20 years ago, I lived in Chicago (Sha-Caw-Go, not Chee-Kah-Go) and back then it was in Illinois (Ill-in-oy, not Ill-in-noise)
Have people started to pronounce this differently there now?
Also, when did Chocolate become Chock-let, instead of Chalk-let?
I just thought I would “axe” the question.
Illinois is originally a French word, so the “s” would have been silent. There has not been an official decision to change the pronounciation to an audible “s”.
The audible “s” pronounciation is largely in part to the bass ackwards people from the South that pronounce every letter they read, regardless of what is right or wrong.
March 22, 1998. 
Speaking of Illinois, I used to have the darnedest time pronouncing Decatur. I always said “DECK-a-tur” instead of “Duh-CAY-tur.”
The common mispronunciation of the name of the Lincoln State is the direct and proximate consequence of creeping cultural illiteracy and the political resurrection of the South. How else can you explain Trent Lott? If Stevenson had become president all this would never have happened. How do you suppose President Bush pronounces Illinois? We are all bound straight for Hell in a handbasket.
Named after the native tribe I can’t be arsed to research, the state and river of the same name are correctly pronounced
Mih-ZUR-ee
not Mih-ZUR-uh, as unfortunately too many inbred farmers’ whelps say to my eternal misery (and remember children, that’s MIH-zur-ee, not MIH-sur-uh!) . . . But then how else would we explain John Asscroft (sp intentional)?
Thank you, Jules, that is a pet peeve of mine. I never hear people mispronounce Mississippi as Mississippuh, but it’s common occurrence for Missouri for some reason.
BTW, the city is St. Louis - not St. Louie. Pronounce the damn ‘s.’ I don’t care what French king it’s named after, pronounce the freakin ‘s’!
And DMark, since you axed - Also, when did Chocolate become Chock-let, instead of Chalk-let?
Why would it be pronounced Chalk-let? It’s not spelled cholcolate. It’s always been pronounced chock-let AFAIK.
I live in Chicago (shi-caw-go), Illinois (ill-uh-noi). Okay, actually I now live in Brookfield, but close enough. Everyone I know has always pronounced it this way. Sometimes, to be funny, we say “ill-uh-noiz.”
Also, I’ve been to Missouri a few times (lovely state you have there, btw). Every time we pronounced it “mih-zur-ee” a local would correct us to say “mih-zur-uh.” If we pronounced it “mih-zur-uh” we were told it was the other way. After a while, we started using awkward phrases like, “Boy we sure are enjoying our time here in the Show Me State!”
It depends where you are in Missouri, Jeannie. It’s been my experiences that the rural regions pronounce it miz-UR-uh, while the more urban areas prefer miz-UR-ee.
In addition, is it Ill-i-noi
or Ell-i-noi?
Just asking
I usually hear “ill-i-noi.” But my dad says “ell-i-noi.” Take this with a grain of salt, though, because the man also drinks “melk” and eats “aigs” (eggs).
Everyone I have ever known from Illinois has pronounced it “Illinoy”. The “s” is dropped, as it is in “Arkansaw”.
But why is Kansas not “Kansaw”? Both Arkansas and Kansas are derived from the same Quapaw words, no?
Other wierd state pronunciations I have heard
Alabamy
Ark and saw
Califonyuh
Colorder
Cuh netty cut
Floorduh
Jawjuh
Havai’i (ok that might be correct)
U da’ ho (ok I said that)
Illinoise
Kintuckee
L’wheezieanna
Marilyn (as in Monroe)
Marlin (as in the fish)
Marlon (is in Brando)
Mass (as in a Catholic Mass)
Minnesoooooohtah (Jesse Ventura comes to mind)
Mish’ghin
Mizuruh
‘Joisey (The New is silent)
New Yawk
Noat’ Cal’e’lina
Oaklahoamaa (extremely long o’s)
Ohaiyo gozaimasu (heard from a Japanese tourist at the Rn’R Hall of Fame)
Hell On Earth (I assumed Pennsylvania)
Tennis Sea
T’excess
Varmint
Virginnie
Warshin’ton
WisCOWnsin (ow sound in the middle)
Whist Vagina
Y. O. Min
The worst ones that drive me insane…
Warshington
Oh-REE-gon
It’s OR-eh-gun dammit!
Or-UH-gon!
I am from Iowa, and my mother in law who has lived her all her life drives me crazy!
I-O-WAY!? WTF?!
My uncle who grew up here and now lives in North Carolina calls it i-OWE-a.
common, it’s a small word! it’s not that damn hard.
And being as close to Illinois as I am, when the S is added that also drives me freakin’ crazy!
Sorry, DMark, but both of those pronunciations look the same to me. I pronounce “cot” and “caught” identically, and “chock” (as in, “chock full”) is a homonym with “chalk” (as in, "sidewalk chalk) for me. (Come to think of it, the words “wok” and “walk” are near homonyms for me. The difference might be almost audible, but it’d be negligible.)
Uh, I thought it was a native american word. If it’s french, what does it mean?
“Je t’aime! Je t’aime! Maintenant fait le bruit du cochon!”
—sweet nothings whispered into the ear of Mrs. Mercotan, who fortunately does not speak french. But she digs the sound! 
My dad used to smugly say, "Illi-noise…heh heh…like there is more than one. Geeez!
My mom, however, always pronounced Hawaii “ha-WOY-ya”.
Well, at least one of them got it right
You’re both right. “Illinois” is a French derivative of a Native American word.
I just wanted to add that I was second runner up in the 1987 Miss Pronunciation pagent…