# Unusual pronunciations of place names **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 13, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328 "2005-03-13T14:51:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/21 "2005-03-13T19:49:13Z")
> [@e-logic](#): > > The name comes from a place near Haltwhistle in Northumberland. 😉 I’ll believe you - but Multimap doesn’t 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/22 "2005-03-13T20:04:44Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > I live in the Chicago area, where everyone knows who Casimir Pulaski is. We have a street named after him, and many public schools have a day off in his memory. And we all know how to say his name: pull-ass-key. > > In Indiana, there’s an entire county called Pulaski, but they pronounce it “pull-ass-sky.” I grew up in Indiana, and I always heard that county name pronounced “pull-ass-key.” Also in Indiana, there’s a place named Versailles, prounounced “Versayles.” And Milan, Indiana is prounced MY-lan. (The film _Hoosiers_ was based on a true story of a high school basketball team from Milan, although they renamed it in the movie. My first college roommate’s grandfather was on the actual team the movie was about. How’s that for boring trivia?) Hoosiers just love to take world-famous cities and butcher the names. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/23 "2005-03-13T20:11:22Z")
From our trip out west: Puyallup, WA: “PEW-lup” Sequim, WA: “Skwim” Vlad/Igor ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/24 "2005-03-13T20:19:46Z")
It probably wouldn’t qualify as a place, but from the 1950s until recently Montgomery, AL had a locally famous restaurant called “The Elite”, pronounced "ee-LIGHT’. (The name supposedly came from a 1950s good-ol-boy state legislator who pronounced it that way not being facetious and it stuck.) ---
**Author:** ![Mirasol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Mirasol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirasol)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/25 "2005-03-13T20:28:58Z")
Ohio Oregon: OR-i-gin (hard g, sometimes final vowel is more schwa-like) Lima: Lime-uh Montana Helena: HELL-len-ah (NOT hel-LEEN-a) Havre: HAVE-er Bozeman: BOWS-men (long o like rainbow) ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/26 "2005-03-13T20:38:54Z")
> [@Mirasol](#): > > Ohio > Oregon: OR-i-gin (hard g, sometimes final vowel is more schwa-like) > Lima: Lime-uh > > Montana > Helena: HELL-len-ah (NOT hel-LEEN-a) > Havre: HAVE-er > Bozeman: BOWS-men (long o like rainbow) And Meagher county is pronounced, “MAR”, not “Meager”. And in the esoteric Montana place names, Makoshika state park is pronouned, “Mah-koh-she-ka” although you’ll get to see a local laugh if you call it “Mac-o-she-ka”. whistlepig, who wishes he was in Andaconda. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/27 "2005-03-13T21:12:33Z")
In the West and Southwest, you get all kinds of screwy inconsistent Spanish… too many to count… Bexar County, Texas = “Bear” not “BEX-ar” San Pedro, CA = “San PEE-dro” by many even though I much prefer “PAY-dro” Vallejo, CA = In Spanish, it should be “va-YE-ho.” In English it should be “val-LE-jo.” Instead, we have a hybrid “val-LE-ho.” Cudahy, CA = “KUD-a-hay” not “KUD-a-hee” Tsawwassen, BC = “TWA-sen” (or so I’ve heard) Toronto, ON = “TRA-na” Nevada = “nev-A-dah” not “nev-AH-dah” Del Norte County, CA = “NORT” not “NOR-tay” (or so I’ve heard) ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/28 "2005-03-13T21:22:46Z")
Does a town like Paris, Texas count? The natives definitely don’t pronounce “Paris” the same way that folks in France do. But, then again, what English speaker does? Which makes me wonder, how do francophones in Canada pronounce “London” (the one in Ontario, if it makes any difference)? ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/29 "2005-03-13T21:26:37Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I’ll believe you - but Multimap doesn’t 😉 Have a look three miles [south-west](http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&GridE=-2.45480&GridN=54.97440&lon=-2.45480&lat=54.97440&db=freegaz&cidr_client=none&lang=&place=Haltwhistle,Northumberland&pc=&advanced=&client=public&addr2=&quicksearch=haltwhistle&addr3=&scale=100000&addr1=) of Haltwhistle… > [@](#): > > The Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names by A.D. Mills published by Oxford University Press ( [www.oup.com](http://www.oup.com)) 2003 gives the village of Featherstone in Staffordshire “Feother(e)stan” 10th century, “Ferdestan” 1086 from the Doomsday Book. > > Featherstone in West Yorkshire home of Featherstone Rovers rugby league team “Fredestan” in the same year and from the same source. > > The dictionary also quotes Featherstone as ( a place at) the four stones i.e. a tetralith. Old English feother- + stān > > Other spelling include Fedderstan, **de Fedderstanhalwe, de Fedderstanhalgh** and so on. > > [There is] research in the county of Kent where Feverston turns later into Featherstone, it could be just the local dialect which pronounced the “th” as “v” as today the south eastern accent does something similar. The “-haugh” suffix tends to be added and removed from the main root, but given that the name dates from 1200 it’s not suprising that place names have changed since. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/30 "2005-03-13T21:31:53Z")
