A discussion of the forum recently got me wondering: With all the dialects and accents we have in the world, certain city names that look simple to pronounce are pronounced differently. And some city names are just hard enough to make you wonder: :hmmm: .
So, the purpose of this thread is to post how you pronounce city names posted by yourself or others. I'll start:
1. Trenton - Treh-in, or alternatively, Tren-tin
2. Schenectady - Scha-nec-tah-dee
3. Detroit - Duh-troy
4. Richmond - Rich-min
5. Poughkeepsie - Poo-kip-see
6. Louisville - Loo-ee-vill
7. Chicago - Sha-cah-go
8. Newark - New-irk
New Orlins for those in SE LA.
Deetroit for native Michiganders.
Kiss a me for tourists in Florida for Kissimmee, FL. Even though pronounced as Kiss sim mee in reality.
Perth Amboy, NJ is often pronounced as Pewrth Amboy by some New Jersey residents.
New Yawk if you are a native Brooklyn resident for New York.
Bah-ston for people who live in Beantown.
Bogata, NJ is not pronounced the same way as Columbians call their city with the same name. It is Boh Go Ta in Bergen County, NJ.
Coeur d'Alene - Core-duh-lane
Boise- Boy see (NOT Boyzee)
Pend O'Reille, Ponderay, Pondera are all pronounced the same (Ponderay)
Moscow, ID - Moss-coe
Quote3. Detroit - Duh-troy
What
If I may do local placenames?
Toronto:
The second T is usually dropped. Tuh-ron-oh.
Sometimes even the first O can be dropped. Tron-oh. (I know Rob Ford uses this pronunciation.)
Etobicoke:
The K must be silent. :)
Vaughan:
One syllable. I managed to make the mistake of pronouncing the "gh" the first time.
Mississauga:
Miss-iss-saw-guh. But somehow every Filipino I know pronounces it like *Mississaga.
Ohio placenames:
Lima: LYE muh, like the bean, not the peruvian city
Bellefontaine: bell FOUNTan
Lancaster: LANK uh stir (not LANG caster or LAN caster)
Gahanna: guh HANna
Gallipolis: GAL uh poLISS (I think) I was wrong apparently, see next post
New Albany: new ALLbenee
Wooster: WOO stir (rhymes with rooster)
Greenwich: GREEN witch
Findlay: FINdlee or FINlee
South Charleston: south CHUCK
Chillicothe: CHILL uh CAWTH ee
Bucyrus: byoo SYE russ
Tuscarawas: TUSS cah ROARus
Maumee: maw MEE
Newark: NEWirk
Newark, Ohio: NERKah HIya
As you would suspect, I have a very thick Southern/Central Appalachian accent.
As to WV and nearby places, as you would suspect:
Huntington. HUN-ing-tun. (No local pronounces the first T sound. Even the TV people, who are mostly non-natives and don't have the accent, quickly learn to drop the T.)
Morgantown. MOR-gen town. (not MOR-gun or MOR-gan)
Welch. WEL-ch. (Does not rhyme with the word for a person from Wales, which is pronounced wel-sh)
Elkins. el-KINS (not el-KUNS)
Gallipolis, Ohio. GAL-uh-po-lees (such that the last part rhymes with the thing a landlord and tenant have, other pronounce GAL-uh-polees, such that the last part rhymes with another word for cop. oh-HI-uh.
Wheeling. As with most any ing ending, it takes effort to pronoune it "ING". Most times I and most will say "UN".
Pikeville. PIKEVUL. One syllable. Any ville is pronounced VUL, not VIL.
Shawano - SHAW no (2nd "a" is not pronounced)
Allouez - Al O way
Oconomowoc - o CA no mo wok
A few off the top of my head for Pennsylvania (in no particular order):
Uwchland: YOU-klind
Schoenersville: SHAY-ners-ville
Bellefonte: BELL-font
DuBois: DU-boys
Conyngham: CUN-ning-ham
Lancaster: LANK-is-ter (not LAN-cas-ter)
Macungie: ma-KUN-gee (soft G)
Elysburg: EE-lees-burg
Ligonier: LIG-a-near
Aliquippa: al-a-KWIP-a
Williamsport: WIL-yum-sport (if you separate the S and P, making it "williams port" , you're definitely not a local)
Throop: TROOP
Tunkhannock: tun-KAN-nik
Kittanning: kit-TAN-ning
Salladasburg: SAL-a-days-burg
and finally
Wilkes-Barre: I can't find agreement on this one.
My wife was born there, and she says "WILKS-bear" , as if it were one word (like wunderbar) . Probably the most common is "WILKS BEAR-ee" used on TV and radio almost exclusively, but I also hear "WILKS-bear-a" and "WILKS-bar" used across the region.
At my work where we have a mix of North Jersey, South Jersey, and Pennsylvania, I've been asking something along the lines of "How do you pronounce the county south of Camden?" The South Jersey people call it "Glaw-ster," I and North Jersey people call it "Glow-ster," and one person said "What is the county south of Camden?"
Yadkinville (NC) Yak-in-vul
Bumpass, Virginia–like "bump us," as if you were on an amusement park bumper car
Buena Vista, Virginia–for some reason, the first word is "BYOU-nuh."
Rio Road in Charlottesville, Virginia–"RYE-o" (like the bread); if you pronounce it like the name of that city in Brazil you mark yourself as an outsider. The Rio Hill Shopping Center is pronounced the same way.
Louisville–"loo-uh-ville" (no long "e" sound)
Penistone, UK–"PENN-is-tun" (not what it looks like)
Tazewell, Virginia–"TAZ-well" with a short "a," not like "don't taze me, bro."
The historical Virginia name name Taliaferro (which was also the name of my brother's first-year dorm at William & Mary) is pronounced like "Toliver" (rhymes with "Oliver") except in reference to musician Crystal Taliaferro (who has played with Springsteen and Billy Joel over the years and pronounces it like it looks).
People I know from Roanoke say it like "RAH-noke," but I don't know anyone from anywhere else who says it that way.
My relatives from New York all insist the capital of North Carolina is named "RAW-lee" instead of "RAH-lee." My mother's mother once told me I was pronouncing it incorrectly and then got mad at me when I pointed out I lived 20 miles from Raleigh and thus knew how to pronounce it.
The word "New" in "New Jersey" is ordinarily silent (e.g., the Jersey Turnpike; "my cousin lives in Jersey not far from Red Bank"; etc.).
Houston, Texas–"YOU-stun," the "H" is silent (also silent in words like "humid"). Compare to General Zod, who said it "HOO-stun" ("So this is Planet Hooston") in Superman II.
Regarding Wilkes-Barre, I've always said "Wilks-Bar" because my father's mother grew up there and said it that way and that was good enough authority for me (and yes, I understand this contradicts my comment above about my other grandmother, but my father's mother was the smarter of my two grandmothers and I'd put more stock in her opinions).
Quote from: Mr. Matté on August 17, 2014, 04:09:44 PM
At my work where we have a mix of North Jersey, South Jersey, and Pennsylvania, I've been asking something along the lines of "How do you pronounce the county south of Camden?" The South Jersey people call it "Glaw-ster," I and North Jersey people call it "Glow-ster," and one person said "What is the county south of Camden?"
As someone born and raised in Gloucester County, it is definitely "Glaw-ster".
Just over the border in Atlantic County, there is the town of "Buena" and nearby is "Buena Vista Township". You might expect them to be pronounced "Bwaynah", but you'd be wrong. Locals call it "Byoonah".
Quote from: roadman65 on August 17, 2014, 01:51:11 PM
Deetroit for native Michiganders.
Maybe native Michiganders in the Detroit area, but everyone I know from Michigan (mainly Lansing area and west) pronounces it "de-TROIT".
Milan, IL is "MY-lan" rather than the original Italian.
