# 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:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Sinshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sinshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinshine)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/61 "2003-09-22T21:00:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lockz \* > \*\*How about Caw-QUIT-lim? \*\* None too shabby. I take back my giggle. Co-QUIT-lam. Precisely as it appears, IMHO, but confusing to the nekkid eye, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/62 "2003-09-22T21:25:13Z")
Here in Georgia we have a few anomalies: Albany is pronounced “All-BENNY” Monroe is pronounced “MON-roe” Cairo is pronounced “KAY-ro” (That’s where Kayro syrup is made) DeKalb County is pronounced “de-CAB” And the main east-west route from Atlanta out toward Emory and Stone Mountain is called Ponce de Leon, pronounced “Pons duh LEE-ahn.” You know, Leon - like Leon Spinks. My favorite, though, is Athens, Illinois, pronounced “A-thens” (with a long “A”). ---
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/63 "2003-09-23T15:48:06Z")
[hijack] Buhgh-daad Quht-uhr Juh-laa-laa-baad Uhf-ghaa-nihs-taan 2 pet peeves: Ee-ron - the Farsi way Ee-raan - the non-Farsi way Aay-ran (why did you run?) - the hick way 'Ih-raaq or Ih-raaq - the right way Aay-rok (no, you don’t rock) - the wrong way [/hijack] WRS - pronounced “His Magnificent Excellency” ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/64 "2003-09-23T16:24:42Z")
Whakatane…Fuc-a-ta-neigh Gotta love those Maori place names and the endless fun with tourists. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/65 "2003-09-23T16:42:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by calm kiwi \* > \*\*Whakatane…Fuc-a-ta-neigh > > Gotta love those Maori place names and the endless fun with tourists. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/66 "2003-09-23T16:47:41Z")
OOPS ---
**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 23, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/67 "2003-09-23T18:59:22Z")
**WeRSauron** , is it true that the Q’s in names from those areas, are pronounced differently from the K’s? Because I kept hearing people on the news media (in the United States) pronounce Qatar as “cutter” and I thought, that can’t be right. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/68 "2003-09-23T20:46:06Z")
More Washington state names: Puyallup-pronounced pyoo-yawl-up Sequim-prounounced sqwim We definitely know who doesn’t live here when they say pewy-aloop or Pwalup. ---
**Author:** ![sultana\_of\_slash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@sultana\_of\_slash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sultana_of_slash)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/69 "2003-09-23T21:07:04Z")
In Tennessee, there is a town named Milan. It is pronounced MY-l’n. Used to drive me frigging up the wall. There is a town named Boliver. It is named after that great hero, Simon Bolivar, of whom there is a statue in the town square. It is pronounced by the locals: BOLL-uh-vr. A local who worked in my office went to Alaska on a vacation. Raved about it. Loved it. Mentioned that there were sure a lot of towns in Alaska named after Tennessee. I said maybe they were both named after towns in other places, like Milan. She gave me a long look, then blinked: where’s Milan named after? ---
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/70 "2003-09-23T21:58:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\* > Che-HAY-lis > \*\* I’m not sure about **Jodi** , but in the western part of the state we pronounce that as, shuh-HAY-lis. It’s actually mentioned in a Marcy Playground song, too. This, from the lady who lives in Yakima… YEAH-cuh-maw. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/71 "2003-09-23T23:52:44Z")
The “q” is, indeed, pronounced differently in Arabic than in English. It’s further down the throat than “k.” However, “cutter” is much better than whatever its Americanized/Anglicized version might be. 🙂 WRS - with a silent “q” ---
**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 24, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/72 "2003-09-24T00:50:23Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m not sure about **Jodi** , but in the western part of the state we pronounce that as, shuh-HAY-lis. Okay, I looked it up. [This AP site](http://www.ap.org/washington/pron.html) says it’s **chuh-HAY’-lis**. On the other hand, [this personal site](http://www.stevensauke.com/say/northwest.html) says it’s **sha-HAY-lis**. > [@](#): > > Sequim-prounounced sqwim I forgot about that one! BTW: I have a cousin in Puyallup. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/73 "2003-09-24T03:47:29Z")
Seguin, Texas really ought to rhyme with Penguin, but it doesn’t. It’s apparently pronounced “Suh-GEEN.” I learned this from a Charlie Robison song. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Raven\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@The\_Raven\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Raven_1)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726/74 "2003-09-24T03:59:45Z")
Howyadoin, Let’s not forget the Nantucket village of Siasconset, pronounced “Sconset”… Or Leominster, MA, pronounced “Lemminster”… -Rav P.S. There was a great song years ago called “I Saw Godzilla Eat Up Tuckwilla”, which mentioned a whole slew of weird Washington place names… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-names-of-cities/202726.md?page=3)