Mispronounced City and State names (store, foods, teach)

[ischyros]

The city of Des Plaines, a suburb of Chicago, is not pronounced like Des Moines. It's pronounced just like it looks, with the 's' in both words pronounced. So it's Dez Plaines (like a plural form of plane).

Kearney, Nebraska is pronounced like carny.

[BTA88]

It's frustrating the way tourists pronounce Ephrata or Gouglersville or Mohnton in PA. They are constantly adding extra letters and syllables that don't make any sense.

Originally Posted by jtur88

As I recall, all the cities named Berlin in the US were originally pronounced as in Germany, but during World War Two, the local people changed the accent to the first syllable, to avert the natural association with the enemy. Once it was done, it stayed that way, with nobody feeling a compelling need to change it back.

Good on you for being able to use a computer and read a monitor at your age.

[KEVIN_224]

I've always heard New Hampshire's Berlin pronounced the same way as it is here in Connecticut. I think New Jersey's is pronounced likes ours as well.

What really irritates me is when an out-of-stater will stress Yale University's home city as NEW Haven, like they were comparing it to an Old Haven somehow.

[Ghengis]

for the one-millionth time people, Zzyzx, California is pronounced just the way it's spelled ... zAY - zehks.... idiots!

[new2colo]

Ely, NV (e-lee not e-lie).
Winnemucca, NV (winna-mucka)
Nevada - (ne-VADD-uh)
Buena Vista, CO (B-yoona Vista)
Del Norte, CO (Del Nort)
Canon City, CO (Canyon City)

and my favorite..

Taliaferro County, GA (Tolliver). Don't know how that one works.

[thisguysa]

Some from Texas...

Waxahacie - pronounced Walks-uh-hatchee. This one can be quite a big deal.
Blanco - Americanized pronunciation, Blane-co
Iraan - Ira-Ann, not like the country
Bexar County - Spanish X, pronounced Bayer (not Bear), the nuance just gets blended in speech but its there.
Pecos - Pae-kes

[pgm123]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Which pronunciations do you think are funny, and which are not? If you're talking about the one at Conway, Arkansas, as far as I know they pronounce the same as William Faulkner.

I was talking about the one in Virginia. They say it similar to, "*** ya county."

[imaroo]

I keep seeing people say that Oregon is pronounced organ, but it isn't. Unless, I suppose, one is speaking really quickly.

The best way I can think of to describe it is or uh gin or maybe or ee gin depending on how much the speaker is emphasizing the pronunciation.

I'm from Aloha, Oregon which is pronounced uh loh uh, or uh gin.

My parents were both born and raised in Ely, Nevada (ee lee, ne va duh).

[Montguy]

Helena, Montana.

Correct statewide/regional pronounciation: "Hel-in-uh."
Common mispronunciation: "Hel-ay-nuh."

I get it, though--such pronounication isn't actually incorrect, and the latter seems to be the dominant literary pronounication.

But it's probably the most common way in which an out-of-stater unwittingly identifies themself ("hi there, what's the best way to get to Helayna?"), save for a non-regional accent or cowboy fab apparel...

[JJG]

I know many of you may not think so but there are people out there who both misspell and mispronounce my home town of Fort Worth. Instead of what it is, they'll add another 'h'.

Forth Worth...