New York - NYC area - there’s Houston Street. Pronounced Howston, not like the man or the city in Texas. Rochester area - the towns of Chili and Charlotte. Chili is pronounced with two long I sounds - heaven help you if you ask for directions to the town, and pronounce it like something you’d cook. Charlotte is pronounced more Cha-lotte, with the emphasis on the first syllable. Further south there is Nunda. Which is pronounced Nunday. I broke up my boss while I was travelling sales, when I asked where Nunduh was. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/31 "2005-03-13T21:57:58Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > Charlotte is pronounced more Cha-lotte, with the emphasis on the first syllable. Charlotte, Vermont, is properly pronounced Cha-LOTTE. Supposedly, the town was named after George III’s wife, Queen Charlotte. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/32 "2005-03-13T23:01:22Z")
There’s a town in Nevada called Ely. Looks like it should be pronounced “E-lye”, right? Nope, it’s “E-lee”. I got that wrong the last two times I drove through there. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/33 "2005-03-14T01:59:40Z")
Oh, yeah, then there’s Lewes, Delaware. Looks like it should be one syllable, right? Nope - it’s two: Lewis. ---
**Author:** ![Pensandfeathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Pensandfeathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pensandfeathers)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/34 "2005-03-14T02:01:11Z")
> [@Fat Bald Guy](#): > > Hurricane, Utah - pronounced HAIR-uh-cun I’ve lived in Utah for the vast majority of my life and I have never heard it pronounced like that. I’m not saying your wrong, but I really haven’t. Hurricane = Her-eh-cun. Other funny Utah towns: Tooele = Too-el-uh Duchesne= Doo-shane ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/35 "2005-03-14T02:03:31Z")
Taliaferro, Georgia = Tolliver Beaufort, South Carolina = Byoo-fert (I’ve heard it pronounced Bo-Fort) ---
**Author:** ![Pensandfeathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Pensandfeathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pensandfeathers)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/36 "2005-03-14T02:05:38Z")
> [@Vlad/Igor](#): > > From our trip out west: > > Puyallup, WA: “PEW-lup” No no no no no… Pew-al-up You got Sequim right, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/37 "2005-03-14T02:10:14Z")
Buena Vista (GA) = BYOO-nuh VIH-stuh And of course, Biloxi (MI) = Bih-LUX-ee ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/38 "2005-03-14T02:11:41Z")
PS: I’ve seen people come near to blows over the pronunciation of Albany, GA – but the folks I know from there say it the way Sampiro has it… or more closely all-BIN-ee. ---
**Author:** ![Pensandfeathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Pensandfeathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pensandfeathers)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/39 "2005-03-14T02:19:50Z")
Buena Vista, Colorado is apparently not pronounced the way most people just reading it would pronounce it. I’m curious how to say it though. Anyone from Colorado, I would like to know. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/40 "2005-03-14T02:22:24Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > When I was little I lived for a year in LaFayette, AL, which is pronounced "lah- FAY’- it (emphasis on second syllable and last syllable almost absent). Oh, I’ve had great discussions with friends over the pronunciation of various Lafayettes. There’s: Louisiana: fairly French pronunciation: “LA-fey-ette” Georgia: La-FAY-et (probably very close to the Alabama pronunciation). I know there’s one in Indiana, but I don’t know how it’s pronounced. Then there’s also Fayetteville, NC - FAY-et-ville, but I don’t think that really counts. Anyone want to chime in with other pronunciations of the town name? **Mirasol** , I’m now in OH, and I give myself away everytime I mention North Lima. I’ve also learned that the town of Campbell is pronounced Camel. East Palestine is some other odd pronunciation that I can’t think of right now…I know I’ve been told about more, but I can’t remember what they are at the moment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328.md?page=3)