Mispronouncing your town's name

[Alpo]

If somebody mispronounced the name of your town, would you correct them?

 

The enthusiast girl - motorcycle thread. Comes from Albany Georgia.

 

That is not All-bunny, like the capital of New York. It's All-Benny. Accent is on the first and second syllables, not just the first. And you don't pronounce the a like a short u, you pronounce it like a short e.

 

And that made me think about NCIS. Which takes place in the Washington/Norfolk area.

 

That town in Virginia is pronounced Nor-fuk. But about half the people on the show pronounce the second syllable like it's spelled. Not even like you would normally pronounce folk - fohk. But they pronounce the L - foLk.

 

And while I realize it is a television show, I can't help but think what the natives of the town would say if they heard somebody referring to it as Nor-foLk.

 

Kansas has several places like that. El Dorado, which in Kansas is pronounced with a long a - El Doraydo. And then, of course, we have the Arkansas River. The state right next to Kansas is called Arkansas. Ar-kin-saw. And the river, which runs through the state of Arkansas, is also the Ar-kin-saw River. The river, however, starts in Kansas. And while it is still the Arkansas River, in Kansas it is pronounced ar-Kanzus. Accent on the second syllable, and it's pronounced just like the name of the state - Kanzus.

 

Weird, but they get upset when you say El Dorahdo, or Ar-kin-saw.

 

There is a body of water, called a bayou. In Louisiana, and for all I know everywhere else in the whole damn world, that is pronounced By-you. But in North Florida and in Alabama it is By-oh.

 

You don't have to believe me. Listen to Hank Williams - who came from Alabama - sing Jambalaya.

Goodbye Joe, me got go, me-o-my-o

Me got go pole the pirogue down the By-oh

My Yvonne, sweetest one, me-o-my-o

Sonvagun we'll have big fun, on the By-oh.

 

Or you can look at Forrest Gump. Forrest come from Alabama too. When he's on the bus to basic he meets Bubba. Bubba come from the town of Biolabatry. Later, after Forest gets rich from the Bubba Gump seafood company, he takes Bubba's share to Bubba's mama. And they show him standing at the edge of town, by the city limits sign. Bayou La Batre.

 

I don't know how the rest of this County feels about it, but when I hear tourists talk about by you this and by you that, I just want to slap them upside the head.

[Pat Riot]

If I am going to live in a place I mostly call towns and locations by the name as it is said by locals IF it doesn’t affect my sensibility and training in Phonics as a kid. 

Pretty much everywhere I have lived the names of the towns were called what their name was spelled out phonetically except for Lancaster, PA. 
I pronounce it Lan-cast-er

The locals pronounce it Lank-ester. 
I always called it the normal English pronunciation of Lancaster and I was constantly reminded of how it “should be pronounced”. I didn’t like the town so I didn’t care. 
 

I think if I lived in a town that I liked with a name spelled one way but pronounced another way I would correct people that intended to stay or do business there. People passing through? Nope. I wouldn’t bother correcting them. 
 

EDIT: Norfolk was my home port when I was in the Navy. I pronounced it Nor-folk and I didn’t really care what the locals wanted it called.
There was another name we had for it that I can’t post here. 

Edited June 27 by Pat Riot

[Tyrel Cody]

Yep, I correct folks all the time. My hometown is Lafayette, TN.

 

Not sure how to type out the correct pronunciation but it is not pronounced lah-fee-yet, lah-fi-yet, or lah-fay-yet.

 

closest I can describe would be lah-fet or lah-fay-et

 

 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

There’s Berlin, NH. After the war to end all wars, they decided that the name should be pronounced BER-lin.  As in brrrrrr-ln. they do correct folks. 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

I frequently here Tucson, (properly pronounced Too sahn), pronounced Tuck sun. When I do, I correct the speaker. 

In Massachusetts, there is a town called Worcester. In Ohio, there is a town called Wooster. They're both pronounced the same. Hint: Ohio pronounces it correctly, the way it's spelled.

[Father Kit Cool Gun Garth]

 

[Cypress Sun]

I would correct them once.

There are many towns, cities and rivers with Native American names in Florida. The locals can usually pronounce the names, or short names, just fine as they grew up hearing the correct pronunciations of the names. The tourists, transplants and seasonals completely assassinate the names sometimes to the point that have to have them show you the name in print to know where they are talking about. It's okay, I've done the same thing more than once.

Edited June 27 by Cypress Sun

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

6 hours ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

I frequently here Tucson, (properly pronounced Too sahn), pronounced Tuck sun. When I do, I correct the speaker. 

In Massachusetts, there is a town called Worcester. In Ohio, there is a town called Wooster. They're both pronounced the same. Hint: Ohio pronounces it correctly, the way it's spelled.

