The Upstate NY Pronunciation Guide! (New York, Buffalo: neighborhood, moving, place)
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(This thread was inspired by my finding out in a thread below that Greenwich, NY is pronounced "Green-wich" and not "Grenich" like Greenwich, Connecticut...)
New to Upstate? Interested in moving here? Want to talk like a native? This thread is a compilation/discussion of NY place names and their proper pronunciation(s).
As more names/pronunciations get posted below, I will add them to this initial post, sorted by region.
Let's start with some basics...
Rochester area Chili... (CHYE-lye)
Canandaigua... (cannon-DAY-gwa) or (canna-DAY-gwa)
Syracuse area Skaneateles... (skinny-ATLAS) or less commonly (skanny-ATLAS)
Brewerton... (BRUR-'n) if you want to sound like a real native
Chittenango... (chit-NANG-go)
Albany area Greenwich... (GREEN-wich)
North Country
Lowville... (LAOW-ville) rhymes with "ow"
Pulaski... (pull-ASK-eye)
Southern Tier Olean... (OH-lee-ann)
Binghamton... (BING-m-ton) - it's not one of "The Hamptons"!
Mohawk Valley Canajoharie... (canna-jo-HARRY)
Last edited by Jeromeville; 01-29-2009 at 03:47 PM..
yeah but someone's gonna have to educate me on Watervliet. Is it water-va-LEET?
Darn it, I just realized you can't edit your own posts after a while. that sucks. We'll just have to keep adding periodically... (not every time tho, that would be too much)
Rochester area Chili... (CHYE-lye)
Riga... (RYE-ga)
Charlotte... (shar-LOT)
Genesee... (jenna-SEE) rhymes exactly with Tennessee
Finger Lakes area Ithaca... (ITH-a-ka)
Keuka... (KYOO-ka)
Cayuga... two pronunciations are common... (KAY-yoo-ga) or (KYE-yoo-ga)
Canandaigua... (cannon-DAY-gwa) or (canna-DAY-gwa)
Penn Yan... the Yan rhymes with "Ann"
Honeoye... (HONEY-oy)
Syracuse area Skaneateles... (skinny-ATLAS) or less commonly (skanny-ATLAS)
Brewerton... (BRUR-'n) if you want to sound like a real native
Chittenango... (chit-NANG-go)
Oswego... (ah-SWEE-go)
Schroeppel... (SCREW-pull)... just like the word "scruple"
Pompey... (POM-pee)
Constantia... (kun-STAN-sha)
Albany area Greenwich... (GREEN-wich)
Colonie... (kah-la-NEE)... like "colony" but with stress on last syllable
Rensselaer... (ren-sa-LEER)
North Country
Lowville... (LAOW-ville) rhymes with "ow"
Pulaski... (pull-ASK-eye)
Southern Tier Olean... (OH-lee-ann)
Binghamton... (BING-m-ton) - it's not one of "The Hamptons"!
Mohawk Valley Canajoharie... (canna-jo-HARRY)
Utica... (YOU-tick-a)
Ilion... (ILL-ee-un)
Herkimer... (HER-k'm-er) ... seems easy but can be confusing...
Oneida... (oh-NIGH-da)
Schenectady... (skeh-NECK-ta-dee)
Chenango Valley Chenango... (sheh-NANG-go)
Oneonta... (oh-nee-ON-ta)
Last edited by Jeromeville; 01-29-2009 at 06:44 PM..
Great thread! I hear from alot of people that Buffalonians have a very "nasally" accent. Even talking to my relatives after being in Rochester and Raleigh I can notice the difference. Probably closer to a Chicago accent rather than a NYC.
Great thread! I hear from alot of people that Buffalonians have a very "nasally" accent. Even talking to my relatives after being in Rochester and Raleigh I can notice the difference. Probably closer to a Chicago accent rather than a NYC.
Another: Ro-chest-a
Ro-chest-a? No way. Whoever you hear pronouncing it like that is definitely not a lifelong resident!
its Raaaah'chstr
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