# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/81 "2005-03-15T02:17:18Z")
Just remembered some good ones. When travelling from London to Wales, I had to show the guy in Euston Station my guidebook so I could get to the right place. He seemed to think this was pretty reasonable. I went to Aberystwyth. It’s actually pronounced pretty much the way it’s spelled (Aberistwith), but all of those consonants in a row really threw me. My parents have a picture of my dad standing in front of a sign in Yucatán pointing to a town called “Xcalactdzonot”. (I think it’s it, anyway.) We figure that’s pronounced “shkalaktzonut.” The Mayan “x” is pronounced like an English “sh”. You can go snorkeling at Xel-Ha and there’s some faux Mayan theme park called Xcaret (“Nature’s Secret Paradise!”). ---
**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 15, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/82 "2005-03-15T02:30:26Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > You can go snorkeling at Xel-Ha. I’ve been there! We paid a Mayan driver to carry us over in a van with a cooler of Coronas. On the way, he tried to teach us how to pronounce it. We kept saying “Shell HA” with an arabic-sounding throaty H. He would shake his head and repeat it. To us, it sounded just like what we’d said. We never did get it right, or figure out what we were doing wrong. For years after, the exclamation “Shell HA!” was an inside joke. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/83 "2005-03-15T02:46:13Z")
> [@Sample\_the\_Dog](#): > > I’ve been there! I’ve been there a couple times. My cousin (by marriage) used to work there. She commuted from Playa del Carmen. Sad life, huh? ---
**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 15, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/84 "2005-03-15T02:49:32Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I’ve been there a couple times. My cousin (by marriage) used to work there. She commuted from Playa del Carmen. Sad life, huh? Hey, compared to some other lives going on around there, it ain’t so shabby. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/85 "2005-03-15T14:08:51Z")
> [@Sample\_the\_Dog](#): > > I had a relative who married a Yankee from uh-HI-uh (Ohio). He drove us crazy calling Miami my-AM-uh. > > He’s been dead about 20 years now. Any other Ohians pronounce their state this way… or was he just a freak? It wouldn’t surprise me. After all, “Chicaguh Tribune” is a famous upper-Midwesternism, even if I consider Ohio only borderline midwest, what with being in the Eastern time zone. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/86 "2005-03-15T14:53:26Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > New York - > > NYC area - there’s Houston Street. Pronounced Howston, not like the man or the city in Texas. I believe the street pre-dates the man and the city. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/87 "2005-03-15T15:00:26Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > I believe the street pre-dates the man and the city. In fact here’s a [link](http://home.nyc.rr.com/jkn/nysonglines/houston.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/88 "2005-03-15T16:26:47Z")
I once got in a polite e-mail argument with Charles Harrington Elster, who cohosts an NPR radio program on language from the campus of San Diego State University, over his pronunciation of Campanile Drive in SDSU’s address as cam-pa-neel. He argued that you have to pronounce words following local custom and he even used Cairo as an example. I argued that most Cairoians, or whatever they’re called, probably know of Cairo, Egypt and are intentionally distinguishing their town with a different pronunciation. SDSU students, on the other hand, are in general a bunch of trogolodytes that don’t even know campanile is an English word, much less how it’s pronounced. 😉 I also asked him to stop using Charles as a first name. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/89 "2005-03-15T17:00:08Z")
> [@Greg Charles](#): > > SDSU students, on the other hand, are in general a bunch of trogolodytes that don’t even know campanile is an English word, much less how it’s pronounced. 😉 Thank god you added that smiley or I would have been seriously wooshed. ---
**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:** [March 15, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/90 "2005-03-15T17:16:30Z")
> [@dinahmoe](#): > > I can’t think of any other way to say this. Except around here, it’s more like “PEEB-dee”. I live right near Peebdee, in Bevlee (Beverly). PANTHA POWAH!! That’s because you live there. Most people would pronounce this as: PEE-bahdy. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/91 "2005-03-15T17:33:47Z")
Two from North East England (using # to represent that pesky schwa thing): Ponteland – often pronounced PONTY-land by those not in the know, it should be Pon-TEE-l#nd. Cambois – I know it looks french (it probably is) but it’s known to those who live thereabouts as CAMM-#ss. And if there are any BBC announcers or presenters reading this: it’s nice that you’ve noticed that we pronounce Newcastle as Ny#-CA-ss#ll, but honestly, you don’t have to. That’s just the way we talk. You sound silly saying it – you never get it right, and we can practically hear the patronising quotation marks clicking into place on either side every time you try. Go back to saying NEW-caah-s#l. We will know where you mean. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/92 "2005-03-15T18:36:40Z")
