# Mangled pronunciation of cities and other things near you **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 3, 2002, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008 "2002-05-03T04:20:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/61 "2002-05-04T04:17:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tsarina \* > \*\*In my hometown of Monroe, MI, you can always detect an outsider when they say “Mahn-roe”, instead of “Mun-ROE”. > > We giggle when people on TV pronounce Marilyn Monroe’s name wrong. Dumbasses! 😃 \*\* I went to high school just outside Monroe, NC. Like you, we knew folks were real outsiders if they called it “Mahn-roe.” While “Mun-ROE” was acceptable, the more countrified older residents tended to call it “MUN-roe.” Both North and South Carolina have towns named Beaufort. In North Carolina, it’s “BOW-furt”; in South Carolina, it’s “BYOO-furt.” There’s a small community in our county call Fuquay-Varina. It’s a local hobby to listen to outsiders mangle it (extra credit if they make it sound obscene!) The correct pronunciation is “FYOO-kway Vuh-REE-nuh.” The nearby town of Bahama is pronounced Buh-HAY-ma, and not like a singlular of the Bahamas. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/62 "2002-05-04T04:48:33Z")
You know, this makes me think of one of my favorite SNL sketches. “It’s pronounced Oz-wee-pay” said Mr. Asswipe. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@Mona\_Lott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lott)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/63 "2002-05-04T04:59:55Z")
Spokane, Washington: Please don’t pronounce the second syllable “cane” as in candy cane. It is Spo-KAN, as in tin can. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![bagkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bagkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagkitty)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/64 "2002-05-04T05:55:37Z")
Prevent nasty stares. If you ever come to Calgary (Alberta), it is pronounced CAL-GREE, not CAL-GARY. We won’t hit you, but it is obvious that you are a transplant if you include the second A. (And it is amazing how many people… especially from BC and Ontario, never learn the difference.) I would like to know (so I don’t commit a similar assault on people’s ears)… St. Louis… do the local prefer Saint Louie, or Saint Lewis as the pronounciation? ---
**Author:** ![SFCanadian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SFCanadian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SFCanadian)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/65 "2002-05-04T06:24:41Z")
Grew up across from Detroit in Windsor, Ontario… But for some reason Americans could never pronounce it… They always pronounced it “Canada”… We’re going to Canada… I’ve been to Canada… etc… 🙂 Windsor has streets that only the locals know how to pronounce… Windsor was a very French area in the past, and still has alot of French citizens… So you’d think that when there’s a street named PIERRE, people there could manage to pronounce it properly… But Windsorites call it PEER-EE street… Huh? Where did THAT come from??? Then moved to Toronto, and as anyone from Toronto knows, it isn’t Toe-Ron-To… It’s TRAWNA… And next to Toronto is a suburb called Scarborough, but people from Toronto always seem to pronounce it “Scarberia”… With apologies to any Scarberians who might be reading 😉 SFCanadian ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/66 "2002-05-04T07:39:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vivalostwages \* > \*\*This comes mainly from the days when my brother worked as a telephone directory assistant and quite a few of the callers couldn’t get the pronunciation right on the names of some California cities. For example: > > ## They’d ask for “Serritoss”; they meant Cerritos. Van Nooies (Van Nuys) Bree (brie?) (Brea) Granola Hills (Canoga Hills) Slime-are (Sylmar) Placenta (Placentia) > > Got any manglings you’d like to share? \*\* It’s ‘Las Vegas’ not ‘Lost Wages’. Ya’d think people could pronouce 2 words. Jeesh. Slee ---
**Author:** ![friggae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/45deac/32.png) [@friggae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friggae)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/67 "2002-05-04T08:09:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vivalostwages \* > \*\*Is there a bottom line on [Wilkes-Barre’s] name? \*\* According to [this](http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/us/A0852270.html) site, it’s pronounced “Wilkes-Barry” ---
**Author:** ![cleops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cleops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cleops)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/68 "2002-05-04T19:51:08Z")
And from an ex-Bangorite (ME)– It’s BANG-gore, not BANG-gerr, Roger Miller notwithstanding. My father, for some strange reason-and he’s lived there all of his 87 years–says Ba_nn_-gore, actually pronouncing an “n,” as I have heard others in his age cohort do. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/69 "2002-05-04T20:11:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lunatic13 \* > \*\* > > Holy crap! I grew up in Almond! And this is the SECOND time it’s been mentioned on the boards! It’s a tiny village of 500 people!!\*\* I think I was the one who mentioned it last time! Going out for dinner tonight with my friends who live there, as a matter of fact. We’re going to Two Lakes\* for the Italian Feast (giant antipasto platter, all-you-can-eat pasta and “Drunken Chicken”). I’m already hungry, and it’s only 3 pm!! \*Well, there used to be two lakes, one on either side of the restaurant. But they dried up and now they’re just big depressions in the landscape. ---
