# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/162 "2022-08-22T15:30:26Z")
In Alaska, Nenana is “nee-NAH-nuh”, while Tanana is “TAN-uh-naw”. And of course Ptarmigan is pronounced “Chicken” (insider joke). ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/163 "2022-08-22T16:50:05Z")
Flitwick, Bedfordshire, which the locals insist on calling ‘Flitick’. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/164 "2022-08-22T17:01:59Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > As well as Berlin, New Hampshire, and Berlin, Pennsylvania. Vermont has one as well, though we never determined how the name was supposed to be pronounced. Home of the only (at that point, at least) “indoor mall” in the state. My husband thought there should be a restaurant in the town, a la Tipsy McStaggers / TGI Fridays, called Checkpoint Charlie’s. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/165 "2022-08-22T17:03:29Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#): > > Flitwick, Bedfordshire That’s a British pronunciation though, and fairly standard. “Chiswick” is pronounced “Chizzick”, for example. I once heard a narrator of an SF story pronounce the author’s name (“Swanwick”) as “Swannick”. Dunno whether the author is British, and whether that’s the normal pronunciation of his name if he is. > [@Procrustus](#): > > A lot of people from the east coast say Oregon wrong. When we were in that state earlier this year, I was surprised to find that “Willamette” is not “Will uh MET” but “will AM et”. Nobody corrected me on my pronunciation of the state’s name. Two midwestern states have always bugged me. If Kansas is “KAN zus”, shouldn’t another state be “ar KAN zuss”? I know now to call it “AR can saw” but the first time I pronounced it out loud as a kid, I was swiftly corrected. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/166 "2022-08-22T17:35:56Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I know now to call it “AR can saw” That is also the accepted pronunciation of the river that bears the same name. Unless, of course, you happen to be in the state of Kansas, where the name of the river is pronounced “ar KAN zuss”. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/167 "2022-08-22T17:59:26Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > When we were in that state earlier this year, I was surprised to find that “Willamette” is not “Will uh MET” but “will AM et” It’s Willamette, Damn it. - the way I remember how to pronounce it. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/168 "2022-08-22T18:18:49Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > When we were in that state earlier this year, I was surprised to find that “Willamette” is not “Will uh MET” but “will AM et”. Nobody corrected me on my pronunciation of the state’s name. And out here on the west side of the Portland metro area, there is an unincorporated area called Aloha, pronounced “uh-LOW-uh.” ---
**Author:** ![krisolov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krisolov/32/3724_2.png) [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/169 "2022-08-22T18:20:17Z")
And in the questionable State of Delaware we have Lewes not Loos but Lewis ---
**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 22, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/170 "2022-08-22T18:54:33Z")
Newark In New Jersey it’s “Noork” In Delaware it’s “New-ARK” ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/171 "2022-09-08T00:59:26Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > And in my hometown of Dearborn, MI, when i was a kid in the 80s, all the older people that grew up there (age 50+), called it der-bern. No one pronounces that way anymore. Are you sure you’re not confusing whoever preceded The Greatest Generation with every generation afterward? I’m 50 (Gen X), and I grew up with Anglo Greatest Generation and Boomer relatives here in our native Michigan, and it’s been pronounced Dear (like a loved one) Born (like Jason Bourne) ever since I was a little wee one. Here’s a [video from 1986](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW-MxT6-59E) with someone who’d obviously be way over 50 today clearly saying “deer borne” in the video. I could imagine one of those stereotypical New York newscaster voices from 1926 saying “derbern,” but not anyone at all from Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/172 "2022-09-08T01:24:17Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > One of the hosts on _Escape to the Country_ always pronounces it Shrows-bree. All the others say Shroos-bree. Reminds me of Bangor. Apparently most Bangors are pronounced Banger. The one in Maine is Bane-gore. How are Concords outside of New England pronounced? I believe I’ve heard that people elsewhere say it like the defunct jet, rather than virtually indistinguishable from the word conquered. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/173 "2022-09-08T05:06:47Z")
Nope, all the old-timers in my neighborhood and church and whatnot called it Der-burn back in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/174 "2022-09-08T05:39:54Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > The Milwaukee suburb of New Berlin. The first sentence of this thread has two examples, the other being **Muh wau’ kee** Natives leave the L out. Even though I don’t live there any more, my preschool daughter once asked when we were going to Mi’waukee next. “Arrrrgghh! We’ve given our child an accent!!” Most people will say they’re from Muh wau’ kee, Wiz gon’ sin. It’s almost a full hard G sound. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/175 "2022-09-08T05:47:19Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > “Chiswick” is pronounced “Chizzick”, for example. I have a friend who’d meet us at the Irish pub, and he’d always order using stereotypical Amurrican pronunciation. Me: “I’ll have a Smitticks.” Friend: “Ah, yes, I as well will have a Smith Wick’s!” Server (cringing) “Oh…okay…” . (Guess what; he didn’t particularly like “Smith Wick’s”) [![](https://boeningbrothers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/smithwicks-logo-353-351x351.jpg) ](https://boeningbrothers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/smithwicks-logo-353-351x351.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/176 "2022-09-08T12:22:14Z")
Also in Michigan, the town of Charlotte is pronounces shar- LOTT, unlike the SHAR-lut in North Carolina. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/177 "2022-09-08T15:09:15Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > Buena Vista, Colorado is pronounced BEW-na Vista. The better your Spanish, the worse you’ll do on the name. Not a place name, but a food name: having studied Italian, “bruschetta” should be broosKETah, not brooSHETah. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/178 "2022-09-08T15:17:52Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > How are Concords outside of New England pronounced? The one in Northern California is pronounced con-cord (as in a cord of wood, or a guitar chord). I guess that’s like the jet? ---
**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:** [September 8, 2022, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/179 "2022-09-08T15:22:23Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Not a place name, but a food name: > having studied Italian, “bruschetta” should be broosKETah, not brooSHETah. I think you are correct but I’ve learned the regional accents in Italy vary so much that there seems to always be another pronunciation I haven’t heard before. That’s further muddled by additional accents found here in the US among assimilated immigrants, and probably more around the world. I don’t know how many times I’ve said “Is that how it’s pronounced?”, and then moved on with the conversation avoiding further opinions on the matter which will not be in agreement. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2022, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/180 "2022-09-08T15:26:23Z")
It’d be curious if there is a region where that “-sch” is pronounced as “sh” instead of “sk” in Italy. It appears to be taking either German or English rules of orhography-pronunciation and slapping it onto Italian. I personally never know which to say. At higher-end Italian restaurants, the servers seem to know to say it as “broosketta”, but at average red sauce places, they tend to say “brooshetta”. I end up saying something like “brooksetta/brooshetta, however you say it.” If I’m reasonably certain the server is actually Italian, then I will always say “broosketta.” ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832/181 "2022-09-08T15:45:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’d be curious if there is a region where that “-sch” is pronounced as “sh” instead of “sk” in Italy. It appears to be taking either German or English rules of orhography-pronunciation and slapping it onto Italian. I’m pretty sure there is no region in Italy that does that, although I do think it is one of the words that third generation Italian- Americans often mispronounce. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/town-names-that-only-locals-get-the-pronunciation-correct/969832.md?page=10)