If you go to Worcester, and call it 'Wooster" or "Worchester'', you will be firmly corrected.  

LL

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

1 minute ago, Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 said:

If you go to Worcester, and call it 'Wooster" or "Worchester'', you will be firmly corrected.  

LL

More like “Wusster”

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

1 minute ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

More like “Wusster”

Or "Wusstah"

 

LL

[Eyesa Horg]

Been through 2 different towns named Dubois, one pronounced Do- boys, the other Do- bwah. Next town over from me is Thetford, some pronounce it Tet- furd, others Thet-furd. No idea which is correct!

[Pat Riot]

43 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said:

I would correct them once.

There are many towns, cities and rivers with Native American names in Florida. The locals can usually pronounce the names, or short names, just fine as they grew up hearing the correct pronunciations of the names. The tourists, transplants and seasonals completely assassinate the names sometimes to the point that have to have them show you the name in print to know where they are talking about. It's okay, I've done the same thing more than once.

When I was moving to CA the first time I flew to LAX (LA Airport) and caught a ride to go to my car rental lot. I got a car but had no idea where I was. I called my new company’s HR and asked how to get there. The lady that was my New Employee Guide asked where I was and wanted to know the major street crossing I was closest too.

I was at the corner of Sepulveda & La Tijera, pronounced Sa-PUL-vidda & La Tee-HAIR-a.

I pronounced them, Sep-ool-VEE-da & La Tee-jair-ah

She laughed and corrected my pronunciation.  
A couple months later my wife and I were driving down the coast looking for a town a new friend told me about called “La Hoya”. I got to this town called La Jolla. I called my friend and said that I couldn’t find La Hoya. He asked where I was and I said “La-JOLL-ah”. He laughed so hard I thought he was going to pass out, then he said “You’re in ‘La Hoya’. It’s Spanish. The J is pronounced like an ‘H’ and two ells (L’s) make a ‘Y’ sound. La Jolla is pronounced ‘La Hoya’!”

He was quite merciless regarding all the Spanish names that I couldn’t pronounce. 

A couple of years later that same friend went to Washington DC and was going to drive to New England to see the Autumn leaves color change.

He called me from PA to apologize to me for being such a d**k about my pronunciation of Spanish names after I gave him pronunciation lessons for all the cities and landmarks he intended to visit with American Indian names. 

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

New Prague here in MN is pronounced New Prage.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

1 minute ago, Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 said:

Or "Wusstah"

 

LL

Right!  I got my “r” back when I was 17.  (Learned to pronounce them, later learning roll them for various languages was easier)

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

31 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Been through 2 different towns named Dubois, one pronounced Do- boys, the other Do- bwah. Next town over from me is Thetford, some pronounce it Tet- furd, others Thet-furd. No idea which is correct!

 

Dubois is French origin name, pronounced Duh-Bwah.  A lot of French names in your country and it's a little amusing to hear how the pronunciation has changed over the centuries or how the pronunciation has remained but the spelling has become Anglicized. 

And we say Thet-ford. 

I live in a portion of the City that was formerly the City of Gloucester. People here even get it wrong, calling it Gloss-sester, while it's pronounced Gloster.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

14 minutes ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

 

Dubois is French origin name, pronounced Duh-Bwah.  A lot of French names in your country and it's a little amusing to hear how the pronunciation has changed over the centuries or how the pronunciation has remained but the spelling has become Anglicized. 

And we say Thet-ford. 

I live in a portion of the City that was formerly the City of Gloucester. People here even get it wrong, calling it Gloss-sester, while it's pronounced Gloster.

We also have a Glosster. (Gloucester, Massachusetts)

[Alpo]

Du-bwah is in Pennsylvania. They got a little bitty airport. And one time while the plane was taking off a deer came running across the runway, and they had a airplane/deer collision.

 

I flew in there for a job one time. My suitcase stayed in Pittsburgh. They assured me that it would be there on the next plane, which was scheduled to arrive at 11:00 that night. So at 10:50 I pulled into the parking lot of a totally dark airport. The plane had got there at 10:30, and since that was the last plane due to arrive, they locked up and everybody went home.

[Stump Water]

10 hours ago, Alpo said:

That town in Virginia is pronounced Nor-fuk. But about half the people on the show pronounce the second syllable like it's spelled. Not even like you would normally pronounce folk - fohk. But they pronounce the L - foLk.

 

Used to shoot with a crowd from Naw-fulk... at least that's how they pronounced it.   The 'l' is barely discernable, but it is there.  

 

In the 70s, when I lived in Williamsburg, VA., lots of folks in the Newport News/Hampton Roads area said Nor-fork.    

