# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/21 "2014-07-11T16:50:07Z")
Haverhill, MA. Locals: Haav-Rill. People from far away: Have-Err-Hill Berlin, NH officially changed it’s name during WWII to be pronounced “BER-lin” rather than “ber-LIN” so as not to be confused with that place we were bombing. That still messes up some outsiders. ---
**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, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/22 "2014-07-11T16:51:40Z")
I’m told that the people of Cairo, Tennessee call it “cay-roh”. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/23 "2014-07-11T17:08:50Z")
Around here, the locals procounce “Atlanta” as “eht LAN uh”. ---
**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, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/24 "2014-07-11T17:12:20Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > Berlin, NH officially changed it’s name during WWII to be pronounced “BER-lin” rather than “ber-LIN” so as not to be confused with that place we were bombing. Actually, that happened in WWI. [http://berlinhistory.weebly.com/](http://berlinhistory.weebly.com/) Not sure how this relates to Milan NH, just north of Berlin, which also has a differing pronunciation from its European counterpart (MI-lin) since Italy was our ally in WW I. ---
**Author:** ![Fishtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ed655f/32.png) [@Fishtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fishtar)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/25 "2014-07-11T17:17:26Z")
Third generation Okies in Colorado insist on massacring Spanish place names just to annoy the native Spanish speakers. They pronounce Pueblo As Pweeblo, Buena Vista as BUna VIsta ect. Then they insist that is how all proper Colorado natives say it. But Pueblo is 50%+ Hispanic, and most of those families have lived there for 400 or so years. None of them say Pweeblo… So a bit of pronunciation war going on. Also Boise. Many say Boize, but locals all say Boi-cee, Also Oregon. Ora-gone is not well taken . ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/26 "2014-07-11T17:26:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’m told that the people of Cairo, Tennessee call it “cay-roh”. As do the folks in Illinois. Here in middle Tennessee, we tend to pronounce -ville for most towns as -vull, which changes the stressed syllables, much like the Louisville example. Other towns in Tennessee: Rio Grande is Rye-o Grande to locals, Ree-0 Grande to everyone else Lafayette is La-fae-ette here and Lah-fee-ette elsewhere. The area of Nashville known locally as Byoo-na Vista is pronounced Bway-na Vista everywhere else. Demonbreun Street in Nashville is locally pronounced as Dem-om-bre-um (yes! 3 Ms!) Lebanon is locally pronounced Leb-en-en rather than Leb-a-non. It’s easy to tell the recent hires on the local news by the standard pronounciations. ---
**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, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/27 "2014-07-11T18:21:07Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > 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. I’m having trouble finding a YouTube video where the front man says “New Orleans,” but I _think_ I’ve heard him say it that way. Could just be in song, but they’re awfully proud of being from there and I imagine that he’d pronounce it correctly even for the sake of lyrics, etc…but maybe not. > [@](#): > > What band, by the way? [Cowboy Mouth](http://www.cowboymouth.com/). Greatest band that no one (except a couple other Dopers) has ever heard of. 😉 > [@lost4life](#): > > 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._ Bad example: the songwriters were both from New York, and (AFAIK) never lived in New Orleans. ---
**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, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/28 "2014-07-11T18:34:09Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > I’m having trouble finding a YouTube video where the front man says “New Orleans,” but I _think_ I’ve heard him say it that way. Could just be in song, but they’re awfully proud of being from there and I imagine that he’d pronounce it correctly even for the sake of lyrics, etc…but maybe not. > > [Cowboy Mouth](http://www.cowboymouth.com/). Greatest band that no one (except a couple other Dopers) has ever heard of. 😉 I know Cowboy Mouth – I went to LSU, and Cowboy Mouth used to put on free concerts on campus all the time (this was late 90s). They were pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![Batistuta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58956e/32.png) [@Batistuta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batistuta)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/29 "2014-07-11T18:43:05Z")
Edinburgh. For god’s sake, foreigners, get it right. It’s _E-din-brah_ Leicester (_Les-tah_) and Gloucester (_Glos-tah_) are also tricky ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/30 "2014-07-11T18:56:48Z")
