# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/82 "2022-08-18T00:29:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Which is ? > [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I’m not from LA so lets see if I’m correct. I would guess it is pronounced “se-PUHL-vih-da” but out-of-towners say “sepull-VEE-da”? Correct. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/83 "2022-08-18T00:43:11Z")
People from Ontario almost always mispronounce “Saskatchewan”. It’s a handy identifier. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/84 "2022-08-18T00:49:01Z")
Which is ? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/85 "2022-08-18T00:49:30Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > > [@2\_More\_Bits](#): > > > > Cairo, NE is pronounced “Karo” (like the corn syrup). > > Same with the one in Illinois. Whereas in Cairo NY the local name is more like “Cay-ro” or “Care-oh”. Nearby Delhi NY is pronounced “Dell-high”. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/86 "2022-08-18T00:59:05Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > Friend of mine was stationed there while in the Navy and they referred to it as “Nofuck Vagina.” Couldn’t get out of the habit afterward either, probably best he came back home to California or he’d likely have gotten into some fights over that lol. My brother went to Old Dominion. He told me that a favorite cheer there was, > We don’t drink > We don’t smoke > Norfolk, Norfolk > Rah, Rah, Rah! You can probably figure out how they were saying “Norfolk”. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/87 "2022-08-18T01:00:38Z")
No idea, but I’m betting on “Yachts”. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/88 "2022-08-18T01:34:29Z")
It can be stressful, living in a place that rhymes with “vagina”. I empathised with Jerry Seinfeld in that episode. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/89 "2022-08-18T01:39:49Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > People from Ontario almost always mispronounce “Saskatchewan”. > > It’s a handy identifier. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Which is ? “Saskatchewin”. Ontarians almost always turn “wan” into a long schwa . ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/90 "2022-08-18T01:51:17Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > 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”) You forgot Bexar county, pronounced bear A couple from north Texas Mexia, pronounced muh-HAY-uh Rio Vista, pronounced RYE-oh vis-ta(there’s a slight emphasis on vis, but not as much as on RYE) ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/91 "2022-08-18T01:53:24Z")
Have you seen the WLIIA with that joke? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/92 "2022-08-18T01:57:36Z")
WLIIA? stupid Discourse ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/93 "2022-08-18T01:59:50Z")
Whose line is it, anyways Typing on my tablet is annoying, so I try to be brief, then it bites me ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/94 "2022-08-18T02:00:20Z")
nope, not seen it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/95 "2022-08-18T02:01:36Z")
I know how it’s pronounced, and can pronounce it that way, sort of. But it rolls off the tongues of the locals in way I can’t reproduce quite right. Digression: Haverhill MA was the model for the town of Riverdale in Archie Comics. The characters were based on high school friends of cartoonist Bob Montana who grew up there. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/96 "2022-08-18T04:16:00Z")
I am pretty sure its “ya-cats”. ---
**Author:** ![Yelnick\_McWawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/839c29/32.png) [@Yelnick\_McWawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yelnick_McWawa)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/97 "2022-08-18T11:20:07Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Worchester Massachusetts as well, they pronounce it Wooster. It’s spelled “Worcester” and pronounced just like Worcestershire Sauce. I’m lazy and spell it “ORH”. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/98 "2022-08-18T12:04:04Z")
Refugio, TX - pronounced Ra-FYOOR-ee-o. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/99 "2022-08-18T14:05:24Z")
Nobody pronounces Worcester just like Worcestershire Sauce. It’s easy to tell the difference because of the ‘shire sauce’ part on the end even if they pronounce the beginning the same. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/100 "2022-08-18T14:47:29Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Knik in Alaska (river, town, an arm of Cook inlet, etc.). Pronounced k’nick, not ‘nick’. I thought at first our tour director didn’t know how to pronounce it, but then when the bush pilot (as Alaskan as people get) described our flight plan to ATC as “flightseeing the k’nick glacier”, I realized that’s how it’s pronounced. > [@Zyada](#): > > You forgot Bexar county, pronounced bear > > A couple from north Texas > Mexia, pronounced muh-HAY-uh I’m not sure either of those is necessarily _that_ far off; “X” in Spanish is pronounced just like J in Spanish or H in English. Just like “Oaxaca” is “Wa-ha-ka”, Bexar is “Behar”, and Mexia is “Ma-hay-a”. They’re in that odd class of Texas towns where the Spanish pronunciation is actually retained, although in the case of Bexar County, it’s been Anglicized a little, from “Be-har” to “Bear”. Which is a lot less insane than say… Llano or Salado (“Sul-ay-do” ). Dumas is another one that is pronunced pretty much not how any literate person might expect, because they probably think of Alexandre Dumas. Nope, it’s pronounced “Doo-mus” . ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/101 "2022-08-18T16:19:38Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Dumas is another one that is pronunced pretty much not how any literate person might expect, because they probably think of Alexandre Dumas. Nope, it’s pronounced “Doo-mus” . Which reminds me of the inmate in The Shawshank Redemption who says, “The Count of Monte Crisco by Alexander Dumbass.” 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832.md?page=6)