# Town names that only locals get the pronunciation correct **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 17, 2022, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832 "2022-08-17T14:57:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/42 "2022-08-17T16:53:27Z")
Forgive me, I’m from Ohio! I just knew it wasn’t pronounced like the constellation Orion as most people assume. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/43 "2022-08-17T16:59:41Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > The Milwaukee suburb of New Berlin. > Pronounced New BER-lin, not like the German city of ber-LIN. Piling on to add that Illinois also has a New Berlin pronounced this way. Cairo has already been mentioned. And Athens, Illinois is pronounced with a long A. In fact, it seems to be pretty common that when a small town has the same name as a major world city, it’s pronounced differently. Although I don’t know the “official” reason for this, I suspect it’s done deliberately to distinguish between the two. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/44 "2022-08-17T17:17:34Z")
Los Feliz ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/45 "2022-08-17T17:18:37Z")
Natchitoches, LA. Pronounced NACK-uh-DISH. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/46 "2022-08-17T17:35:00Z")
Lots of places in England. For example, **Godmanchester**. Pronounced “throatwarbler mangrove.” ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/47 "2022-08-17T17:46:41Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Puyallup is the one I came in to mention. I had heard the name long before I saw it spelled (grew up in Oregon), and my sister lived there for a while. I thought it was pronounced “pyu-allup.” It is pew-allup. If you need a catchy ditty to help you remember (whether you want to or not), the Puyallup Fair commercials ran pretty much nonstop in the region, and still do for all I know: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oFQ4oTOpCyw/maxresdefault.jpg ""Do The Puyallup" - Puyallup Fair song - 1970's") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFQ4oTOpCyw) I came in here to say San Pedro, CA – “pee-dro.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/48 "2022-08-17T17:54:18Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > There are a ton here in Massachusetts, but my favorite is Quincy (“kwin-zee”). There’s a current TV commercial making much of this, and arguing that you should get a local company that won’t mispronounce your town name. including Haverhill (“HEYv’r’ill” – I had to listen to an audiobook where they pronounced it Haver-Hill throughout) Peabody (“P-b’dee”) Scituate (mentioned above – “SIT-choo-it”) A lot of them in upstate, NY, too Nunda (“nun-day”. I always wondered if there was a “Nunda hyundai”, which would not only be mispronounced, but would rhyme) Honeoye – (“Honey-oy”) Charlotte (neighborhood of Rochester) – (“Shallot” or "“SHAR-lot”) The “R” is optional) ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/49 "2022-08-17T17:55:19Z")
We have some towns and streets around the St. Louis area named in French colonial times, and the various pronunciations are hilarious. Sauget. Locals pronounce it Sew-Jay, everyone else pronounces it Saw-Get. Des Peres. Local: De Pear. Everyone else: Dez Perez. There’s a street/avenue in St. Louis named Chouteau. Locals: Show-Tow. Everyone: Chow-Toe or Chow-Two. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/50 "2022-08-17T17:55:55Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Haverhill (“HEYv’r’ill” – I had to listen to an audiobook where they pronounced it Haver-Hill throughout) There’s also a Brad Pitt movie (“Killing Them Softly”) in which a supposed local does this as well. It’s really discordant to hear. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/51 "2022-08-17T18:04:35Z")
There are a lot of Native American names in the NW that will reveal if you are a local or not by the way you say them. I once got pulled over by an Oregon (Ory Gun) state police trouper while riding a motor cycle. I had no endorsment to ride a motorcycle, or insurance, or whatever, I did have a valid drivers license. He looked at the registration that I had and it was for a town right across the Columbia River called Skamokawa. Pronounced Scam Auk Away. Apparently my immediate pronounciation impressed him enough that he didn’t ask me any more questions and handed me back the registration and drove off. Skamakawa is in Wahkiakum County, Washington. Waa Ky A Cum. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/52 "2022-08-17T18:15:26Z")
There’s a number of Texas towns and locations that have odd pronunciations, mostly due to Anglos butchering Spanish or German pronunciations: Gruene (pronounced “Green”) Manchaca (pronounced “MAN-shack”) Buda (pronounced “BYOO-da”) Refugio (pronounced “Re-FURY-oh”) Palestine (pronounced “Pal-es-STEEN”) Manor (pronounced “MAY-ner”) Llano (pronounced “LAN-oh”) ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/53 "2022-08-17T18:20:54Z")
Prague, Oklahoma is also pronounced Praig. San Pedro, California is San PEE-dro El Segundo, California is El Se-GUN-do. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/54 "2022-08-17T18:53:48Z")
Oklahoma has many towns with Indian origins that no one would ever get correct without local knowledge. But we also have some that people think they would know, like: Miami - my-AM-muh. Never my-AM-me. Alex - EL-luk ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/55 "2022-08-17T19:12:39Z")
The town I was married in, Taneytown, MD, is pronounced TAW-nee-town. > [@solost](#): > > The French would be something like “day-TWAH”. Not “day,” the De would be closer to “duh” in English pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/56 "2022-08-17T19:17:21Z")
There are a lot in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia: Buena Vista is pronounced byoona vista. Botetourt Is pronounced but-a-tot. Staunton is pronounced stanton. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/57 "2022-08-17T19:20:35Z")
Prescott, AZ = _“Presskit”_ ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/58 "2022-08-17T19:42:50Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Lots of places in England. > > For example, **Godmanchester**. > > Pronounced “throatwarbler mangrove.” Ah. But here’s a real English example, one I grew up near (and I’ve posted before.) **Torpenhow Hill** is _somewhat_ famous for it’s multiple redundancy (means Hill hill hill hill); **Torpenhow** is pronounced **Tropennah**. Bonus: **Leigh** near Manchester is pronounced **Lee**. **Leigh** in Surrey is pronounced **Lie**. j ---
**Author:** ![Joeu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joeu/32/2911_2.png) [@Joeu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joeu)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/59 "2022-08-17T20:33:26Z")
Had a nice vacation this summer up in Ulster County, in the Catskills, near the town of Accord. That’s pronounced with the accent on the first letter, a flat A, so it rhymes with “knackered.” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/60 "2022-08-17T20:42:00Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > C’mon down to Oostburg WI once and enjoy an Oostburger (a hamburger on a hard roll with a bratwurst on it too). En so? Some of my relatives, on my mom’s side, have lived in Oostburg. It’s high up on my list of fun place names to say. Up the road a ways from Oostburg (and just outside of Green Bay) is the town of De Pere, where I went to high school. If it were pronounced like it would be in the original French, it’d be something like “d’ PAIR.” But, no, it’s “dee PEER,” or even “DEE-PEER” (similar stress on both syllables.) Also, Kiln, Mississippi, the hometown of former Green Bay Packers star Brett Favre, isn’t pronounced “kiln.” It’s pronounced “kill” – and, apparently, usually has a “the” in front of it (“the kill”), as well. (But, then, Favre’s name, too, isn’t pronounced how it looks: it’s “farv.”) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/61 "2022-08-17T20:51:41Z")
> [@solost](#): > > ‘Day PAIR’ for Des Peres still seems correct, though. Not when you pronounce it with the classic St. Louis accent, which is 1 part southern Illinois, 1 part German, 1 part French, and 17 parts Missouri Ozarks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832.md?page=4)