Nevada, IA is pronounced "Ne-VAY-duh," distinct from the state. (by the way, how do you pronounce the state name? I've always used an "a" as in "cat" for the second syllable, even though I know the original Spanish is "a" as in "father")
Oneonta, AL: On-ee-on-tuh
Opelika, AL: Oh-pe-lie-kuh
Cotaco, AL: Ko-tay-ko (although I often pronounce it as Ko-ta-ko)
Versailles, KY: ver-sales
Milan, TN: my-lin
Lebanon, TN: leb-a-nin
Gulfport, MS: don't say "golf"
Houston County, GA: house-ton
LaPlace, LA: luh-plos
Boutte, LA: boo-TEE
Lafayette, LA: la-fe-yet
Lafayette County, MS: luh-fay-yet
La Jolla, CA is pronounced La Hoya.
Funny thing is I heard the name all these years and remember traveling through it back in 88, but I never knew that both places were the same.
Houma, LA is pronounced home-uh.
Quote from: roadman65 on August 17, 2014, 01:51:11 PMBah-ston for people who live in Beantown.
No, no, a thousand times no. No one from Boston pronounces it that way. It's BAWS-ton.
A few other Massachusetts oddities:
--Our second largest city is Worcester (NOTE: No H.), pronounced WUS-ta by the locals.
--Leicester: LES-ta
--Leominster: LEM-ins-ta
--Woburn: WOO-bun
--Needham: NEED-um
--Dedham: DED-um
--Stoneham: STONE-um
--Stoughton: STOWT-un
--Peabody: PEE-buh-dee
--Quincy: QUIN-zee
There are probably two dozen or so others I can't think of at the moment.
I'll add some NH towns:
Lebanon, NH - Leb-a-nin (identical to Golden Eagle's TN example)
Concord, NH - Con-kerd (with the local accent, it comes across as con-kid though)
Canaan, NH - Kay-nin
Quote from: pianocello on August 17, 2014, 08:51:12 PM
(by the way, how do you pronounce the state name [Nevada]? I've always used an "a" as in "cat" for the second syllable, even though I know the original Spanish is "a" as in "father")
"a" as in "cat" is correct. Here's a Youtube tutorial. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmUf9FDUOTk)
Verdi, NV: second syllable rhymes with "eye".
Genoa, NV: juh-NO-uh
New York has more than I could ever mention:
Hauppauge: Happ-aig, "aig" similar to "aid"
Wantagh: Won-taw
Chili: Cheye-lye
Bergen: Burr-gin
Rensselaer: Rehn-suh-lure
Massapequa- Mass-uh-pee-kwah
Copiague: Co-payg
Chautauqua: Shuh-taw-kwah
Steuben (county): Stew-bahn (even though it's named after the general who pronounced his name "stew-ben" as one would expect)
And many more small towns (plus the aforementioned Schenectady).
Quote from: roadman65 on August 17, 2014, 01:51:11 PM
Deetroit for native Michiganders.
Not in the least. Only ignorant Chicagoans call it that.
It's pronounced deh-TROIT.
Here's a few for you:
Houghton, MI: Ho-ton
Charlotte, MI: sure-LOTT
Marseilles, IL: Mar-SALES (total bastardization of the original French)
Quote from: SP Cook on August 17, 2014, 03:22:25 PM
Elkins. el-KINS (not el-KUNS)
That would seem to indicate that the emphasis is on the last syllable.
My name is pronounced EL-kins, with emphasis on the first syllable. And my family is from West Virginia (Mud River in Lincoln County, to be precise).
As for Kentucky:
Louisville -- luhl-vull or lul-vull
Yosemite -- yo-suh-mite
Monticello -- mon-ti-sell-oh
Versailles -- ver-sales
Beattyville -- bate-uh-vull
Irvine -- ervin
Ravenna -rah-ven-uh
Berea -- buh-ree-uh
Lancaster -lan-cuss-ter
Falmouth -- foul-muth
Paducah -- puh-dew-cuh
Cadiz -- kay-diz
Inez -- eye-nez (emphasis on "eye," as opposed to people's names around here, which are pronounced with the emphasis on the "nez."
Quote from: Brandon on August 17, 2014, 10:22:17 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on August 17, 2014, 01:51:11 PM
Deetroit for native Michiganders.
Not in the least. Only ignorant Chicagoans call it that.
And Paul Stanley.
Quote from: pianocello on August 17, 2014, 08:51:12 PM
Nevada, IA is pronounced "Ne-VAY-duh," distinct from the state. (by the way, how do you pronounce the state name? I've always used an "a" as in "cat" for the second syllable, even though I know the original Spanish is "a" as in "father")
Nevada should always be pronounced with an "a" as in "cat." Same with Colorado. No one from those states say the latter, so the former should be the standard nationwide... Might as well say "mohn-TAH-na" (Montana) or "TAY-hass" (Texas) if you want to be true to the Spanish pronunciations... Oregon should be pronounced "OR-i-gin," too.
The Native American / Aboriginal names are quite rampant in the PNW:
Washington:
- Puyallup: Pyoo-ALL-up
- Tulalip: Too-lay-lip
- Sequim: Sqwim (the "q" makes a "ck" sound).
- Spokane: Spo-CAN
British Columbia:
- Agassiz: ag-uh-see
- Osoyoos: O-soo-yuss
- Tsawwassen: tah-WASS-en
- Skidegate: Skid-ih-git (very English IMO)
- Pouce Coupe: Poos-Coo-PAY
- Quesnel: Kwe-NELL
Quote from: vtk on August 17, 2014, 03:19:08 PM
Newark: NEWirk
Newark, Ohio: NERKah HIya
For Newark, NJ, it's New-irk.
For Newark, DE, it's New-Arc
Sewell, NJ: Rhymes with Jewel. It's not Sea-well.
Philadelphia, PA: Phil-lee :D
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 17, 2014, 10:38:40 PM
Quote from: vtk on August 17, 2014, 03:19:08 PM
Newark: NEWirk
Newark, Ohio: NERKah HIya
For Newark, NJ, it's New-irk.
For Newark, DE, it's New-Arc
I
think Newark, NY uses the DE pronunciation. And every person I knew in Ohio called the city there "Nerk"
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 12:03:34 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 17, 2014, 10:38:40 PM
Quote from: vtk on August 17, 2014, 03:19:08 PM
Newark: NEWirk
Newark, Ohio: NERKah HIya
For Newark, NJ, it's New-irk.
For Newark, DE, it's New-Arc
I think Newark, NY uses the DE pronunciation. And every person I knew in Ohio called the city there "Nerk"
As someone who's lived in Newark, NY, it does not. It uses the NJ pronunciation.
Quote from: cu2010 on August 18, 2014, 12:09:23 AM
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 12:03:34 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 17, 2014, 10:38:40 PM
Quote from: vtk on August 17, 2014, 03:19:08 PM
Newark: NEWirk
Newark, Ohio: NERKah HIya
For Newark, NJ, it's New-irk.
For Newark, DE, it's New-Arc
I think Newark, NY uses the DE pronunciation. And every person I knew in Ohio called the city there "Nerk"
As someone who's lived in Newark, NY, it does not. It uses the NJ pronunciation.
Wow. A town in that part of the state pronounced properly. I'm genuinely shocked.
Quote from: Big John on August 17, 2014, 03:31:35 PM
Shawano - SHAW no (2nd "a" is not pronounced)
Funny we had a discussion about that "under the bridge" on Saturday ;)
More WI:
Waukesha - Wok-eh-shaw (don't ever say Wau-kee-shaw)
Vilas (County) - Vi-lus
ILL:
Des Plaines - The "s" is not silent in either word
IA:
Des Moines - De-Moine - the "s" IS silent in both words
Dubuque - De-buke
MI: Sorry Brandon ;) - but I thought it was Dey-twa. :P
In my area, there are two that I've heard a couple different ways.
Vevay, Indiana: Vee-vee, or vee-vay?
Sabina, Ohio: Suh-bye-nuh or Suh-beana?
In both cases, the first is the one heard most often.
Quote from: JMoses24 on August 18, 2014, 03:09:44 AM
In my area, there are two that I've heard a couple different ways.
Vevay, Indiana: Vee-vee, or vee-vay?
Sabina, Ohio: Suh-bye-nuh or Suh-beana?
In both cases, the first is the one heard most often.
Having lived the first 23 years of my life 10 miles from Sabina, Ohio in Wilmington, the first one is correct. I've only heard Suh-beena said by a meteorologist from a Cincinnati TV station.
