Place names that should be spelt differently according to pronounciation

[Rothman]

Also in Georgia, Houston County is pronounced House-ton, rather than the way the city in Texas is pronounced.

That's the right pronunciation for the spelling though. The Texas one is the outlier here.

See also Houston Street in NYC...

*laments Katz's Deli descent into becoming a huge tourist trap*

[vegas1962]

In terms of the OP's query, Buena Vista, Virginia, is another example where the first word is not pronounced as in Spanish. Rio Road in Charlottesville is not pronounced like the city in Brazil; rather, it's pronounced with a long "i," like referring to rye bread with an "o" on the end.

The same thing applies to the northern Michigan town of Mio. Looks like it should be pronounced as "mee-oh" but it's actually pronounced "my-oh."

And I second all the mispronounced names of French origin in and around Detroit alone, not to mention elsewhere in Michigan.

[1995hoo]

Also in Georgia, Houston County is pronounced House-ton, rather than the way the city in Texas is pronounced.

That's the right pronunciation for the spelling though. The Texas one is the outlier here.

Then you have General Zod, who as I recall pronounced it "Hoo-stun" in Superman II.

[roadman65]

Also in Georgia, Houston County is pronounced House-ton, rather than the way the city in Texas is pronounced.

That's the right pronunciation for the spelling though. The Texas one is the outlier here.

See also Houston Street in NYC...

*laments Katz's Deli descent into becoming a huge tourist trap*

That's because it's named after someone who pronounced his name as such. Houston, TX is pronounced Hew Stun because Sam Houston, whom the Texas city is named, pronounced his name differently than the man whom NYC honored pronounced his.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Houstoun_(lawyer)

Here is a link to the lawyer that Houston Street is named for.

[kphoger]

Here are some actual ideas:

Tuckson, AZ
Spocain, WA

[epzik8]

Louisville — Pronounced looissvill (not Kentucky's pronunciation)

So how should it be pronounced, then?  If anything, Kentucky's should change.

Kentucky's pronunciation is fine.

[golden eagle]

In terms of the OP's query, Buena Vista, Virginia, is another example where the first word is not pronounced as in Spanish. Rio Road in Charlottesville is not pronounced like the city in Brazil; rather, it's pronounced with a long "i," like referring to rye bread with an "o" on the end.

The same thing applies to the northern Michigan town of Mio. Looks like it should be pronounced as "mee-oh" but it's actually pronounced "my-oh.
[/quote

Just like Clio, north of Flint.

[GaryV]

Louisville — Pronounced looissvill (not Kentucky's pronunciation)

So how should it be pronounced, then?  If anything, Kentucky's should change.

Kentucky's pronunciation is fine.

Luv-vl

[Dirt Roads]

Also in Georgia, Houston County is pronounced House-ton, rather than the way the city in Texas is pronounced.

That's the right pronunciation for the spelling though. The Texas one is the outlier here.

In West Virginia, it is spelt "Hugheston".  And yes, in West Virginia it is acceptable to use the Queen's English "spelt" as part of the Appalachian dialect.  Other than folks in the Down East part of North Carolina, you'all hafta use "spelled" to be correct.

[formulanone]

Those are all mild. Buena Vista is just atrocious.

That's the one which makes me want to charge someone back for taking three years of Spanish in high school.

(Just the same, I could have spent the time butchering French or German.)

[Rothman]

Also in Georgia, Houston County is pronounced House-ton, rather than the way the city in Texas is pronounced.

That's the right pronunciation for the spelling though. The Texas one is the outlier here.

See also Houston Street in NYC...

*laments Katz's Deli descent into becoming a huge tourist trap*

That's because it's named after someone who pronounced his name as such. Houston, TX is pronounced Hew Stun because Sam Houston, whom the Texas city is named, pronounced his name differently than the man whom NYC honored pronounced his.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Houstoun_(lawyer)

Here is a link to the lawyer that Houston Street is named for.

Baloney.  TX just can't admit that they're wrong.

