How to pronounce ... (Steilacoom: farm, place, drive)

[seattlerain]

For the proper Native American pronunciation for many area names, and for the history of some of those names click on the following link from HistoryLink.org: Chief Seattle--his Lushootseed name and other important words in Lushootseed pronounced by Vi Hilbert.

If your computer is capable be sure to click on the audio file link directly above the picture of Vi Hilbert on the upper right side.

[skinem]

Washington names and places have always flummoxed many from else where. I have family back east and every now and then they'll see something on a map or on the news and ask me about it usually mangling the names. I've heard something along the lines of Yukimow, and of course, the one that drives many folks up the wall--Spo-cane. There are sooooo many places that seem hard for people to figure out.

Heck, I even heard Peter Jennings mangle Wenatchee into something like WEE-notch-ee.

I went to college back east and had a prof pronounce several times one day Couer d'Alene--he said like the French would. I told him after class in private how it was pronounced--he said "You people say it wrong." and spun on his heel and left.

[Inkpoe]

Yes... people in East Coast have their special ways of saying the names... very cringe-worthy. I'll never forget how they don't really say Oregon... "O-ray-gone".

What's even more annoying is when you do correct them, they get all "Well, I'm from NY, this is what (they teach/we learn) in school." One day, out annoyance, my response was: "What, they teach stupid?"

[RedJacket]

Washington is pronounced ray'knee.

[Sobefobik]

Originally Posted by scirocco22

The one that I always have found interesting is Skamokawa.

Yes, it's pronounced Skuh-mah-kuh-way.

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by Lupulin

Every state has odd name pronunciations. Colorado, where I just moved from, had its share. Limon was pronounced "LIE-men." People called Buena Vista "Byoona Vista." And most people mispronounce Ouray, which is "Yer-AYE."

But now that I'm living in Washington, I'm not sure how to pronounce many names of places. Before hearing the word Skagit (pronounced "Skadge-it") on TV, I'll admit I thought it was "Skag-it." And there are many other words that confuse me.

Like how do you pronounce Lummi? Is it "LOOM-ee" or "LUM-me"? Is Sehome "SEE-home"? And is Snohomish "Snow-mish" or "Snow-hoe-mish"?

Please include more names and pronunciations in this thread ...

Thanks a lot for the help! Might save me some embarrassment down the road.

The pronunciation guides are good ... but to give you a few quick answers to your specifics:
"LUM-me"
"SEE-home"
"Snow-hoe-mish"
are correct. Most folks get the Lummi wrong and insist on it!

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by scirocco22

Here's one that is often mis-pronounced according to the locals, albeit a subtle difference:

Walla Walla. Those from Walla Walla tell me it's WAH'-lah wah-lah ...the accent is on the first WAH

And, one of the persons that told me so is from Touchet, a "suburb" of Walla Walla. Don't mispronounce that one.

You're right about Wally. Touchet is, of course, 'TWO-she'. I have no idea how they came to pronounce it that way.

Another in this region that mystifies me is Mesa (locals: 'MEE-suh'). I tend to think that like many Spanish names in Colorado, it's deliberately mutilated to sound less Spanish. In Mesa, they really don't like hearing that, but that's how it looks to me.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

Yes... people in East Coast have their special ways of saying the names... very cringe-worthy. I'll never forget how they don't really say Oregon... "O-ray-gone".

What's even more annoying is when you do correct them, they get all "Well, I'm from NY, this is what (they teach/we learn) in school." One day, out annoyance, my response was: "What, they teach stupid?"

You might consider it miraculous enough they'd even heard of us. After all, we are so far from The City, do we even matter to NYC?

[MaikeerinWA]

It might have something to do with Jar Jar Binks.

Originally Posted by j_k_k

Another in this region that mystifies me is Mesa (locals: 'MEE-suh').

[SHRS]

Originally Posted by Lupulin

Before hearing the word Skagit (pronounced "Skadge-it") on TV, I'll admit I thought it was "Skag-it."

You're definitely not alone with that one; I'm from Skagit County and I hear "Skag-it" all the time, when someone pronounces it that way I'll try to say something like, "Have you been to the "Skahge-it" casino yet?" so they don't have to go around still saying it wrong all day.

Some more:
Orcas Island - Pronounced "Or-kis" not like the whale.

Anacortes - Non-locals often think it a Spanish name and say "Ana-cortez" (it's was actually named after a woman named Anna Curtis) but locals say "Anna-COR-tiss".

Swinomish - is actually pronounced "Swina-mish" but a lot of people even locals pronounce it "Swin-NO-mish".

Whidbey Island - some people say "Whid-bee" others say "Wood-bee" I'm not sure which one is the "official" way.

Bow - like the name Beau or as in bow and arrow, not bow as in take a bow.

Padilla- although the Spanish pronuciation is "Pa-de-a" locals pronounce it how it looks "Pa-dil-uh".