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Old 07-10-2014, 08:41 PM
 
Location: Knoxville TN
358 posts, read 994,377 times
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Husband and I were talking tonight and we are at an impasse as to how to pronounce the name of the state of Iowa. Is it IoWAH or IoWEIGH? Thanks.
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Old 07-10-2014, 10:25 PM
 
Location: Cedar Rapids
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"IoWEIGH" would be Ioway, which was a Tribe that the state is named after. However - the state itself is usually pronounced "Eye-oh-wah."
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Old 07-10-2014, 10:53 PM
 
Location: Minneapolis
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I've never heard anyone say Ioweigh other than to talk about the Indian tribe, which is also spelled Ioway. The state is pronounced Iowah. (technically /aɪ'-jə-wə/).
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Old 07-11-2014, 09:16 AM
 
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I have heard people badly mispronounce Des Moines, but have never heard anyone say IowAY.
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Old 07-11-2014, 09:59 AM
 
Location: Iowa
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You know that a person is not a native Iowan when they mention Nevada, Ia.

For non-native readers, it's pronounced neh VAY dah.
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Old 07-11-2014, 10:04 AM
 
9,478 posts, read 12,217,383 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Devans0 View Post
You know that a person is not a native Iowan when they mention Nevada, Ia.

For non-native readers, it's pronounced neh VAY dah.
Or Madrid. (MAD rid)
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Old 07-11-2014, 10:27 AM
 
Location: Jonesboro
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Or Tripoli. (TRIP-allah)

Ioway was used in sort of a colloquial manner during the earlier part of the last century.
That pronunciation got picked up & spread more widely via the radio, film & popular music segments of show business. Without that media usage, it would probably not have ever been widely known outside of the state.
As a kid, eager for the state to shed it's old rural-dominated reputation, I used to sort of cringe when hearing it used.
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Old 07-11-2014, 11:16 AM
 
Location: Keosauqua, Iowa
9,611 posts, read 21,142,744 times
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Or Lebanon (LEB-nun).

Keokuk has the most variety of mis-pronunciations I've heard: KILL-kuck, KEER-kirk, Kee-OH-kuck, KEE-oh-kook, etc, etc. (KEE-oh-kuck is correct)

I don't know that I've ever heard anyone pronounce Iowa "Ioway" except as an intentional mis-pronunciation (or, as others have said, when referring to the tribe). I think it's probably much more common to hear Illinoiz or Missouruh from people who really don't know any better.
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Old 07-11-2014, 11:25 AM
 
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I grew up in Burlington and always heard Keokuk as KEE-uh-kuck, more UH than OH.
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Old 07-11-2014, 11:54 AM
 
Location: Des Moines Metro
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Devans0 View Post
it's pronounced neh VAY dah.
I had to learn that. Fortunately, I heard it on the weather and didn't embarrass myself in public.

Worst I've heard for D-M so far is "Dess MO-IN-s" from a South American.
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