Also, Xenia, Ohio is pronounced Zeen-ya, unless you're a Washington DC fire/police dispatcher. A certain dispatcher will dispatch runs to Xenia Street SE as ex-en-eeya street.
The Indiana town referenced above, to my knowledge, is pronounced like one might pronounce Missouri secondary route VV.
Cairo, IL is pronounced KAY-ro
What's the proper of pronouncing Terre Haute?
In CT:
Southington: SUTH-ing-tin
Cheshire: CHESH-err
Avon: A-von
Hebron: HEE-bron
Lebanon: LEB-a-non
Groton: GRAH-tin
Meriden: MARE-a-din
Haddam: HAD-em
Durham: DUR-em
Naugatuck: NAW-ga-tuck
Ansonia: an-SEWN-e-uh
Tolland: TAHL-lind
Windham: WIND-em
Coventry: CAH-ven-tree
Colchester: COAL-ches-ter
Bozrah: BAH-zruh
Anything two word town beginning with New or Old: Emphasis placed on first syllable of second word (new HAV-in, new BRIT-in, old SAY-brook)
Anything with a cardinal direction: Equal emphasis on both words (EAST HART-ford, WEST HAv-in, EAST LYME)
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 18, 2014, 10:43:45 AM
In CT:
Southington: SUTH-ing-tin
Cheshire: CHESH-err
Avon: A-von
Hebron: HEE-bron
Lebanon: LEB-a-non
Groton: GRAH-tin
Meriden: MARE-a-din
Haddam: HAD-em
Durham: DUR-em
Naugatuck: NAW-ga-tuck
Ansonia: an-SEWN-e-uh
Tolland: TAHL-lind
Windham: WIND-em
Coventry: CAH-ven-tree
Colchester: COAL-ches-ter
Bozrah: BAH-zruh
Anything two word town beginning with New or Old: Emphasis placed on first syllable of second word (new HAV-in, new BRIT-in, old SAY-brook)
Anything with a cardinal direction: Equal emphasis on both words (EAST HART-ford, WEST HAv-in, EAST LYME)
I pronounce these towns the same way. Must be our Connecticut dialects. :biggrin:
Here are some other towns:
Cannan: Cane-in
Darien: Dare-e-ann
Seymour: Sea-more
Thomaston: Tom-us-tin
Wallingford: Wall-en-ford
Wolcott: Wool-cot
Those are just some names I think could be pronounced differently.
Quote from: Molandfreak on August 17, 2014, 10:33:45 PM
Quote from: pianocello on August 17, 2014, 08:51:12 PM
Nevada, IA is pronounced "Ne-VAY-duh," distinct from the state. (by the way, how do you pronounce the state name? I've always used an "a" as in "cat" for the second syllable, even though I know the original Spanish is "a" as in "father")
Nevada should always be pronounced with an "a" as in "cat." Same with Colorado. No one from those states say the latter, so the former should be the standard nationwide... Might as well say "mohn-TAH-na" (Montana) or "TAY-hass" (Texas) if you want to be true to the Spanish pronunciations... Oregon should be pronounced "OR-i-gin," too.
Then maybe we should add "Ah-ree-zo-nah" for AZ, "Cah-lee-for-nee-yah" for CA and "Nwayvo May-he-co" for NM.
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 12:03:34 AM
And every person I knew in Ohio called the city there "Nerk"
In Columbus we say NEW irk. Then if there's a lull in the conversation we laugh and mockingly say NERKah HIyah. Or maybe that's just my family. (There's some self-mocking too: "I got me a Hillard edjumacation!" My high school's first yearbook actually said HILLARD on the spine instead of HILLIARD. While we're on that subject: HILL yurd.)
Quote from: golden eagle on August 18, 2014, 10:24:52 AM
What's the proper of pronouncing Terre Haute?
I always thought it was terra HOTE, I could be wrong.
Quote from: vtk on August 18, 2014, 12:21:29 PM
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 12:03:34 AM
And every person I knew in Ohio called the city there "Nerk"
In Columbus we say NEW irk. Then if there's a lull in the conversation we laugh and mockingly say NERKah HIyah. Or maybe that's just my family. (There's some self-mocking too: "I got me a Hillard edjumacation!" My high school's first yearbook actually said HILLARD on the spine instead of HILLIARD. While we're on that subject: HILL yurd.)
I've actually heard people use that pronunciation in a serious manner. Maybe it was just the eastern suburbs.
Quote from: golden eagle on August 18, 2014, 10:24:52 AM
What's the proper of pronouncing Terre Haute?
Tear-eh Halt.
Quote from: jake on August 17, 2014, 10:34:36 PM
The Native American / Aboriginal names are quite rampant in the PNW
That is definitely true. Lushootseed gives us plenty of interesting placenames that help weed out the locals from the local-borns. Some more examples, from the Unofficial Seattle-Area Pronunciation Guide (http://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/1v3k2i/the_unofficial_seattle_area_pronunciation_guide/) on Reddit, with its uses added:
- Alki: AL-kai - A Chinook Jargon saying meaning "by and by" or "eventually", adopted as the state motto; also a neighborhood in West Seattle where the original Denny party landed, establishing the settlement of "New York Alki" in 1851.
- Anacortes: ann-a-COR-tiss - A city in Skagit County, home to several oil refineries and the terminus of the San Juan Islands ferry (SR 20 Spur)
- Chelan*: sha-LAN - A long lake, a city on the south end of said lake, a river fed by the lake, all in a county named for the lake.
- Duwamish: doo-WAH-mish - A dirty industrial river in Seattle
- Issaquah*: ISS-uh-kwah - An exurb of Seattle located on the way to Snoqualmie Pass, also headquarters of Costco
- Kitsap*: KIT-sap - A peninsula and county on the west side of the Puget Sound
- Leschi: LESH-eye - A neighborhood of Seattle, at the entrance of the Mount Baker/I-90 Tunnel; named for a Nisqually tribal chief hung for a murder he didn't commit, having been exonerated in 2004 (146 years after the fact)
- Mukilteo: muk-ull-TEE-oh - Ferry terminal on SR 525, rich suburb near the world's largest building (Boeing's Everett assembly plant), commuter rail stop
- Salish*: SAY-lish - The name of all inland saltwater separated from the open Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula, including the Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Strait of Georgia; also used to describe the entirety of Native American/First Nation peoples living in the coastal Pacific Northwest
- Sammamish: suh-MAM-ish - The outermost of the two long lakes on the Seattle Eastside, also a river connecting said lake to Lake Washington
- Skagit: SKA-jit (as mispronounced many times as "ska-get" by TV news between May 23, 2013 and June 8, 2013) - A county and a river, both located just north of the Seattle metro area
- Seattle: see-AD-ull OR see-AT-ull - The largest city in the Pacific Northwest, named for Chief Sealth
- Snoqualmie: sno-KWAL-mee - A mountain pass on I-90, or a somewhat-nearby river and town, or the waterfall from Twin Peaks
- Snohomish: sno-HOE-mish - One of the three counties in the Seattle metro area, also a major river within said county, and the former county seat-turned-suburb
- Spokane*: spoh-KAN - The second largest city and metro area in Washington state; from the Spokane tribe meaning "people of the sun"
- Tacoma*: tuh-COE-muh - The second largest city in the Seattle metro area; from the word for Mount Rainier, "Tahoma"
- Walla Walla*: WAHL-uh WAHL-uh - A large county and its county seat in the Blue Mountains of Southeastern Washington
- Wahkiakum: wuh-KAI-uh-kum - The smallest county in Washington (in both area and population), on the Columbia River in Southwest Washington
- Wenatchee*: wen-NAT-chee - A large city in Central Washington in the middle of the nation's largest apple orchards
- Yakima*: YAK-uh-mah - A county, Indian reservation, city, military reservation, river, and canyon in Central Washington
Note: I removed names mentioned in previous posts and other names because they weren't significant enough; a
* denotes a named used on an active vessel in the Washington State Ferries fleet
I'll be back with names for all the Washington State Ferries, eventually.
