# Illinois!!! Starts with an "I" dammit! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 11, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565 "2010-02-11T17:39:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/1 "2010-02-11T17:39:43Z")
Do you go to the doctor when you feel “ell”? On your desk, is there an “en-box”? No? Know why? Because those words start with the letter “I”. As does **Illkinois.** Sincerely, **MBG, whose heard Ellinois one too many times today** ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/2 "2010-02-11T17:42:35Z")
Yeah, and it doesn’t end in an “S!” As I’ve heard around here a number of times in my life. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/3 "2010-02-11T17:42:46Z")
Pfft, if the spelling mattered you wouldn’t have an ‘s’ at the end. 😛 ETA: Curse my fellow Maple Leaf fanatic. :shakes fist: ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/4 "2010-02-11T17:43:01Z")
E know, et’s a pain. Maybe you should move to Eowa. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/5 "2010-02-11T17:44:07Z")
But the real question is, is there a “k” in Illkinois? ---
**Author:** ![williamweigand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b3f665/32.png) [@williamweigand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williamweigand)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/6 "2010-02-11T17:45:42Z")
Well, it’s not spelled with a “k” either. (Or did you do that as a joke?) ---
**Author:** ![williamweigand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b3f665/32.png) [@williamweigand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williamweigand)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/7 "2010-02-11T17:51:32Z")
Hmm…I tried editing to acknowledge Duke beating me to the punch, but I’ll just clarify that my remark was intended for the OP, although it could be read as a reply to Duke’s post. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/8 "2010-02-11T17:53:56Z")
The “k” is silent. 😉 Except downstate, and they say everything funny down there, so they don’t count. Examples: **Vienna, IL** Pronounced locally as “vy-ana” **Cairo, IL** Pronounced like the syrup - “kay-ro” That big fault line down there? You know the New Madrid Fault Line? Pronounced with the accent on the first syllable. New MADrid. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/9 "2010-02-11T18:00:43Z")
> [@Mr Bus Guy](#): > > That big fault line down there? You know the New Madrid Fault Line? Pronounced with the accent on the first syllable. New MADrid. That’s how it’s pronounced in New Mexeco as well. Damn foreigners. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/10 "2010-02-11T18:19:32Z")
But is it pronounced ILL-inois or EYE-llinois? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/11 "2010-02-11T18:22:34Z")
> [@Tahssa](#): > > But is it pronounced ILL-inois or EYE-llinois? ILL. Just like the first vowel sound in the word “Italian”, and I will smack the next person I hear calling someone “an EYE-talian” or talking about “EYE-talian dressing.” ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/12 "2010-02-11T18:23:27Z")
And Wisconsin is not pronounced Wesconsin, dammit, you know-nothing FIBers! ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/13 "2010-02-11T18:27:18Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > And Wisconsin is not pronounced Wesconsin, dammit, you know-nothing FIBers! I’m a Cheesehead expatriate, moved south of the Cheese Curtain to live with the Illinoisian that I love. Imagine my annoyance at getting ragged on for how I pronounce the “o” in “Wisconsin” and hearing that other, **wrong!** pronunciation as “Wesconsin” when they do it. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/14 "2010-02-11T18:30:22Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > ILL. Just like the first vowel sound in the word “Italian”, and I will smack the next person I hear calling someone “an EYE-talian” or talking about “EYE-talian dressing.” Gotcha. Now I need to go do some research for my trip to EYE-taly. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/15 "2010-02-11T18:31:17Z")
> [@Tahssa](#): > > Now I need to go do some research for my trip to EYE-taly. 😛 _headdesk_ ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/16 "2010-02-11T18:34:03Z")
Ah, come to Kentucky, where you can visit Louisville (LOU-a-vull), Versailles (Ver-SALES), Garrard (GARE-uhd) County, McCreary (Muh-Queery) County, and Cadiz (KAY-dees). ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/17 "2010-02-11T18:36:49Z")
> [@Mr Bus Guy](#): > > Do you go to the doctor when you feel “ell”? > > On your desk, is there an “en-box”? > > No? Know why? Because those words start with the letter “I”. BRB, writing a letter to every linguist on the face of the planet to let them know that they’re 100% wrong about how language works, because some random guy on a message board told me that spelling determines pronunciation and the only valid dialect is the one he speaks. This may take a while. ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/18 "2010-02-11T18:45:36Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > BRB, writing a letter to every linguist on the face of the planet to let them know that they’re 100% wrong about how language works, because some random guy on a message board told me that spelling determines pronunciation and the only valid dialect is the one he speaks. > > This may take a while. I get your point that spelling and pronunciation are very subjective and accents vary, but isn’t there some room for standard pronunciation? For example, I’m pretty sure you would pronounce your username as: “shawt frum guhns”, not “shot froom goons”, just as I would. Somehow, we’ve come to a decision that the word “guns” has a standard pronunciation, and others are deviations from the standard. Couldn’t that be what the OP is trying to say? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/19 "2010-02-11T18:45:57Z")
Kansas and Arkansas can’t even agree on how the common parts of their state names are pronounced, and Connecticut has an extra C in the middle that no one seems to be aware of. And while we’re at it, where’s that S sound at the end of Illinois? It should be ill-in-oh-iss. So you’re pronouncing it wrong too. Don’t be complaining about how people pronounce the front part when you don’t pronounce all of the letters in the back part. 😛 (for the record I do pronounce it ill- and not ell-). ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565/20 "2010-02-11T18:50:16Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > And while we’re at it, where’s that S sound at the end of Illinois? It should be ill-in-oh-iss. So you’re pronouncing it wrong too. Don’t be complaining about how people pronounce the front part when you don’t pronounce all of the letters in the back part. > > 😛 Bah, at least the state is sort of holding to that small part of the French pronunciation. They’ve mangled places like DuPage and Desplaines into Americanized pronunciations, though at least logically done. And don’t try to use the French pronunciation of Armitage Avenue in Chicago. Saying “Ar-mih-tahzhe” will get you pegged as not from around here - it’s “Ar-mih-tidge.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-starts-with-an-i-dammit/528565.md?page=2)