Places that a majority of people pronounce incorrectly? (trains, vacations)

[lucknow]

Originally Posted by lammius

NORFOLK

It's Nawf*ck

It's not Nor-FOLLLK
It's not Nor-Fork
It's not Nor-Falk
It's not Nor-Foke

It's Nawf*ck

Here in Ontario it's Nor Foke.
My user name is actually a city in India and a town in Ontario. It's luck no not luck now.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by goldengrain

In Iowa it is pronounced Demoyn with the accent on the second syllable.

Do you know how the French would pronounce it?

It means 'of the monks'.

De(h) Mwahn

[Count David]

Originally Posted by MassVt

When I briefly lived in WI, I too noticed that most natives didn't pronounce the "L" in Milwaukee; It's like "Mwaukeee, W-SCAAAN-sin"..

I've heard Milwaukeeans say it "Mih-walkie".

Originally Posted by goldengrain

In Iowa it is pronounced Demoyn with the accent on the second syllable.

Do you know how the French would pronounce it?

It means 'of the monks'.

Acajack is right.

Isn't Des Plaines, IL pronounced Des Plains as well?

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

Isn't Des Plaines, IL pronounced Des Plains as well?

Yes. Both s's are pronounced.

[jtur88]

Accenting the correct syllable is difficult in Wisconsin.
These places have the accent on the first syllable:
Antigo, Cudahy, Manitowoc, Shawano, Fond du Lac, Waunakeem Ashippun, Berlin, Beaver Dam, Peshtigo, Outagamie, Waukesha (walky-shaw)

These are accented on the second syllable:
Ashwaubenon, Beloit, Kaukauna, Kenosha, Menasha, Mukwonago, Muskego, Ocomonowoc, Waupaca, Wautoma, Waushara.

Calumet, in both Michigan and Wisconsin (and Baking Powder), is accented on the third syllable. kal-ya-MET. Racine is never a long A: ruh-SEEN. Shawano is two syllables: SHAW-no.

Waupun is one of the hardest. Both stressed equally, WAH-PAHN. Rhymes with "Hop on!"

[goldengrain]

Des Moines

Originally Posted by goldengrain

In Iowa it is pronounced Demoyn with the accent on the second syllable.

Do you know how the French would pronounce it?

It means 'of the monks'.

Originally Posted by Acajack

De(h) Mwahn

Oh, so you pronounce the 'n' but drop the rest. Thanks.
I was taught that 'des' is pronounced 'day'

[tahiti]

Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan

I also like the examples of cities with the same name as major foreign cities, but pronounce them in crazy, Americanized ways. Versailles, OH (Ver-SAILS), Lima, OH (LYE-muh), and Cairo, IL (KAY-roh) come to mind.

There is a Cairo NY and it's pronounced CARE-o.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by goldengrain

Des Moines


I was taught that 'des' is pronounced 'day'

I have often heard that but it is probably because the actual way it sounds in French has no real equivalent in English. That is why I put the H in brackets. Normally in English if I wrote "it rhymes with EH", it's the same sound as "AY" you think of. But that's not what this sound is. It's more like the "eh" in "meh"... Or the "ea" in "head". Not sure if this is clear.

[tahiti]

so when I was in AZ a few years ago, I went to Tlaquepaque. (yeah, have fun with that) I think I asked on the AZ board how to pronounce it and got several different versions. LOL

I say it Tuh-Lack-uh-pack-ee.

A big one in NJ is Secaucus - it's SEE-caw-cus. Only people in Hudson County say it correctly. Everyone else says "SUH-caw-cus". (apologizes if this was mentioned, i haven't gotten through the entire thread).

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

I've heard Milwaukeeans say it "Mih-walkie".



Acajack is right.

Isn't Des Plaines, IL pronounced Des Plains as well?

In French it would be "de(h) plenn".