# How do you pronounce Monticello?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 10, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412 "2012-02-10T14:47:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/1 "2012-02-10T14:47:51Z")
Thomas Jefferson’s home. I’ve usually pronounced it Monti-Sello, but recently I heard someone on TV say Monti-Chello (like the musical instrument). How do you pronounce it?
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/2 "2012-02-10T14:53:24Z")
I’ve always heard both pronunciations, and I think “Monti-Chello” is technically correct . . . but I always say “Monti-Sello” anyway.
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### Author:  [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/3 "2012-02-10T15:03:20Z")
-chello. Though to be nitpicky, I say it more as monte-chello, not monti-chello (but I still answered with -chello instead of other). I’ve never heard it pronounced monti-sello.
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### Author:  [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/4 "2012-02-10T15:16:11Z")
UVa for grad school here (which engenders a completely different mental state from a certain sector of the undergrads and alumni, aka wahoos, who can be some serious Thos Jefferson fanboys/girls); it’s Monticello with a ‘ch’. Much eye-rolling will ensue from the locals and die-hards if you pronounce it with an ‘s’.
Gah, hadn’t thought about that culture in years.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/5 "2012-02-10T15:25:41Z")
Since it’s an Italian word, I pronounce it mon-tee-CHEL-oh.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/6 "2012-02-10T15:30:40Z")
I voted before I read the OP. When I see the word Monticello, I read it as monti-chello\*. Doesn’t really matter where Thomas Jefferson comes from, I can’t say I’ve ever heard the word Monti-sello, or if I had, I didn’t put it together with the spelling Monticello.
\*Like what zweisamkeit said, it’s more of a monte sound.
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### Author:  [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/7 "2012-02-10T15:50:41Z")
I’ve been corrupted a bit, since although I knew it should be pronounced “-chello”, my initial reaction was “-sello”. That’s because Monticello, New York, which isn’t too far from me, is pronounced that way, even though it’s named after the one in Virginia.
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### Author:  [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/8 "2012-02-10T16:00:14Z")
“sello” is how they pronounce the town name in Georgia. That is the _only_ place I’ve ever heard that version. Of course they also pronounce “cairo” as “Kay-roh”
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/9 "2012-02-10T16:19:14Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#):
>
> “sello” is how they pronounce the town name in Georgia. That is the _only_ place I’ve ever heard that version.
There’s a small community in South Cackalacky similarly pronounced.
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### Author:  [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/10 "2012-02-10T16:21:24Z")
I say Monti-Chello, and always look around furtively to see if anyone is going to correct me, because I’m certain that whichever way I’m pronouncing it, it’s sure to be wrong.
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### Author:  [@wheresmymind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheresmymind)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/11 "2012-02-10T16:42:31Z")
Min-kilopy-upisto.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/12 "2012-02-10T17:25:35Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#):
>
> There’s a small community in South Cackalacky similarly pronounced.
The Arkansan city is also pronounced that way. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if all but Jefferson’s birthplace were pronounced with English rules, rather than Italian.
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/13 "2012-02-10T18:13:31Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#):
>
> UVa for grad school here (which engenders a completely different mental state from a certain sector of the undergrads and alumni, aka wahoos, who can be some serious Thos Jefferson fanboys/girls); it’s Monticello with a ‘ch’. Much eye-rolling will ensue from the locals and die-hards if you pronounce it with an ‘s’.
>
> Gah, hadn’t thought about that culture in years.
UVA for undergrad, and this is entirely correct.
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### Author:  [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/14 "2012-02-10T18:26:59Z")
TJ’s crib.
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### Author:  [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/15 "2012-02-10T18:39:44Z")
> [@panache45](#):
>
> I’ve always heard both pronunciations, and I think “Monti-Chello” is technically correct . . . but I always say “Monti-Sello” anyway.
I said -sello as a kid, until I learned -chello was correct.
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### Author:  [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/16 "2012-02-10T19:03:51Z")
I’ve always said “-chello” although I think the last time I did, my wife “corrected” me.
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### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/17 "2012-02-10T19:05:58Z")
I guess it’s time for the obligatory, “Throatwarbler-mangrove”
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### Author:  [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/18 "2012-02-10T19:49:20Z")
If I’m talking about Jefferson’s home, it’s “-chello”. If I’m talking about the town in GA, it’s “-sello”. This caused me a bit of confusion as a kid growing up in Atlanta.
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### Author:  [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/19 "2012-02-10T20:00:37Z")
I answered without fully reading the OP… I read the word as -sello, and voted that way. Not being particularly familiar with Thomas Jefferson or where he lived, I might have answered -chello on the expectation that it would be said that way by most Americans.
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### Author:  [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-monticello/612412/20 "2012-02-10T20:49:06Z")
Monnichello.
- **Electric Warrior** , VA native
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