Here are some in Texas:
Nevada: nuh VAY duh
Eldorado: el dur AY duh
Alvarado: al vuh RAY doh
Salado: suh LAY doh
Leakey: LAY kee
Clarendon: cluh REN dun
San Angelo: ANN jel oh
New Braunfels: (as mispronounced by outsiders) noo BRONZ fulz or noo BRONZ ful
Marathon: MARE uh thin
Mexia: muh HAY uh (there are different ways; that's the one I've always heard)
Joshua: josh uh WAY (mainly old timers, dying off)
McLean: mic LAYN
Tarzan: TAR zin
Study Butte: STOO dee byoot
Gruene: GREEN
Balmorhea: BAL muh ray
Boerne: BUR nee
Montague: MON tayg
Quitaque: KIT uh kwuh or KIT uh kway (I don't know which but have heard both)
Menard: muh NAHRD
Iraan: IRA ann
Italy: IT lee
Mertens: muhr TENZ
Austin: (according to many Texans) noo SOD uhm
In Oklahoma:
Chickasha: CHIK uh shay
Poteau: POH toh
A topic I'm always interested in, and how I wish there were an easy way to look this up on the internet! For some reason, a professionally-compiled pronouncing gazetteer is still a thing of great cost.
It would help if we had an agreed-upon means of phonetically spelling our pronunciations; I feel that in many cases, even though we've spelled it out, we still wouldn't pronounce what we see that same way as each other! (Oh, and don't forget to indicate EMphasis!)
Quote from: roadman65 on August 17, 2014, 01:51:11 PM
New Yawk if you are a native Brooklyn resident for New York.
I've never actually heard this pronunciation (except perhaps by Bostonians); my suspicion is that it was originally invented by Manhattanites who wish to display their superior worldliness to outsiders.
Quote from: SP Cook on August 17, 2014, 03:22:25 PM
Pikeville. PIKEVUL. One syllable.
I'm having the damnedest time figuring out how to make "PIKEVUL" come out as one syllable. I'd have to drop two of the three vowels...
Quote from: briantroutman on August 17, 2014, 03:58:49 PM
Lancaster: LANK-is-ter (not LAN-cas-ter)
Yes indeed; it rhymes most closely with "prankster". I once heard somebody say, "Oh yeah, I've spent time in Lang Caster," to which I responded with some snarky remark like, "Obviously not very much!"
Quote from: cl94 on August 17, 2014, 09:45:16 PM
New York has more than I could ever mention:
Hauppauge: Happ-aig, "aig" similar to "aid"
I've never heard this one locally, I've only heard "HOP-ogg". However, I have definitely heard Copiague: "COPE-aig". (Note the difference in the order of "u" and "e".)
QuoteWantagh: Won-taw
I usually hear the "g" in this: "WON-togg".
QuoteChili: Cheye-lye
Right; it's hard to decipher when spelled phonetically. It rhymes with "fly-by" or, approximately, "jai alai".
QuoteBergen: Burr-gin
Yes again; note that's a soft "g" in "gin", like the liquor. This is as opposed to "BURR-ghin" County, NJ, which has a hard "g". (What is it in Norway?)
QuoteSteuben (county): Stew-bahn (even though it's named after the general who pronounced his name "stew-ben" as one would expect)
OK, I've most certainly never heard that pronunciation! I've only heard "stew-BEN". Also, that general, being Prussian, very likely pronounced his name more like "SHTOY-bin". :-)
QuoteAnd many more small towns (plus the aforementioned Schenectady).
Such as:
Rossie: "raw-SEE"
Heuvelton: "HEW-vul-tin"
Theresa: "thu-REE-sa", meaning it sounds like it looks, unlike the girl's name which is usually "ter-EE-sa". (And it's a soft "th" like in "third", not a hard one like "the".)
Massena: "muh-SEE-na"
And one from Washington I've always wondered about: "Cle Elum"??
Quote from: empirestate on August 18, 2014, 06:16:55 PM
And one from Washington I've always wondered about: "Cle Elum"??
CLEE-elum
Anyone from the Pacific NW: The Dalles (OR)–is it just "the DAY-ulls" ?
Quote from: briantroutman on August 18, 2014, 06:46:58 PM
Anyone from the Pacific NW: The Dalles (OR)–is it just "the DAY-ulls" ?
I've heard it to have the same syllable as Dallas, the city in Texas.
(source: gas station attendant in Maupin, OR.)
Some more from New York:
Canajoharie: Can-a-joe-hairy
Patchogue: Patch-ogg (rhymes with nog)
Niskayuna: Niss-kay-oo-na
Cobleskill: Coe-bulls-kill
Ilion: Ill-ee-in
Avon: A-von, "A" as in "hat"
Speonk: Spee-onk
Java: Jay-va (expected pronunciation is also pretty common)
Skaneateles: Skuh-nea-tulls
In Toronto:
Yonge Street: Pronounced "young"
Downstate pronunciations come from family on the Island, upstate are from family and observation. I know Steuben County's pronunciation from being corrected by several gas station attendants, cashiers, waiters, etc. while in the county.
Somerville - Suh-mer-vill
Barnegat - Bar-neh-get
Shamong - Sha-mawng
Vineland - Vine-lind
Asbury Park - Az-berry-(space)-park
(FYI, all of these are from New Jersey)
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 07:18:13 PM
In Toronto:
Yonge Street: Pronounced "young"
I always read that as Yawn-juh (can't figure out how to represent the "ge"...).
Quote from: wxfree on August 18, 2014, 06:11:47 PM
New Braunfels: (as mispronounced by outsiders) noo BRONZ fulz or noo BRONZ ful
After two weeks there, I heard: "new BRAWNfell(s)" ...some folks seemed to leave off the last "s".
Also, they told me to try to pronounce San Antonio's county name (Bexar)...it is pronounced "bear". Didn't believe it until I saw the local news that night.
QuoteJoshua: josh uh WAY (mainly old timers, dying off)
I was wondering why one fellow in Dallas called me by that name for an entire week...
Guide to just about every city and town in Ohio.
http://scrippsjschool.org/pronunciation/ (http://scrippsjschool.org/pronunciation/)
Quote from: formulanone on August 18, 2014, 07:43:10 PM
Also, they told me to try to pronounce San Antonio's county name (Bexar)...it is pronounced "bear". Didn't believe it until I saw the local news that night.
English speakers mangle Spanish all manners of ways. the X is an "H" (as in, how Mexicans pronounce "Mexico"), so the overall sound ends up similar to the last name of TV personality Joy Behar.
speaking of English manglings - along with the well known Anglifications of Los Angeles and San Francisco: Casa Grande, a town in Arizona, is pronounced by locals as it would read in English, as opposed to how it would read in Spanish. the first word is "castle" without the "l" at the end; and "grande" is just "grand" with a silent e.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 18, 2014, 08:01:04 PM
Quote from: formulanone on August 18, 2014, 07:43:10 PM
Also, they told me to try to pronounce San Antonio's county name (Bexar)...it is pronounced "bear". Didn't believe it until I saw the local news that night.
English speakers mangle Spanish all manners of ways. the X is an "H" (as in, how Mexicans pronounce "Mexico"), so the overall sound ends up similar to the last name of TV personality Joy Behar.
Bay-har and Bek-sar were my two guesses. I'd learned that
equis sounded like EKS in Spanish class...I guess
jota isn't enough of an EITCH, since
hache couldn't be bothered to show up*. But I'd also surrounded myself with Carribean and South American dialects of Spanish, being from South Florida. And then when I went to Spain, I learned that some people sort of pronounce things the way the King does...though that depends if you're also living somewhere that's trying to create its own separate country or not!
(Of course, Hebrew has two silent letters, but they're dispatched for slightly different reasons.)
* that's how I remembered it for class, I got an A, so it's all
bueno. Sorry if my mnemonic steps on any toes.
Yonge St (seeing cl94's post above):
Young. Back when we used to get packages from my grandfather (who lives on Yonge St), we pronounced it like Young-guh.
Other Toronto-area street names:
Dundas St:
With the 'a' in 'cat' instead of the 'a' in
'aboot' 'about'.
Spadina Ave /
Spadina Rd:
Spa-dye-nuh. But
Spadina House is Spa-dee-nuh.
