Monongahela (Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Versailles: friend, live, town)

[bboy36win]

What is your preferred pronunciation of Monongahela?
Mononga-HEE-la or Mononga-HAY-la?

I’ve heard both.

[returnedYinzer]

i just call it the mon because I can't spell it or pronounce it right.

[gallacus]

Well, dictionary.com sites it as being Mononga-HEE-la, but I've personally never heard anyone say it that way. I always say Mononga-HAY-la, but then again, Pittsburghers have a bad habit of butchering the pronunciation of names (e.g. Versailles). I would say no one would look at you funny for saying it either way, if that's what you're going for

[fleetiebelle]

I've always pronounced it Mononga-HEE-la. Never really heard it said the other way.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by bboy36win

What is your preferred pronunciation of Monongahela?
Mononga-HEE-la or Mononga-HAY-la?

I’ve heard both.

I've always said Mononga-HAY-la...

Of course I also say ga-ZAY-bo, not ga-ZEE-bo. Both are correct.

I also watch too much Brit TV....

[Katiana]

I've also heard Monon ga h*e*l*l ah, with the accent on the asterisked syllable.

[guylocke]

Mononga-HAY-la?

For sure.

I've also heard Monon ga h*e*l*l ah, with the accent on the asterisked syllable.

Me, too, Pittsnurse. My friend from Harrisburg says it this way, it's REALLY bizarre to hear.

[cloudddae]

Hay-la. Used to live there (Mon valley) thats the way we all pronounced it.

[MissShona]

I say it the second way; but I've also heard it the way that Pittnurse was describing.

[CortlandGirl79]

I live in Ohio and i say "hay". I think Bruce Springsteen says it the other way in his song about Youngstown.