# Place name pronunciations **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 7, 2007, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159 "2007-12-07T15:22:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/61 "2007-12-11T02:28:57Z")
[QUOTE=BJMoose] Nevada, Mo. is pronounced nuh-VAY-duh. Kansas’ best contribution to funky phonics is Salina (suh-LY-nuh), seat of Saline (suh-LEEN) County. Trips up the new out-of-state TV newsweenies every time. Is Kansas the only place El Dorado is pronounced with a long a? [/QUOTE] Some people in western KS pronounce the Kansas in Arkansas River as Ar-KAN-sas. We also held dry-river canoe races on it during Dodge City Days. Dear lord, it truly was the middle of nowhere. ---
**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:** [December 12, 2007, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/62 "2007-12-12T07:57:32Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] Hmm. I’ve never pronounced it that way. “Muntreal” it’s always been for me. [/QUOTE] I guess I shouldn’t say all Canadians pronounce it that way, but it always amazes me to hear, e.g. CBC saying it that way when they really should know better. ---
**Author:** ![ShakWave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@ShakWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShakWave)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/63 "2007-12-12T12:53:29Z")
Can any American enlighten me how Des Moines (IL) is pronounced? I was just wondering about it the other day. ---
**Author:** ![Litoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@Litoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Litoris)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/64 "2007-12-12T14:01:41Z")
[QUOTE=ShakWave] Can any American enlighten me how Des Moines (IL) is pronounced? I was just wondering about it the other day. [/QUOTE] While some people I have encountered pronounce it exactly as it looks – _des moyns_ – most people say _Deh moyn_. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/65 "2007-12-12T14:21:48Z")
A street in Houston (that’s HYOOSE tun ;)): San Felipe - pronounced San FILL-uh-pee A town in Texas: Mexia - pronounced Muh-HAY-uh ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/66 "2007-12-12T14:28:10Z")
In southern Ohio there’s a town called Rio Grande. The I is long, the E is silent. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/67 "2007-12-12T19:38:20Z")
Mantua (actually called Mantova in Italian, but never mind that) - becomes “Man away” in Ohio. Medina in Arabia is ma-DEE-na… but in Ohio it’s ma-DYE-na. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/68 "2007-12-13T00:18:21Z")
[QUOTE=ShakWave] Can any American enlighten me how Des Moines (IL) is pronounced? I was just wondering about it the other day. [/QUOTE] You mean Iowa? Around here (and there), it’s kind of like D’Moyn. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/69 "2007-12-13T06:27:28Z")
Now ask about Des Plaines, IL. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/70 "2007-12-13T07:34:27Z")
There’s a Lincoln Streen near where I live in Tel Aviv (it’s part of a mini-neighborhood where all the streets are named after U.S. presidents). As the name is transcribed letter-by-letter to Hebrew, and as Hebrew as no silent letters, people always call it LEEN-coh-len Street, which drives me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![papaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@papaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papaw)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/71 "2007-12-13T08:18:26Z")
> [@](#): > > A street in Houston (that’s HYOOSE tun ): > San Felipe - pronounced San FILL-uh-pee Yep, and we all get a giggle when a new traffic announcer tries some of the names of Houston streets. Fuqua - fyoo-kway Chenevert - shin a vert Kuykendahl - kerken doll ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/72 "2007-12-13T21:20:00Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] HEW-stun, TX. HOUSE-ton St., New York, NY. [/QUOTE] Oooh, ooh, I know this one…Sorry, the street is older than the city in Texas, and was named after someone who pronounced it House-ton. What do I win? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/73 "2007-12-13T22:01:32Z")
Devon Street in Chicago isn’t pronounced DEVV-un like in England… it’s dee-VON. The first time I heard it mentioned was by a guy from India, and I thought he had substituted the Urdu pronunciation of _divan_–because Urdu, like English, also got the word _divan_ from Persian, and pronounces it dee-VAHN. Then I found out that even non-Urdu-speaking native Chicagoans pronounce Devon St. that way. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/74 "2007-12-13T23:58:32Z")
[QUOTE=Katriona] Some people in western KS pronounce the Kansas in Arkansas River as Ar-KAN-sas. We also held dry-river canoe races on it during Dodge City Days. Dear lord, it truly was the middle of nowhere. [/QUOTE] Heck, I think every card-carrying Kansan pronounces it that way. I hear the same pronunciation prevails in Colorado (speaking of which - if Colorado wouldn’t use up so much Arkansas River water the folks in Dodge wouldn’t have to resort to dry-river canoe races). Once it passes Arkansas City, Kans. (usually pronounced Ark City), then the Ahr-kan-sah pronunciation prevails. Possom Trot, eh? For some reason the name Possom Trot Creek is popular in these parts. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/75 "2007-12-14T01:24:22Z")
[QUOTE=BJMoose] Heck, I think every card-carrying Kansan pronounces it that way. I hear the same pronunciation prevails in Colorado (speaking of which - if Colorado wouldn’t use up so much Arkansas River water the folks in Dodge wouldn’t have to resort to dry-river canoe races). Once it passes Arkansas City, Kans. (usually pronounced Ark City), then the Ahr-kan-sah pronunciation prevails. [/QUOTE] Way I heard tell, in Ark’nsaw the state, it’s always ArKANsus the river. But ICBW. ---
**Author:** ![moonstarssun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@moonstarssun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonstarssun)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/76 "2007-12-14T03:41:40Z")
Pierre, SD is pronounced PEER Madrid, CA is pronounced MAD-rid San Antonio, TX is San Antone to the locals Oregon, WI is or-uh-GONE ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/77 "2007-12-14T03:53:15Z")
On the BBC, I always get a laugh when the announcer tries to pronounce Tucson in Arizona. Admittedly, it does not come up often, usually only on the world weather report and in the summer, because of the heat. Which reminds me: This is spelling, not pronunciation, but it’s still good. The English-language newspapers here use a mix of British and US usage, leaning more towards British. As a result, one story in the newspaper had it coming out of “Arisona.” ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159/78 "2007-12-14T03:55:36Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Way I heard tell, in Ark’nsaw the state, it’s always ArKANsus the river. But ICBW. [/QUOTE] My mother was from a small town on the Arkansas River in Arkansas, so we’d go there a lot in my youth. I don’t recall anyone pronouncing the river that way, but it’s been awhile. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-name-pronunciations/429159.md?page=3)