Steeles Ave:
Steels. I think most people would be able to pronounce this correctly. Interestingly enough, Google Maps' text-to-speech system pronounces it Steel-iss.
Strachan Ave:
Strahn. :confused:
Cocksfield Ave:
Coe-field. :wow:
Chinguacousy Rd, Brampton:
Ching-koo-zee I think. I've only heard this a few times.
Delhi, Ontario:
Dell-high. :ded:
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 18, 2014, 08:01:04 PM
English speakers mangle Spanish all manners of ways.
I think this applies to many more languages actually, e.g. Bay-zhing for 北京. :)
Delhi, NY is pronounced the same way. While it was named after the city in India, it happens to have a high elevation in Delaware County.
Back to Toronto:
Bloor Street: Blur (I only know these because I listen to Toronto radio and venture up that way quite often).
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 08:49:09 PM
Delhi, NY is pronounced the same way. While it was named after the city in India, it happens to have a high elevation in Delaware County.
Both of the above are false. Delhi is so named because it is HIgh on the DELaware River.
Quote from: Alps on August 18, 2014, 09:05:04 PM
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 08:49:09 PM
Delhi, NY is pronounced the same way. While it was named after the city in India, it happens to have a high elevation in Delaware County.
Both of the above are false. Delhi is so named because it is HIgh on the DELaware River.
Wikipedia was wrong. I always thought it had something to do with the river.
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 08:49:09 PM
Bloor Street: Blur (I only know these because I listen to Toronto radio and venture up that way quite often).
Not really? It's just 'Bloor' but with more emphasis on the 'r'.
Quote from: sammi on August 18, 2014, 09:09:09 PM
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 08:49:09 PM
Bloor Street: Blur (I only know these because I listen to Toronto radio and venture up that way quite often).
Not really? It's just 'Bloor' but with more emphasis on the 'r'.
Maybe I misheard the subway announcements
Quote from: jake on August 18, 2014, 06:32:03 PM
Quote from: empirestate on August 18, 2014, 06:16:55 PM
And one from Washington I've always wondered about: "Cle Elum"??
CLEE-elum
Okay, so…two syllables? Sort of rhyming with "peel 'em", maybe with a little ghost syllable in the middle? Or is "elum" still distinctly two syllables by itself, like "bellum"? So, "CLEE-ell-um"?
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 07:18:13 PM
Some more from New York:
Canajoharie: Can-a-joe-hairy
Patchogue: Patch-ogg (rhymes with nog)
Niskayuna: Niss-kay-oo-na
Cobleskill: Coe-bulls-kill
Ilion: Ill-ee-in
Avon: A-von, "A" as in "hat"
Speonk: Spee-onk
Java: Jay-va (expected pronunciation is also pretty common)
Skaneateles: Skuh-nea-tulls
Yup, I'm with you on all but the last: it's five syllables, "skin-ee-AT-ul-is". Essentially "skinny atlas" but with an extra "a" in "atlas".
And the Avon example illustrates a typical rule in Upstate place names, where initial vowels tend to be short, especially "a": Almond, Albion, Alfred and others all have the same first syllable, the name "Al". (Yes, Almond is not pronounced like the nut.) The outlier, of course, is Albany, whose first syllable is "all". I'm also not certain about Alden, or Alma.
Oh, and lest I forget, Coxsackie: "cook-SOCK-ee".
QuoteDownstate pronunciations come from family on the Island, upstate are from family and observation. I know Steuben County's pronunciation from being corrected by several gas station attendants, cashiers, waiters, etc. while in the county.
Yes, well as we see with Wilkes-Barre, even among local observation there isn't always consistency. (In fact, the only official consensus on Wilkes-Barre seems to be that there isn't an official consensus.)
My Long Island observations have also been from local speakers, although I admit I haven't heard Hauppauge pronounced very many times. I can certainly see how some speakers might morph it to "HOP-aig", wanting to see the last syllable spelled as "-ague" like Copiague. (That's also why you hear "war chester" for Worcester among non-locals, because they see it as akin to Rochester.)
I also know that Quogue is just "QUOG", and Napeague is "na-PEEG". Other LI placenames I'd like to hear are Cantiague, and also Quiogue—or is it Quioque? I'd like to know the answer on that spelling, too (the Census Bureau appears to have decided on the former).
And I know Steuben's pronunciation from having lived for some thirty years in Western NY. I guess I need to ask around some more, but I'm absolutely certain I've never heard "stew-BAHN", nor yet "STEW-bahn". I could see it sometimes coming out like "stew-BANN" instead of "stew-BEN", rather like "dairy ANN" for Darien, CT.
For that matter, the first time I ever heard Ossining pronounced, it was by someone who ought to have known, such as a train conductor, and it was "a-SINE-ing". Every time since, however, I've heard it as "OSS-a-ning", so I assume that's right.
Quote from: Alps on August 18, 2014, 09:05:04 PM
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 08:49:09 PM
Delhi, NY is pronounced the same way. While it was named after the city in India, it happens to have a high elevation in Delaware County.
Both of the above are false. Delhi is so named because it is HIgh on the DELaware River.
Wait, both of the three statements are false? :evilgrin: But yes, it is pronounced "DELL-high" in NY.
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 09:11:11 PM
Quote from: sammi on August 18, 2014, 09:09:09 PM
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 08:49:09 PM
Bloor Street: Blur (I only know these because I listen to Toronto radio and venture up that way quite often).
Not really? It's just 'Bloor' but with more emphasis on the 'r'.
Maybe I misheard the subway announcements
The subway announcements say it as two syllables. Blue-er.
Or at least on the old ones (T1 trains on the Yonge line). The new Rockets say it as one syllable.
Quote from: empirestate on August 18, 2014, 09:11:33 PM
Quote from: jake on August 18, 2014, 06:32:03 PM
Quote from: empirestate on August 18, 2014, 06:16:55 PM
And one from Washington I've always wondered about: "Cle Elum"??
CLEE-elum
Okay, so...two syllables? Sort of rhyming with "peel 'em", maybe with a little ghost syllable in the middle? Or is "elum" still distinctly two syllables by itself, like "bellum"? So, "CLEE-ell-um"?
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 07:18:13 PM
Some more from New York:
Canajoharie: Can-a-joe-hairy
Patchogue: Patch-ogg (rhymes with nog)
Niskayuna: Niss-kay-oo-na
Cobleskill: Coe-bulls-kill
Ilion: Ill-ee-in
Avon: A-von, "A" as in "hat"
Speonk: Spee-onk
Java: Jay-va (expected pronunciation is also pretty common)
Skaneateles: Skuh-nea-tulls
Yup, I'm with you on all but the last: it's five syllables, "skin-ee-AT-ul-is". Essentially "skinny atlas" but with an extra "a" in "atlas".
And the Avon example illustrates a typical rule in Upstate place names, where initial vowels tend to be short, especially "a": Almond, Albion, Alfred and others all have the same first syllable, the name "Al". (Yes, Almond is not pronounced like the nut.) The outlier, of course, is Albany, whose first syllable is "all". I'm also not certain about Alden, or Alma.
Oh, and lest I forget, Coxsackie: "cook-SOCK-ee".
QuoteDownstate pronunciations come from family on the Island, upstate are from family and observation. I know Steuben County's pronunciation from being corrected by several gas station attendants, cashiers, waiters, etc. while in the county.
Yes, well as we see with Wilkes-Barre, even among local observation there isn't always consistency. (In fact, the only official consensus on Wilkes-Barre seems to be that there isn't an official consensus.)
My Long Island observations have also been from local speakers, although I admit I haven't heard Hauppauge pronounced very many times. I can certainly see how some speakers might morph it to "HOP-aig", wanting to see the last syllable spelled as "-ague" like Copiague. (That's also why you hear "war chester" for Worcester among non-locals, because they see it as akin to Rochester.)
I also know that Quogue is just "QUOG", and Napeague is "na-PEEG". Other LI placenames I'd like to hear are Cantiague, and also Quiogue–or is it Quioque? I'd like to know the answer on that spelling, too (the Census Bureau appears to have decided on the former).