**Author:** ![c\_carol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@c\_carol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_carol)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/70 "2002-05-04T23:32:45Z")
Cashiers, NC, is pronounced CASH-ers. > [@](#): > > \*originally posted by Molly Coddle: \* > > Bumpass I just wanted to say, this is one of the coolest town names I have ever encountered. ---
**Author:** ![fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ba0ec/32.png) [@fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fish_in_the_sky)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/71 "2002-05-04T23:36:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > \*\* > there used to be two lakes, one on either side of the restaurant. But they dried up and now they’re just big depressions in the landscape. \*\* Well, sometimes, if it rains a lot, there are two swampy puddles… ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/72 "2002-05-05T00:35:12Z")
For some reason, every English speaker outside Canada insists on pronouncing it “Mawntreal”. It’s “Munchreal”. Metro stations here are fun. Guy-Concordia is “Gee” (hard g), not “guy”. Lionel-Groulx is “grew”, not “gruel”. It might sound like the announcement lady is pronouncing De Castelnau “De Castelnoo,” but she’s not and it’s “De Castelno”. The most fun is to watch a tourist try to pronounce Pie-IX (more often than you’d think, considering that the Olympic Stadium is there.) Pix-Ix? Pye-Icks? Pye-Nine? No, Pee-Neuf (which is how you render the name of Pope Pius the Ninth in French.) Finally, if you cannot possibly pronounce Longueuil in French, at least say Longay and not Longale. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/73 "2002-05-05T00:51:43Z")
I wish I could remember the stuff from New Orleans. (Even “New Orleans” itself can be pronounced approximately twenty ways, about five of which are considered “correct enough, I guess.”) Stuff is not pronounced like it would be in French yet it’s not pronounced like it would be in English, either. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/74 "2002-05-05T01:20:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pendgwen \* > \*\*Washingtonians like to laugh at visitors trying to pronounce things like: > > Sequim (squim) > Puyallup (pew-AL-up) > Yakima (YAK-i-maw) \*\* I got kicked out of a text-to-speech demo at a conference for using the above. In any case, I count it a goodness if they don’t say “WARSHington. . . .” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Osbie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Osbie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osbie)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/75 "2002-05-05T01:48:32Z")
In Illinois, there are towns named after famous places, but are pronounced way different: Athens (pronounced AYY-thens) Cairo (pronounced KAY-row) New Berlin (pronounced BURR-lynn) The word “Illini” is used a lot in Illinois. Lot’s of businesses have it in their names (“Illini Headstone and RV Campers” for example). Most everyone I’ve ever encountered in IL says “Ih-LINE-eye” but someone on a TV show who was obviously not from in-state pronounced it as “Ih-LEAN-eee.” What a rube! And though I was born and raised in Illinois, I’ve yet to learn what the proper pronunciation is for Joliet. Is it JOLLY-ette or JOE-lee-ette? ---
**Author:** ![Grelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a5b964/32.png) [@Grelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grelby)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/76 "2002-05-05T05:20:25Z")
Ok, there are some good ones in Massachusetts. Worcester, not surprisingly, has already been mentioned. Isn’t there a Leicester in MA as well? If so, it’s LEST-er, if I remember correctly. So, a quick rule of thumb for Massachusetts: See an h in the middle of a town name? Skip over it. So: Dedham is not, repeat, _not_ pronounced “Dead-ham.” It’s Ded-em, thankyouverymuch. Same holds true for Needham. That’s Need-em, to you. Amherst, of course, is Am-erst. I’m not from Western MA, and I know that! A last one, that I haven’t heard made too often, but worth noting: People have been known to pronounce Dunstable as “Dun-STABLE,” with the stable pronounced as if it were, well, a stable for horses. This is wrong. Very, very wrong. The correct pronunciation is DUN-Sta-bul. You say “stable” you get disgusted looks from people/ And who can blame them? ---
**Author:** ![LindyHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@LindyHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LindyHopper)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/77 "2002-05-05T05:41:57Z")
Let’s not forget Buena Vista, Colorado (BYOO-nah VIH-sta) and Hurricane, West Virginia (HURR-ken). Oh, and another Oklahoma one: Miami, pronounced Mye-AM-uh. And San Jacinto Street in Houston: San Juh-SIN-toe. Just like it’s spelled, if it were actually _English_ instead of _Spanish_! ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/78 "2002-05-05T06:15:44Z")
More fun from upstate New York. Schermerhorn = Skimmerhorn. Chatham = Chattum. Schaghticoke = Skatticoke. Coeyman = Queeman. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/79 "2002-05-05T06:32:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racinchikki \* > \*\*More fun from upstate New York. > > Schermerhorn = Skimmerhorn. > Chatham = Chattum. > Schaghticoke = Skatticoke. > Coeyman = Queeman. \*\* Don’t forget Watervliet. I actually don’t know how to pronounce this, but I have family in Latham and Troy so I pass by it often and was hoping you’d educate me as to how you say it. I’ve heard it’s everything from Waterfleet to Waterville. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008/80 "2002-05-05T06:53:23Z")
It sounds like “Waterfleet” but with a V sound instead of an F. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mangled-pronunciation-of-cities-and-other-things-near-you/107008.md?page=5)