedo,_Florida), it’s Oh-veedo (or ahveehda if you’re a bit of a redneck.) I expect there are other Oviedos in the Spanish-speaking world and probably elsewhere in the US, but I don’t know how they are pronounced. Glasgow rhymes with cow in the US, because… well, because we don’t know any better. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/5 "2014-07-11T14:12:10Z")
Newark, OH. Locals: Nurk Others: New-werk. Worcester, MA Locals: Wuhster Others: War-chester ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/6 "2014-07-11T14:15:23Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > In Australia: Melbourne is Mell-bun > Elsewhere, it’s Mell-born. Most in the UK would say it the local way. > [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Worcester, MA > > Locals: Wuhster > Others: War-chester Maybe in the US, but pretty much everyone in the UK pronounces it really close to the local way. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/7 "2014-07-11T14:16:48Z")
Pretty much nobody but native New Orleanians get ‘New Orleans’ right. It’s not New or-LEANS, and it’s not N’awlins. It’s also important to understand that the true New Orleans accent is not a southern accent, and it’s not a cajun accent, but it has its own unusual accent that, oddly enough, is closer to a Brooklyn accent than any other. The right way to pronounce the city name is ‘new OR-lins’, with the ‘R’ sound subdued like a Brooklyner. The ‘new’ flows cleanly into the ‘OR’ sound. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/8 "2014-07-11T14:32:52Z")
Shouldn’t it be New Or-lee-auhn? 😉 ---
**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, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/9 "2014-07-11T14:50:08Z")
Quincy, MA Locals: ZWIN-zee Others: Zwin-ce Bogota, NJ Locals: Ba-go-da Others: BO-ga-ta ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/10 "2014-07-11T15:12:27Z")
In Cornwall, in the UK: St Austell: Pronounced as you’d expect everywhere except Cornwall, where they pronounce it “Snozzel”. Launceston is usually pronounced “Lornston” or similar, but the locals pronounce it “Larnsten”. Generally with a piratical “arrrr” in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/11 "2014-07-11T15:15:06Z")
Honolulu is Ho-no-lu-lu, not Ha-na-lu-lu. When you live there, they mercilessly rag you if you pronounce it the latter like some tourist. Although Thais call Bangkok as Krung Thep, they do know “Bangkok” but pronounce it Bahng-gawk. ---
**Author:** ![Absinthe\_Anecdote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@Absinthe\_Anecdote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absinthe_Anecdote)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/12 "2014-07-11T15:17:35Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > City names. Pronounced a distinctive way by residents, but a different way by everyone else. > > Examples: > > Baltimore > Locals: Bawl-mer (Merlin. Hon. ;)) > Everyone else: Ball-ti-more _ **Some** _ locals say it that way, not all, 🙂 Residents of Newark, DE always get a chuckle out of me by insisting that it be pronounced as two words as New-ark. They won’t hesitate to correct you, either. I’m sure they do it to distinguish their city from Newark, NJ. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/13 "2014-07-11T15:23:01Z")
Somebody will correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me that most locals pronounce the middle vowel of Chicago like “aw” but most non-locals pronounce it like “ah.” Shi-KAW-go locally vs. Shi-KAH-go elsewhere. A lot of locals seem to pronounce Toronto with two syllables, as if it were spelled Tronno. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/14 "2014-07-11T16:07:06Z")
Maryville, TN Normal people - Mary-ville Locals - Mahr-ville It’s not just a southern accent. They will correct you if you say Mary. ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/15 "2014-07-11T16:14:26Z")
I spent an evening talking to some Canadians that kept mentioning their home. Some area called ‘Noo Flun’. It took me 3 hours or so before I realised that they probably meant ‘new foundland’. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/16 "2014-07-11T16:24:13Z")
It’s all one word: Newfoundland. Always struck me as one of the worst place names ever. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/17 "2014-07-11T16:26:15Z")
Bowie, MD Locals: Boo-wee Others: Boh-wee (as in David Bowie) > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > The right way to pronounce the city name is ‘new OR-lins’, with the ‘R’ sound subdued like a Brooklyner. The ‘new’ flows cleanly into the ‘OR’ sound. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Shouldn’t it be New Or-lee-auhn? 😉 Friends from there have always told me “new-OR-lins,” but my favorite band is from there and they always say “new-OR-lee-uns” (they sing about New Orleans a lot). Is there a pronunciation divide among residents? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/18 "2014-07-11T16:31:08Z")
Spokane, WA is Spo-CANE. It’s Spo-CAN Yakima is not Yakeema. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/19 "2014-07-11T16:35:14Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Bowie, MD > > Locals: Boo-wee > Others: Boh-wee (as in David Bowie) > > Friends from there have always told me “new-OR-lins,” but my favorite band is from there and they always say “new-OR-lee-uns” (they sing about New Orleans a lot). Is there a pronunciation divide among residents? Is this pronunciation in a song, or is that how they say it when they talk? Because it’s often different in song, depending on the needs for rhymes/rhythm/syllables/etc. What band, by the way? ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/20 "2014-07-11T16:37:17Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Bowie, MD > > Locals: Boo-wee > Others: Boh-wee (as in David Bowie) > > Friends from there have always told me “new-OR-lins,” but my favorite band is from there and they always say “new-OR-lee-uns” (they sing about New Orleans a lot). Is there a pronunciation divide among residents? I’ve always heard that the rules are thrown out when using it in a song. You often hear new-or-leens. _Do you know what it means to miss New Orleeens._ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849.md?page=2)