And I know Steuben's pronunciation from having lived for some thirty years in Western NY. I guess I need to ask around some more, but I'm absolutely certain I've never heard "stew-BAHN", nor yet "STEW-bahn". I could see it sometimes coming out like "stew-BANN" instead of "stew-BEN", rather like "dairy ANN" for Darien, CT.
For that matter, the first time I ever heard Ossining pronounced, it was by someone who ought to have known, such as a train conductor, and it was "a-SINE-ing". Every time since, however, I've heard it as "OSS-a-ning", so I assume that's right.
Quote from: Alps on August 18, 2014, 09:05:04 PM
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 08:49:09 PM
Delhi, NY is pronounced the same way. While it was named after the city in India, it happens to have a high elevation in Delaware County.
Both of the above are false. Delhi is so named because it is HIgh on the DELaware River.
Wait, both of the three statements are false? :evilgrin: But yes, it is pronounced "DELL-high" in NY.
Alden is how it looks. Almost everything near Buffalo is pronounced how it is spelled. However, Amherst is Am-HERST, while every other town of the name is "Am-erst". Even within towns, there are often multiple pronunciations up here. It makes it so nobody knows what you're talking about. I've even heard Ossining as "Oss-ing", likely due to the Sing Sing prison.
While we're on pronunciations, Houston Street in Manhattan is HOWS-ton.
And replying to the Toronto post, I only hear "Bloor" announced on the Yonge-University Line because of where I typically park and visit.
This sums up all you need to know about the pronunciation of Massachusetts towns. My hometown is #2... http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t4ZvGwD6_qg
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 18, 2014, 06:54:34 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on August 18, 2014, 06:46:58 PM
Anyone from the Pacific NW: The Dalles (OR)–is it just "the DAY-ulls" ?
I've heard it to have the same syllable as Dallas, the city in Texas.
(source: gas station attendant in Maupin, OR.)
The Dalles is pronounced "the dals" (like "the gals" but with a "d").
EDIT:
Quote from: empirestate on August 18, 2014, 09:11:33 PM
Quote from: jake on August 18, 2014, 06:32:03 PM
Quote from: empirestate on August 18, 2014, 06:16:55 PM
And one from Washington I've always wondered about: "Cle Elum"??
CLEE-elum
Okay, so...two syllables? Sort of rhyming with "peel 'em", maybe with a little ghost syllable in the middle? Or is "elum" still distinctly two syllables by itself, like "bellum"? So, "CLEE-ell-um"?
Yes. CLEE-ell-um. But ell-um is one syllable.
Not city names, but New York City street names.
Houston Street: how-stun
New Utrecht Avenue: new you-trekked
Buhre Avenue: byoor
And here's a few Connecticut names that I've noticed some people who aren't from the area often mispronounce.
Canaan / North Canaan / New Canaan: it's pronounced "Cane-un". Like the land of Canaan from The Bible.
Darien: Dairy Ann. Like a girl who loves milk.
Noroton Heights: It's pronounced as though it ends with -ing but has the g lopped off per common slang. The first o is deemphasized and the second is pronounced like in "row". So figure it's something like "N'rowtin", or like some old man is waving his cane and complaining about "those damn Norotin' kids".
New London: is pronounced like it's one word, with the emphasis on "New". So it's "NEW-lon-din" all in one breath, not "New LON-din" as one might expect.
Danbury: Dan Berry. As though it's something you might pick off a bush.
Waterbury: Water Berry. Likewise.
Greenwich: "Grennitch", which as far as I know is also how they pronounced the one in England. Not "Green witch" as some other states pronounce their places with the same name.
Cheshire: "Cheshur", with the same ending as how we pronounce "New Hampshire".
How is Rehrersburg, PA pronounced? Every single time I rode I-78/ US 22 through Berks County, PA I always wondered that one
Quote from: roadman65 on August 19, 2014, 02:20:50 AM
How is Rehrersburg, PA pronounced? Every single time I rode I-78/ US 22 through Berks County, PA I always wondered that one
I believe it's correctly pronounced like RARE-errs-burg but more commonly comes our as RARES-burg.
Quote from: Duke87 on August 19, 2014, 01:19:52 AM
Darien: Dairy Ann. Like a girl who loves milk.
Interesting. Darien, IL is pronounced "dairy-in".
'How do yoy pronounce these city names?' As they are written.
The posted pronunciations of a couple of the names from my local area don't match my experience.
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 07:18:13 PM
Canajoharie: Can-a-joe-hairy
I always hear "Can-a-juh-hairy"
QuoteNiskayuna: Niss-kay-oo-na
I have always heard and said "Nisk-uh-you-nuh"
And the correction to Skaneateles that was already posted, but that one's not quite so local to me.
The various mentions of places named "Canaan" remind me of the Canaan Valley in West Virginia, which I've always heard referred to as "cuh-NAIN."
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 09:23:31 PM
Alden is how it looks.
Okay...so that's "Al" (like the man's name) and not "all". So it fits the pattern (assuming the first syllable is stressed).
A lot of idiomatic-sounding placenames are actually the result of being pronounced "how it looks" rather than how one normally hears a word pronounced. Take my earlier example of Theresa, or Delhi, or perhaps Lowville, which rhymes with "cow ville" rather than "toe ville". Or for a somewhat-too-literal version of "how it looks": Nunda ("NUN-day").
For its part, Nunda, like Delhi, illustrates another "rule" of Upstate placenames: final vowels are often long, even where they don't look like they'd be. Pulaski: "pull-ASS-kye". Lodi: "LOW-dye". And I believe it's Ischua: "ISH-oo-way".
That rule, however, doesn't apply to Iroquois placenames...
Quote from: jake on August 18, 2014, 10:50:07 PM
Yes. CLEE-ell-um. But ell-um is one syllable.
Got it. Drop the "u": "CLEE elm".
Quote from: Brandon on August 19, 2014, 06:53:00 AM
Quote from: Duke87 on August 19, 2014, 01:19:52 AM
Darien: Dairy Ann. Like a girl who loves milk.
Interesting. Darien, IL is pronounced "dairy-in".
As it is in New York. And it's usually followed by "Lake", since the vast majority of utterances of this town's name are in connection with the amusement park there.
Quote from: Jim on August 19, 2014, 09:25:57 AM
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 07:18:13 PM
Canajoharie: Can-a-joe-hairy
I always hear "Can-a-juh-hairy"
I think that's the same pronunciation; you just have to know where the stresses are. The "joe" syllable is unstressed, so it comes out as "juh". "CAN-a-ja-HAIR-ee" is how I'd write it (the strongest stress being on "hair"). It's akin to Schoharie: "ska-HAIR-ee".
Here's a baffler for you: Tioughnioga [River]. The only time I can recall hearing it pronounced was by a weather forecaster: "tee-OFF-nye-OH-ga". That would make "-nioga" rhyme with Tioga, so that adds up, but I'm suspicious of "tee-OFF-".
Pittsburghers will immediately be put in mind of Youghiogheny: "YOCK-a-gane-ee".
Quote from: empirestate on August 19, 2014, 09:52:41 AM
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 09:23:31 PM
Alden is how it looks.
Okay...so that's "Al" (like the man's name) and not "all". So it fits the pattern (assuming the first syllable is stressed).
A lot of idiomatic-sounding placenames are actually the result of being pronounced "how it looks" rather than how one normally hears a word pronounced. Take my earlier example of Theresa, or Delhi, or perhaps Lowville, which rhymes with "cow ville" rather than "toe ville". Or for a somewhat-too-literal version of "how it looks": Nunda ("NUN-day").
For its part, Nunda, like Delhi, illustrates another "rule" of Upstate placenames: final vowels are often long, even where they don't look like they'd be. Pulaski: "pull-ASS-kye". Lodi: "LOW-dye". And I believe it's Ischua: "ISH-oo-way".
That rule, however, doesn't apply to Iroquois placenames...
Quote from: jake on August 18, 2014, 10:50:07 PM
Yes. CLEE-ell-um. But ell-um is one syllable.
Got it. Drop the "u": "CLEE elm".
Quote from: Brandon on August 19, 2014, 06:53:00 AM
Quote from: Duke87 on August 19, 2014, 01:19:52 AM
Darien: Dairy Ann. Like a girl who loves milk.