[kurumi]

Don't get me started on the botched pronunciations of French names in the US.

If I were starting a new city in Texas, I'd spell it "Longueuil", and tell everyone it's pronounced exactly how it's spelled 

[LilianaUwU]

Don't get me started on the botched pronunciations of French names in the US.

If I were starting a new city in Texas, I'd spell it "Longueuil", and tell everyone it's pronounced exactly how it's spelled 

I believe you'd be tried for crimes against humanity if you did so.

[formulanone]

Don't get me started on the botched pronunciations of French names in the US.

If I were starting a new city in Texas, I'd spell it "Longueuil", and tell everyone it's pronounced exactly how it's spelled 

I believe you'd be tried for crimes against humanity if you did so.

Gonna take a crack at it: "long wheel"?

[The Nature Boy]

Don't get me started on the botched pronunciations of French names in the US.

If I were starting a new city in Texas, I'd spell it "Longueuil", and tell everyone it's pronounced exactly how it's spelled 

I predict: Lon-gull

[GaryV]

Baloney.  TX just can't admit that they're wrong.

Bologna?

[Big John]

Baloney.  TX just can't admit that they're wrong.

Bologna?

So Sault (Ste Marie) me.

[webny99]

Here are some actual ideas:

Tuckson, AZ
Spocain, WA

I am on board with these. Tucson took me years to get right. It's too close to Tuscan (as in Tuscan Garden), and for whatever reason it's almost impossible to differentiate between 'cs' and the more common 'sc' at a quick glance. The latter is also a much more natural pronunciation that blends and rolls off the tongue much easier. Adding a 'k' to make that '-ck' sound stand out would be great.

[bwana39]

BOGATA (Texas) should be spelled BAGOTA.

B, Short A, G, Long O, T, short a.

Few people read it like aloud like Bogotá is said. They tend to read it as Bo gat a  with both of the a's short.

[kphoger]

BOGATA (Texas) should be spelled BAGOTA.

B, Short A, G, Long O, T, short a.

Few people read it like aloud like Bogotá is said. They tend to read it as Bo gat a  with both of the a's short.

Interesting.  Apparently, historians aren't sure if the wrong vowel is due to a misspelling on or a misreading of the original submission.

[Dirt Roads]

Those are all mild. Buena Vista is just atrocious.

That's the one which makes me want to charge someone back for taking three years of Spanish in high school.

In Virginia it is worse.  Locals pronounce Buena Vista as "bew-nuh" and they also pronounce Natural Bridge as "natt-chew-lehr".  We also say something similar to that in the Appalachian dialect, but we usually say it is "natch-you-lohr".  I had a hard time making the "lehr" sound correctly, but folks in the James River Gorge still accepted me since the Chesapeake and Ohio was my "home road".

[Dirt Roads]

Exit 85 on the West Virginia Turnpike has a tough one for you'all:  Chelyan is pronounced "sheel-yun".

[JayhawkCO]

Those are all mild. Buena Vista is just atrocious.

That's the one which makes me want to charge someone back for taking three years of Spanish in high school.

In Virginia it is worse.  Locals pronounce Buena Vista as "bew-nuh" and they also pronounce Natural Bridge as "natt-chew-lehr".  We also say something similar to that in the Appalachian dialect, but we usually say it is "natch-you-lohr".  I had a hard time making the "lehr" sound correctly, but folks in the James River Gorge still accepted me since the Chesapeake and Ohio was my "home road".

Assuming your "bew" = "byoo", that's how it's pronounced in Colorado too.

[webny99]

I say Bway-nah Vis-tah. Is that not right?

[kphoger]

I say Bway-nah Vis-tah. Is that not right?

Depends on the town, I suppose.

Spanish pronunciation would be something like BWEH-nah BEE-stah

(Spanish e rarely sounds much like English ay, and it's always shorter.)

(Spanish v sounds exactly like Spanish b.  At the beginning of a phrase, the lips are fully closed;  between two vowels, the lips are only half closed.  There's one of each in there.)