# Why is Pierre SD, pronounced "Peer"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pierre-sd-pronounced-peer/455001
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 2, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pierre-sd-pronounced-peer/455001 "2008-07-02T03:23:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@notlikely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notlikely)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pierre-sd-pronounced-peer/455001/41 "2008-07-03T00:44:00Z")
OK but does anyone know if Pierre was ever pronounced “pee-air” or was it spelled “P-I-E-R-R-E” but pronounced “PEER” from day one
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### Author:  [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pierre-sd-pronounced-peer/455001/42 "2008-07-03T01:42:46Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl]
I was born and raised in New York and I still don’t understand why Houston St. is pronounced House-tin.
[/QUOTE]
I knew this one would be mentioned in this thread.
Houston Street (_House-tin_) is actually named after a person, William Houstoun. Unlike the Texas city of Houston (_Hughs-tun_) which is named for Sam Houston.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pierre-sd-pronounced-peer/455001/43 "2008-07-03T02:03:26Z")
[QUOTE=Eyebrows 0f Doom]
I knew this one would be mentioned in this thread.
Houston Street (_House-tin_) is actually named after a person, William Houstoun. Unlike the Texas city of Houston (_Hughs-tun_) which is named for Sam Houston.
[/QUOTE]
Sam Houston wasn’t actually a person?
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### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pierre-sd-pronounced-peer/455001/44 "2008-07-03T02:52:01Z")
[QUOTE=Eyebrows 0f Doom]
I knew this one would be mentioned in this thread.
Houston Street (_House-tin_) is actually named after a person, William Houstoun. Unlike the Texas city of Houston (_Hughs-tun_) which is named for Sam Houston.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah but the Van Wyke was named after people too and nobody cares.
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### Author:  [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pierre-sd-pronounced-peer/455001/45 "2008-07-03T03:34:55Z")
[QUOTE=Belrix]
Lafayette, Alabama (close to where I went to college) is “La-FAY-it”. Makes my skin crawl - perhaps it’s my Walloon genes.
Add a generous dollop of southern accent to the “FAY”, too.
[/QUOTE]
Ooh!
If Alabamans make your skin crawl, Louisianans will make it leap right off your body!
Lafayette, Louisiana is pronounced “laffy-ETTE”- that’s “laffy” as in “Laffy Taffy” or “Daffy Duck”.
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### Author:  [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pierre-sd-pronounced-peer/455001/46 "2008-07-03T04:06:50Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray]
Sam Houston wasn’t actually a person?
[/QUOTE]
Hell no! He was a **Texan** , by God!
🙂
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### Author:  [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-pierre-sd-pronounced-peer/455001/47 "2008-07-03T14:12:41Z")
[QUOTE=bienville]
Ooh!
If Alabamans make your skin crawl, **Louisianans will make it leap right off your body!**
Lafayette, Louisiana is pronounced “laffy-ETTE”- that’s “laffy” as in “Laffy Taffy” or “Daffy Duck”.
[/QUOTE]
:dubious:
Why, that’s the one Correct & Proper Way[sup]TM[/sup] to pronounce “Lafayette”. All others are, by rule, incorrect 😉
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