Interesting. Darien, IL is pronounced "dairy-in".
As it is in New York. And it's usually followed by "Lake", since the vast majority of utterances of this town's name are in connection with the amusement park there.
Quote from: Jim on August 19, 2014, 09:25:57 AM
Quote from: cl94 on August 18, 2014, 07:18:13 PM
Canajoharie: Can-a-joe-hairy
I always hear "Can-a-juh-hairy"
I think that's the same pronunciation; you just have to know where the stresses are. The "joe" syllable is unstressed, so it comes out as "juh". "CAN-a-ja-HAIR-ee" is how I'd write it (the strongest stress being on "hair"). It's akin to Schoharie: "ska-HAIR-ee".
Here's a baffler for you: Tioughnioga [River]. The only time I can recall hearing it pronounced was by a weather forecaster: "tee-OFF-nye-OH-ga". That would make "-nioga" rhyme with Tioga, so that adds up, but I'm suspicious of "tee-OFF-".
Pittsburghers will immediately be put in mind of Youghiogheny: "YOCK-a-gane-ee".
I misspoke- Alden is "All-den"
OK, it's time to stump folks.
Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans. No south Louisianans need answer.
Quote from: Brandon on August 19, 2014, 02:16:29 PM
OK, it's time to stump folks.
Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans. No south Louisianans need answer.
I'd imagine "t" is silent; "ch" is as expected. "ou" is long "oo" as in "boom". "pit" is just like the English word. another long "ou", that is the primary accented syllable in the word. "las" as in Vegas.
unless I completely butchered it... it's nothing nearly as unintuitive as Worcester, MA.
Quote from: Brandon on August 19, 2014, 02:16:29 PM
Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans
Looks like Choo-pi-
too-las, but Wikipedia says Chop-. :confused:
Quote from: Brandon on August 19, 2014, 02:16:29 PM
OK, it's time to stump folks.
Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans. No south Louisianans need answer.
Uh...
I'll take Chow-Pit-
Too-Las, final answer.
Chop-uh-too-lus, emphasis on "too," schwa for the unstressed second and fourth syllables. As an aside, asking directions in New Orleans used to be a fun experience - east and west were pretty straightforward, but instead of north and south, you heard "lakeside" and "riverside."
Quote from: US81 on August 19, 2014, 02:52:57 PM
Chop-uh-too-lus, emphasis on "too," schwa for the unstressed second and fourth syllables. As an aside, asking directions in New Orleans used to be a fun experience - east and west were pretty straightforward, but instead of north and south, you heard "lakeside" and "riverside."
And we have a winner! :cool:
I've on occasion heard N.O. locals say "chop-toolas", but I agree correct pronunciation is most certainly chop-pi-too-las.
Quote from: Brandon on August 19, 2014, 02:16:29 PM
OK, it's time to stump folks.
Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans. No south Louisianans need answer.
North Louisianians know how to pronounce that stuff too :)
Quote from: SidS1045 on August 17, 2014, 09:16:17 PMA few other Massachusetts oddities:
--Our second largest city is Worcester (NOTE: No H.), pronounced WUS-ta by the locals.
--Leicester: LES-ta
--Leominster: LEM-ins-ta
--Woburn: WOO-bun
--Needham: NEED-um
--Dedham: DED-um
--Stoneham: STONE-um
--Stoughton: STOWT-un
--Peabody: PEE-buh-dee
--Quincy: QUIN-zee
Not odd if you are British, except maybe WOO-bun.
Our Leominster is simply LEM-sta
NBC's Premier League promos are making a big deal out of how to pronounce Leicester, given Leicester are a newly promoted team, and one non-Mass Americans struggle with (How to spot an American tourist in London - they are the ones asking "How do you get to Lie-ces-ter Square?". Everyone else can say it roughly correctly, even if Kiwis say 'Lister'!)
'wich' and 'wark' suffixes also are unintuitive, esp to Americans. Never pronounce the 'w' and perhaps shorten the first bit. Southwark is 'Suv-uk' (with a weak 'k' - Londoners don't pronounce strong sounds), Greenwich is 'Gren-ich', but Woolwich is 'Wool-ich'.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 17, 2014, 10:38:40 PMFor Newark, NJ, it's New-irk.
For Newark, DE, it's New-Arc
For Newark, Nottinghamshire, it's New-uk (with a strong 'k')
Quote from: corco on August 17, 2014, 02:11:58 PM
Quote3. Detroit - Duh-troy
What
I agree, that is not how you pronounce Detroit lol
Regarding the pronunciation of Bexar: I hear about an equal mix of "bear" and a version with a long A vowel sound with a light diphthong "Bay'r" - not quite two syllables.
Quote from: vtk on August 17, 2014, 03:19:08 PM
Ohio placenames:
Wooster: WOO stir (rhymes with rooster)
Nope.
I grew up in Orrville, which is right next to Wooster. Think of it as calling someone "wuss," then tacking "ter" on the end.
Incidentally, note the two Rs in Orrville. It's named for Judge Smith Orr and NOT Orville Redenbacker. Pronounced ORR-ville, and not "orvul"
Quote from: empirestate on August 19, 2014, 09:52:41 AM
Quote from: jake on August 18, 2014, 10:50:07 PM
Yes. CLEE-ell-um. But ell-um is one syllable.
Got it. Drop the "u": "CLEE elm".
Almost. Here's a video that demonstrates the pronunciation (go to 0:11):
Quote from: busman_49 on August 20, 2014, 12:56:43 PMI grew up in Orrville, which is right next to Wooster. Think of it as calling someone "wuss," then tacking "ter" on the end.
Were they going for 'Worcester' but with more phonetic spelling that like the original hasn't aged well?
Here's a couple more:
Tchoutacabouffa River
Lafourche Parish
Quote from: golden eagle on August 20, 2014, 07:23:13 PM
Lafourche Parish
if this is anything like Belle Fourche, South Dakota, then it is "la foosh".
Quote from: golden eagle on August 20, 2014, 07:23:13 PM
Tchoutacabouffa River
I'll give this one a shot.
"tchou" as in "Tchoupitoulas"; which is more of a "chaw" than the "choo choo", like a train, as I had surmised.
"ta" and "ca" are short, schwa-based syllables.
"bou" is like a ghost jumping out at you. "boo!" - primarily accented syllable, though maybe not as explosively spectral; only a tiny bit more forceful than the first syllable.
"ffa" - is one final schwa.
any good?
Choo-ta-ca-buff is how I've always heard it pronounced.
Quote from: golden eagle on August 20, 2014, 07:35:50 PM
Choo-ta-ca-buff is how I've always heard it pronounced.
so this one is a "choo" and the other one is a "chaw"? well, color me baffled. or, rather, since we are apparently in the habit of silencing everything after an "ff"... color me baff.
Quote from: busman_49 on August 20, 2014, 12:56:43 PM
Quote from: vtk on August 17, 2014, 03:19:08 PM
Ohio placenames:
Wooster: WOO stir (rhymes with rooster)
Nope.
I grew up in Orrville, which is right next to Wooster. Think of it as calling someone "wuss," then tacking "ter" on the end.
I see. So central Ohioans have been misinformed. The pronunciation you describe seems like the most natural choice, but somehow Wooster gets thrown in lists of oddly-pronounced placenames.
Also, I'm second-guessing myself on New Albany. I've heard the Albany in NY is pronounced differently, but I can never remember if ours has an "Al" sound or an "all" sound.
Quote from: hbelkins on August 17, 2014, 10:33:32 PM
Monticello -- mon-ti-sell-oh
I learned this one first hand a couple months ago while passing through there. I used the Thomas Jefferson pronunciation of "Monticello" while ordering a pizza, and was corrected by the guy on the phone. He also told me that "mon-ti-hell-hole" was a locally used alternative.
Quote from: jake on August 20, 2014, 01:29:02 PM
Quote from: empirestate on August 19, 2014, 09:52:41 AM
Quote from: jake on August 18, 2014, 10:50:07 PM
Yes. CLEE-ell-um. But ell-um is one syllable.
