# City names: local pronunciation vs everyone else

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849>\
**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:** 3\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/81 "2014-07-15T18:19:06Z")

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> [@DCnDC](#):
>
> Louisville  
> Locals: Loo-ah-vull (kinda all muddled together)  
> Everyone else: Loo-ee-ville
> 
> Others?

My first husband was from Louisville. He said closer to the second pronunciation. People would correct him. “Don’t you mean loouhvull, heh heh?” It drove him insane.

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**Author:** ![nogwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nogwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nogwart)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/82 "2014-07-15T19:40:40Z")

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Humble, Texas

I lived there for only a few years, but I couldn’t count the times I was told that it should be pronounced “Um-bull” (no “H” sound). I never argued, but I never acknowledged their correction, either being the rebellious wildman that I am.

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**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-names-local-pronunciation-vs-everyone-else/692849/83 "2014-07-16T04:43:59Z")

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“Shawano”, in Wisconsin, is two syllables.

“Kootenai”, which is more a regional name than a city, is pronounced “KOOT-nee”.

And someone mentioned Kamiah in Idaho: that one is “KAM-ee-eye”.

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