# How do you pronounce the names of cities? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 20, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726 "2003-09-20T01:45:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/1 "2003-09-20T01:45:57Z")
Why are there 2 different ways to pronounce New Orleans? Some call it new OR-lins and some say new or-LEENS, which is the correct pronounciation? Does it depend on where you’re from? What about Poughkeepsie? Is there more than one way to pronounce that? ---
**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:** [September 20, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/2 "2003-09-20T01:47:10Z")
I thought it was “N’Awlins”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/3 "2003-09-20T01:53:20Z")
Yeah. N’awlins, or N’orlins. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/4 "2003-09-20T01:53:39Z")
There are far more than two ways to pronounce New Orleans, even amongst the denizens thereof. I’ve never heard a local there say N’awlins, but my little sister, who’s lived there for ~25 years, and here friends, say Nuwhalins. OTOH, on a recent visit I also heard locals say New Ore-lee-ahns. How do you say Chi-cah-go? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/5 "2003-09-20T01:58:03Z")
And I just listened to myself (quit channeling L’il Sis) and I say New Aurl’ns. ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/6 "2003-09-20T02:03:15Z")
Well, at least if you’re singing “Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans” the choice is clear. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/7 "2003-09-20T02:05:48Z")
Mun-Dung-Us. ---
**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:** [September 20, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/8 "2003-09-20T02:22:51Z")
SEE-dro Wool-lee EE-num-claw Ca-MAY-no EYE-land Che-HAY-lis Ti-NYE-no ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/9 "2003-09-20T02:31:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\*SEE-dro Wool-lee > EE-num-claw > Ca-MAY-no EYE-land > Che-HAY-lis > Ti-NYE-no \*\* Hah? 😕 😕 😕 😕 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/10 "2003-09-20T02:51:36Z")
When I was there some years back, I was instructed by the concierge at the hotel that I had my choice of “New OR-lins” or “New OR-lee-ans”, but that I’d do nothing but brand myself as an unknowing tourist by uttering “New Or-LEENS”. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/11 "2003-09-20T03:09:11Z")
Nouveau-Orléans? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/12 "2003-09-20T03:49:57Z")
> [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > SEE-dro Wool-lee > > EE-num-claw > > Ca-MAY-no EYE-land > > Che-HAY-lis > > Ti-NYE-no > > Hah? 😕 JOHNNY has a Washington State fixation, to which I generally say – neener neener neener. 🙂 These are all Washington towns or locations: Sedro Wooley, Enumclaw, Camano Island, Chehalis, Tenino. Which have nothing on the rivers: Snoqualimie, Skykomish, Snohomish, Stillaguamish. Isn’t Chicago always pronounced “Shi-CA-go?” ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/13 "2003-09-20T04:13:49Z")
SID-ni MEL-b’n BRIS-b’n CAN-bruh ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/14 "2003-09-20T04:33:00Z")
In New York State: Chappa-kwah (Chappaqua, nominal home of Billary and future home of TeaElle) Sha-taw-kwah (Chatauqua, a lake/resort town in the far western part of the state) ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/15 "2003-09-20T04:48:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sunspace \* > \*\*Nouveau-Orléans? 🙂 \*\* Non, non, c’est la Nouvelle-Orléans! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/16 "2003-09-20T05:15:06Z")
Puh-kip’-see. Poe-kip-see if you must. Scaghticoke = Scat’-i-coke. Coxsackie = Cook-sock’-ee. Anything with “uy” in it, the “uy” rhymes with “eye.” I’m not aware of any exceptions to this: Stuyvesant, Schuylerville, etc. Valatie = Vuh-lay’-sha. If you imagine it anglicized to Valatia, its pronunciation is more intuitive. When I was a kid, I thought the Vuh-lay’-shuh that my dad talked about and the Val’-uh-tie that I read on the sign were two different places. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/17 "2003-09-20T05:16:55Z")
Oh! And don’t forget Nacogdoches, Texas and its sister city, Natchitoches, in Louisiana! They’re pronounced Nack-a-doe’-chiz and Nack’-uh-tish respectively. ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/18 "2003-09-20T09:34:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jodi \* > \*\*Hah? 😕 JOHNNY has a Washington State fixation, to which I generally say – neener neener neener. 🙂 These are all Washington towns or locations: Sedro Wooley, Enumclaw, Camano Island, Chehalis, Tenino. Which have nothing on the rivers: Snoqualimie, Skykomish, Snohomish, Stillaguamish. Isn’t Chicago always pronounced “Shi-CA-go?” \*\* [/QUOTE] Well shoot. Washington State is just north of me. You’d think I’d recognize the names! ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/19 "2003-09-20T09:39:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racinchikki \* > \*\*Puh-kip’-see. Poe-kip-see if you must. > \*\* Thank you! I knew it had to be puh- pr poe-! My relatives tell me it’s poo-kip-see. But what do they know, they’re from Connecticut! Speaking of New England, I know how to say Quonochontaug (kwahn’-a-ka-tawg) Misquamicut (miss-quahm’-ah-cut) and not sure on the spelling of this one but Wiquetiquock (wick’-it-ee-quawck). ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/20 "2003-09-20T09:42:11Z")
**Jodi** , sorry I don’t know what happened with my post but it ruined the quote. Yes, as far as I know I’ve never heard Chicago pronounced anything other then sha-cah’-go. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726.md?page=2)