Got it. Drop the "u": "CLEE elm".
Almost. Here's a video that demonstrates the pronunciation (go to 0:11):
Ah, okay. I definitely still hear that as three syllables; that's where you threw me. So what you originally wrote: "CLEE-ell-um" is the way to go!
In NW Arkansas we have a town named Gravette. I'm not sure if it's grav-it or grah-vette like corvette
iPhone
In Columbus we have Alum Creek, and a nearby roadway called Alum Creek Drive. I'm pretty sure that's pronounced AL-um, like the mineral, but some people say a-LUMM, like the stupid false singular form of "alumni" that people are starting to use. Just...no.
Quote from: vtk on August 20, 2014, 09:13:11 PM
Quote from: busman_49 on August 20, 2014, 12:56:43 PM
Also, I'm second-guessing myself on New Albany. I've heard the Albany in NY is pronounced differently, but I can never remember if ours has an "Al" sound or an "all" sound.
It has the "all" sound.
Also, while I'm thinking about it...the little burg of Dalton is pronounced with the "Al" sound and not the "all" sound
Nobody's said anything for Nebraska yet and while I think most are straightforward, some are not, or different from how other places with the same name are pronounced.
1. Norfolk- actually pronounced nor-FORK. The city wanted to be Norfork, because it's on the North Fork of the Elkhorn River, but the postal service thought it was a mistake and called it Norfolk. I hear nor-FOLK, but I believe most of them are people not from Nebraska.
2. Beatrice- Be-AT-riss, not like how you pronounce a person with the name
3. Louisville- Lou-IS-ville, essentially like how it looks, not like how the TV people pronounce the city in Kentucky
4. Plattsmouth- PLATTS-muth
5. Hooper- Hoo-per, with the short oo like in hooker
A few from New South Wales:
Wollongong: Woolen-gong
Tuggerah: Tuggra
Leichhardt: Lyke-art
Wee Waa: Wee War
Sydenham: Syden-nm
Ourimbah: Oo-rim-ba
Wagga Wagga: Wogga Wogga or just shortened to 'Wagga'
Unique local pronunciations of place names (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=2910.0)
Try to pronounce the name of the Polish city ŁÃ³dź.
No, it's not what you think. It's something like 'Wutz'.
Quote from: DandyDan on August 21, 2014, 08:07:40 AM
Nobody's said anything for Nebraska yet and while I think most are straightforward, some are not, or different from how other places with the same name are pronounced.
1. Norfolk- actually pronounced nor-FORK. The city wanted to be Norfork, because it's on the North Fork of the Elkhorn River, but the postal service thought it was a mistake and called it Norfolk. I hear nor-FOLK, but I believe most of them are people not from Nebraska.
2. Beatrice- Be-AT-riss, not like how you pronounce a person with the name
3. Louisville- Lou-IS-ville, essentially like how it looks, not like how the TV people pronounce the city in Kentucky
4. Plattsmouth- PLATTS-muth
5. Hooper- Hoo-per, with the short oo like in hooker
I worked in Norfolk for a short time and I will pronounce it the old English Nor-fuck till the day I die. Living a couple years in Columbus I realized if you ask 5 people you will get 5 variations.
I think another good one for Nebraska is Kearney. Is it k(ear)-nee or Car-nee
iPhone
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on August 21, 2014, 08:49:57 AM
Try to pronounce the name of the Polish city ŁÃ³dź.
shuh-SHEF-ski?
Overlooked in the Seattle list was Sequim, pronounced "skwim" -- emphasis on the only syllable.
Quote from: Arkansastravelguy on August 22, 2014, 11:26:36 AM
Quote from: DandyDan on August 21, 2014, 08:07:40 AM
Nobody's said anything for Nebraska yet and while I think most are straightforward, some are not, or different from how other places with the same name are pronounced.
1. Norfolk- actually pronounced nor-FORK. The city wanted to be Norfork, because it's on the North Fork of the Elkhorn River, but the postal service thought it was a mistake and called it Norfolk. I hear nor-FOLK, but I believe most of them are people not from Nebraska.
2. Beatrice- Be-AT-riss, not like how you pronounce a person with the name
3. Louisville- Lou-IS-ville, essentially like how it looks, not like how the TV people pronounce the city in Kentucky
4. Plattsmouth- PLATTS-muth
5. Hooper- Hoo-per, with the short oo like in hooker
I worked in Norfolk for a short time and I will pronounce it the old English Nor-fuck till the day I die. Living a couple years in Columbus I realized if you ask 5 people you will get 5 variations.
I think another good one for Nebraska is Kearney. Is it k(ear)-nee or Car-nee
iPhone
Nebraska's Kearney is definitely "KAR-nee".
Quote from: SP Cook on August 17, 2014, 03:22:25 PM
Pikeville. PIKEVUL. One syllable. Any ville is pronounced VUL, not VIL.
I have always had a theory when it comes to towns in Louisiana ending in "ville." The majority of places above Alexandria in the northern parts of the state pronounce these towns with a "VULL" sound.
Ex: Crowville, Farmerville, Rayville, Spearsville, Haynesville, Downsville, Bienville
Places below Alexandria typically pronounce it "VILL"
Ex: Abbeville, St. Martinville, Donaldsonville, Prairieville, Madisonville, Arnaudville
Pineville being in the center, I hear both ways.
Other fun Louisiana names:
Delhi: DELL-high
Vienna: Vie-IN-ah (not like the city in Austria)
Pontchartrain: PON-cha-train (you never hear the first 'r')
Lecompte: Luh-COUNT (one of my favorites to trip people up)
Anacoco: an-ah-Co-cah
Arabi: AIR-a-bee
Bastrop: BASS-drup (not like bass-drop in Texas)
Mamou: Mah-MOO
Bossier: BOH-zher
Choudrant: SHOE-drunt
Coushatta: the town is pronounced Cuh-SHAT-tah, the casino in Kinder is pronounced, Cush-AH-tah
Doyline: Doy-LEEN
Duson: DOO-sahn
Ferriday: I hear mostly FAIR-a-dee
Ioaw: i-uh-WAY
Keachi: KEY-chai (second syllable rhyming with eye)
Kinder: rhymes with "sender"
Many: rhymes with Danny, not Kenny
Natchitoches: NACK-uh-dish
Monroe: I tend to say MUN-row, but with it's sister city I say West Mun-ROW
Olla: AH-luh (like "ala" in the word koala)
Port Barre: Port BEAR-ee
Saline: suh-LEEN
Ones I'm not sure about:
Maringouin
Boeuf River (Buff or Beff?)
Quote from: SP Cook on August 17, 2014, 03:22:25 PM
Pikeville. PIKEVUL. One syllable. Any ville is pronounced VUL, not VIL.
I'm trying to pronounce all of this as one syllable without it coming out as a grunt-sneeze. how does it work?
If he was referring to Pikeville, Ky., I've heard it pronounced "packvul."
Quote from: bassoon1986 on August 22, 2014, 03:05:55 PM
Pontchartrain: PON-cha-train (you never hear the first 'r')
I had to go back and check the spelling of the name; I had never noticed 2 'r's before now.
Merrillville, IN, is pronounced "Mayr-uh-ville." If you pronounce the first double-l pair, you're taking too much time to say it.
If I'm not mistaken, the Milwaukee suburb of New Berlin is "New-BER-lin."
Quote from: vtk on August 21, 2014, 12:30:15 AM
In Columbus we have Alum Creek, and a nearby roadway called Alum Creek Drive. I'm pretty sure that's pronounced AL-um, like the mineral, but some people say a-LUMM, like the stupid false singular form of "alumni" that people are starting to use. Just...no.
Yep, AL-um is the way I've always known it. For New Albany it was newALL-buh-nee growing up but honestly there are so many newcomers in that area I don't even know any more.
One I haven't seen yet is Pataskala. A lot of people like to say Pat-uh-skah-la. Nope, it's puh-TA-skuh-luh.
A couple more:
Medina, NY: Meh-DYE-na (NOT the European Meh-DEE-na)
Suffolk St, Buffalo, NY: Su-FOLK (this irks the hell out of me)
Olean, NY: Oh-lee-ann