Philomath, OR FLO-muth, versus any three-syllable guestimation ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/31 "2014-07-11T19:39:03Z")
There’s also “Peer” (not Pierre), South Dakota. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/32 "2014-07-11T19:40:14Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > A lot of locals seem to pronounce Toronto with two syllables, as if it were spelled Tronno. To poke a little fun at this, we’ll even say “Tranna.” In real life Toronto locals don’t _quite_ pronounce it as Tranna, but it’s not _that_ far off, either. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/33 "2014-07-11T19:47:15Z")
Some cities in my state and the next one over… Campbell…you know you’re not talking to a local if he/she says “CAM-bul.” It’s actually “CAM-ul.” Vienna is “VIGH-EN-na,” not “vee-EN-na.” East Palestine is “PAL-uh-steen,” not “PAL-uh-stine.” As with the other example, we also have a “BER-lin” as opposed to “Ber-LIN.” DuBois is “DU-boyce,” not “Du-BWAH.” ---
**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, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/34 "2014-07-11T20:30:52Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Bad example: the songwriters were both from New York, and (AFAIK) never lived in New Orleans. Um…thanks? How is that a bad example of Or-Leenz being used in music? Considering that Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, Pete Fountain, John Boutte, and a host of others (who kinda lived there) had no problem singing the song with that pronunciation. If Professor Longhair meets your criteria, I’ll submit _Go to the Mardi Gras_. It’s another iconic song in New Orleans. There’s just an exception with music. Other songs include House of the Rising Sun, Baby Please Don’t Go, Battle of New Orleans, Johnny B. Goode, Brown Sugar, Bloodletting, Proud Mary…it’s a thing! (besides, the parish is pronounced Or-leenz). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/35 "2014-07-11T20:32:16Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Worcester, MA > > Locals: Wuhster > Others: War-chester The one in Ohio avoided that problem by naming it “Wooster.” Actually, it was named after someone named “Wooster.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/36 "2014-07-11T20:59:25Z")
Most people would pronounce San Pedro (California) as ‘san PAY-dro’. Locals pronounce it ‘san PEE-dro’. I haven’t heard how non-locals (i.e., people ho live in SoCal) pronounce Port Hueneme. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/37 "2014-07-11T21:08:31Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > The one in Ohio avoided that problem by naming it “Wooster.” Actually, it was named after someone named “Wooster.” My wife was born there. Woe unto anyone who comes into her orbit and makes the mistake of pronouncing it “Woooster” (rhyming with “rooster”) as opposed to “Wooster” (with the first syllable rhyming with “wood”). I’ve sometimes been mildly embarrassed by the speed with which she jumps in to correct the unfortunate miscreant. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/38 "2014-07-11T21:12:46Z")
Ignoring the French pronunciation of my city, the English-speaking people here pronounce it “Muntreal,” as opposed to some (though not all) people elsewhere, who pronounce it “Mawntreal.” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/39 "2014-07-12T01:07:46Z")
And then there’s the county that Cleveland’s in, and the river that runs through it. Whether you pronounce Cuyahoga with a short o “Ky-a-HOG-a” or a long o “Ky-a-HO-ga”. . . half of the natives will agree with you. ---
**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 12, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/40 "2014-07-12T01:15:37Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > 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. And speaking of Thailand, Pattaya is a popular place, but farangs (Westerners), even long-term residents, are forever calling it Pattaya with the first syllable like the English word “pat” and the second and third As schwas when in reality all three As are the A in “father,” although the middle one is less stressed. And Phuket. No, it’s not what you think but rather “poo-get.” Back to the US, when I lived in Albuquerque I seem to recall the nearby town of Madrid was pronounced MAH-drid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849.md?page=3)