Here in Indiana, we have: Milan = MY-lun Peru = PEE-roo Versailles = ver-SALES Terre Haute = TARE-uh HOAT (rhymes with coat) Those are the only ones I can think of right now. Although I’m sure the residents of Mexico, IN and Russia, IN have figured out some god-awful way to pronounce their hometowns, I’ve never heard them personally. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/93 "2005-03-15T20:01:08Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Then there are the various Norfolks, which I never can never keep straight. Some are NOR-f’k, some are NOR-foke, some NOR-folk, some NOR-fauk, and about 150 miles north of Pulaski, NY, is the one commonly referenced as NOR-fork. > > North Carolina also has Conetoe, which is almost (but not quite) the final syllables of Wapakoneta. I can vouch for the _nor’-fork_ pronunciation of **Norfolk**. I grew up about 8 miles from there in \*\*Brasher Falls \*\* (pronounced _bray’-zier falls_, NOT _brash’-er_). When I was living in North Carolina, I always thought the pronunciation of the town of Bahama _ba-HAY’-muh_ was amusing. Living in New York’s capital district, I’m always amused when people pronounce the Al in **Albany** , as though they were saying the name Al, instead of pronouncing it “Awl”. (I’m not sure if my phonetics are correct there, but I hope I got my point across.) I always wonder if, when they learned their state capitals, they were taught that or if they just weren’t paying attention. There’s a town here named **Colonie** that’s pronounced _col-uh-NEE’_. When I first moved here, I called **Cohoes** , \*KOE’-hoes \* instead of _kuh-HOES’_. ---
**Author:** ![Cemetery\_Savior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Cemetery\_Savior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cemetery_Savior)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/94 "2005-03-15T20:17:28Z")
A few more missed Illinois varietals: [ul] [li]Orion - OR-ee-uhn[/li][li]Milan - MYE-luhn[/li][li]Des Plaines - Just like it’s spelled, but with one syllable…desPlaynes[/li][/ul] The “Paulina” pronunciation reminds me of a local joke (I’ll keep it clean) Q: Name three Chicago streets that rhyme with (a female body part). A: Melvina, Paulina, and Lunt. Horrible Chicagoans! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kaitlin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlin)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/95 "2005-03-15T20:41:47Z")
> [@E. Thorp](#): > > I’m from Ohio, and I’d say you’re more likely to hear uh-HI-uh from older people in the southern part of the state. Not really that common anymore, I’d guess. > > Ohioans who got Channel 7 out of Dayton may remember Don Wayne, the newscaster who would give us all the news happening in the my-AM-uh Valley. Having lived various places between north of Dayton and Middletown, I don’t think I’ve heard anyone pronounce Ohio or Miami that way, so I’d have to agree with you there. On the other hand, I don’t know of many locals who really enunciate the “t” in “Dayton”; you can generally tell someone is unfamiliar with the place if he pronounces all the letters fully. I think there’s a little town called Russia somewhere in Shelby County that is pronounced “Rooshie.” ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/96 "2005-03-15T20:43:27Z")
When I lived in Texas, I knew of a town called Mexia (pronounced muh-HAY-uh). Now I live in Alabama, and here, there’s a little town called Mexia (pronounced MEX-ee-uh). Also in Texas–Refugio. You pronounce that re-FYOO-rio. In Mississippi, there’s Gautier–you say it go-SHAY. Someone already beat me to buh-LUX-ee. Close to that is “that sleepy little town of Pascagoula.” I don’t think most people say that wrong (it’s pass-kuh-GOO-luh), but I once heard of someone saying it puh-SCAG-yoo-luh. You know, I try not to make fun of people, but sometimes you just can’t help laughing! ---
**Author:** ![bigdfrombigd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@bigdfrombigd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigdfrombigd)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/97 "2005-03-15T21:28:30Z")
In the Bronx there’s a street spelled Mosholu Parkway. I always pronounced it as-- Mosh-a-loo The locals would say-- Mah-shoo-la. Wierd. ---
**Author:** ![MsPrufrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@MsPrufrock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsPrufrock)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/98 "2005-03-15T21:29:34Z")
My dad’s hometown of Monticello, IN is Monti-sello - not cello. I also have some relatives in Lebanon, IN which is, Lebanin. Lafayette, IN is Laf-ee-ette with a long “a” ---
**Author:** ![Viscera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/258eb7/32.png) [@Viscera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Viscera)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/99 "2005-03-16T10:41:01Z")
Couple more from the areas I’ve lived, or passed through… Chickasha, OK - “chick-uh-shay” Louisville, NE - “lewis-ville” Salina, KS - “suh-line-uh” Marseilles, IL - “mar-sails” Des Plaines, IL - “dess planes” ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328/100 "2005-03-16T15:30:44Z")
> [@Thirty-Nine](#): > > For whatever reason, the second w in Welwyn is silent, so you get “Wel-lin”. I’ve found this to be the case for a number of two-syllable British place and proper names, particularly with a “w” in the middle: Benwick = “Bennick” Berwick = “Barrick” Warwick = “Warrick” Cheswick = “Chissick” Norwich = “Norrich” Nothing to do with the above, but an UK/US pronunciation difference I’ve always found interesting: In southern England, there is a village and castle named Arundel – “Air-un-dell,” with the accent on the final syllable and the middle one almost swallowed. While, here in Maryland, we have an Anne Arundel county – “Ah-RUN-dl,” with the accent very heavily on the middle syllable and the last one swallowed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-pronunciations-of-place-names/294328.md?page=6)