# Proper Names We Hate To Hear Mispronounced **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 7, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-names-we-hate-to-hear-mispronounced/180348 "2003-06-07T22:27:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-names-we-hate-to-hear-mispronounced/180348/101 "2003-06-20T15:49:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fish \* > \*\*I decided not to be exhaustive, **masonite.** There’s so many names in Western Washington that get mangled. I had to pick my favorites. 🙂 > > But let me add Tenino, Issaquah, Burien, Montesano, and Sedro Woolley. 🙂 > > FISH \*\* I love hearing telemarketers try to sa Sammamish ---
**Author:** ![blanx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f04885/32.png) [@blanx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blanx)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-names-we-hate-to-hear-mispronounced/180348/102 "2003-06-20T16:10:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TwungTister \* > \*\*How do you pronounce Pnomh Penh? > > [size=1]and did I spell it right?[size] \*\* It’s spelled Phnom Penh, and pronounced kinda like this- P’uh-nom Pen. A lovely city. ---
**Author:** ![Padmaraga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@Padmaraga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padmaraga)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-names-we-hate-to-hear-mispronounced/180348/103 "2003-06-20T19:41:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BurnMeUp \* > \*\*I love hearing telemarketers try to sa Sammamish \*\* Yeah, I get the same chuckle out of hearing them try “Tigard” (usually they make it rhyme with “Tigger” rather than “tiger”), and Aloha ( **not** pronounced the Hawaiian way, but rather “uh-LO-uh”). ---
**Author:** ![ecugrad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac8455/32.png) [@ecugrad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecugrad)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-names-we-hate-to-hear-mispronounced/180348/104 "2003-06-20T20:12:51Z")
This is for **StephenG** and **godzillatemple** : Since you’re familiar with Massachusetts, is Holyoke pronounced “Hoy-ock”? I grew up in CT but I have a friend who lives in the south and swears it’s pronounced Holly-oak. It’s becoming a debate that I’d hate to lose, given this guy’s a know-it-all. My biggest pet peeve with words (not names) is the southern pronounciation of chest of drawers as “chests-s-of-draws” Still a yankee at heart! ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-names-we-hate-to-hear-mispronounced/180348/105 "2003-06-20T20:35:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shirley Ujest \* > Ok, what I want to know is how to pronounce this city: > > \*\*Nacogdoches \*\* TX Spelling, not pronunciation, but when I was watching TV the morning of the Columbia crash, one of the news stations spelled it “Nagadocious” for an hour or so. Telemarketers frequently pronounce my last name NUGG-ent instead of NOO-gent. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-names-we-hate-to-hear-mispronounced/180348/106 "2003-06-20T20:38:19Z")
I just attended a commencement ceremony at Mt Holyoke College. They pronounced it “holy-yoke”. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-names-we-hate-to-hear-mispronounced/180348/107 "2003-06-20T22:53:25Z")
When I worked at a video store, I was often asked for “the new Carmen Diaz movie,” as opposed to the new CAMERON Diaz movie. I’d just sigh and feel superior. Same as when asked for the Werner Herzog film about Klaus Kinski - it’s NOT called “My Best Friend,” dammit, it’s “My Best FIEND!” hrh ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-names-we-hate-to-hear-mispronounced/180348/108 "2003-06-21T00:43:19Z")
**BurnMeUp** : Natch. I did say those names were _based on_ Native American tribal names. ‘Seattle’ is a gross bastardization of a local pre-European name, as is ‘Tacoma.’ People know how to pronounce 'em, though. FISH ---
**Author:** ![Osakadave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f07891/32.png) [@Osakadave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osakadave)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-names-we-hate-to-hear-mispronounced/180348/109 "2003-06-21T12:40:56Z")
Kobe the city west of Osaka is not Kobe the basketball player! Short e (as all Japanese 'e’s)! I cringe on hearing people say “the Kobi earthquake”. :::shudder::: ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-names-we-hate-to-hear-mispronounced/180348/110 "2003-06-21T16:35:25Z")
TV3 News here in Ireland just reported on a wildfire raging outside of Tuskan, Arizona. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-names-we-hate-to-hear-mispronounced/180348.md?page=5)