 

It was/is pronounced so many different ways... people knew where you were talking about and just got on with it.

[Blackwater 53393]

Hey!! Tyrel!  It’s luh-FAY-it!! 
 

Not NEARLY as difficult as pronouncing “SHELBYVILLE”! Another town in Tennessee.

 

That’s pronounced SHUb-vul!! The “U” is the short vowel sound. The “b” is all but silent. The small “u” In the second syllable is the “schwa” sound and if you don’t listen real close, it sounds more like “shovel” !! 
 
 

 

Edited June 27 by Blackwater 53393

[Stump Water]

Anybody wanna give Conetoe, NC a try?

 

😀

[Cypress Sun]

Look, it must be Italian...it says frajeeley.

[Eyesa Horg]

7 minutes ago, Stump Water said:

Anybody wanna give Conetoe, NC a try?

 

😀

I'd call it Con- a- toe

[Blackwater 53393]

Conetoe is pronounced kah-NEE-tah!! 

[Blackwater 53393]

How about a whole state being mispronounced!!

 

Most of the “cheeseheads” I know pronounce “WISCONSIN” w-SCAHN-sun !  Again! The “w” is almost silent and the last syllable has almost no vowel sound. 

 

 

Edited June 27 by Blackwater 53393

[J-BAR #18287]

I was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado.

 

Pweb'-low.

 

commonly heard mispronunciations, especially on national newscasts and weather reports:

 

Pway'-blow

Pew'-blow

Pew-ebb'-low

 

I've been away since 1965; probably other mispronunciations I have forgotten.

 

Grampa used to say that every wetback who got into the US must have been taught that word as soon as they crossed the border.  Back when we had a border and could say the word "wetback."

[Blackwater 53393]

4 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

I was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado.

 

Pweb'-low.

 

commonly heard mispronunciations, especially on national newscasts and weather reports:

 

Pway'-blow

Pew'-blow

Pew-ebb'-low

 

I've been away since 1965; probably other mispronunciations I have forgotten.

 

Grampa used to say that every wetback who got into the US must have been taught that word as soon as they crossed the border.  Back when we had a border and could say the word "wetback."

I heard PWEE-blow quite often about two decades ago!

[Alpo]

Then there's that old joke.

 

How do you pronounce the capital of Kentucky? Lewis-vill or Louie-vill?

 

The answer of course is you pronounce it Frankford.

 

But as best as I can tell, the town in question is pronounced Loo-a-vul.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

17 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Then there's that old joke.

 

How do you pronounce the capital of Kentucky? Lewis-vill or Louie-vill?

 

The answer of course is you pronounce it Frankford.

 

But as best as I can tell, the town in question is pronounced Loo-a-vul.

Day-umm, I could have sworn it was pronounced Frankfort.

[Eyesa Horg]

Then there's Nevada. In school I learned it as Ne vah dah, several years ago I relearned it as Ne vad ah!

[Alpo]

1 minute ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

Day-umm, I could have sworn it was pronounced Frankfort.

Blame otto. I was concentrating so much on making him leave the variations of Louisville the way I wrote them, that I ignored any other words he might change.

[Wyatt Earp SASS#1628L]

Reminds me of the TV commercial a few years back where the guy wanted to buy a ticket to Pahoenix, Arizona. 

My town is pronounced by the locals as Hurracun or even as Herkin.

Then there's this little gem in California called Port Hueneme, pronounce Wyneemee.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

39 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Blame otto. I was concentrating so much on making him leave the variations of Louisville the way I wrote them, that I ignored any other words he might change.

Oh yeah, blame Otto.  Do you blame Worthless when someone smells a fart?

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

5 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

Oh yeah, blame Otto.  Do you blame Worthless when someone smells a fart?

More likely Worthless blames HIM.

[Alpo]

14 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

Oh yeah, blame Otto.  Do you blame Worthless when someone smells a fart?

Of course not. I simply State the old saw

 

He who smelt it dealt it.

[Trailrider #896]

2 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

I was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado.

 

Pweb'-low.

 

commonly heard mispronunciations, especially on national newscasts and weather reports:

 

Pway'-blow

Pew'-blow

Pew-ebb'-low

 

I've been away since 1965; probably other mispronunciations I have forgotten.

 

Grampa used to say that every wetback who got into the US must have been taught that word as soon as they crossed the border.  Back when we had a border and could say the word "wetback."

Most folks from around Colorado pronounce it "P WEEB lo. The town on the Western Slope spelled Montrose, I would have called MON-Trose is called "MONT-ROSE".  How about that town in Southern Illinois... Cairo. Now the Egyptians say "KY-ro", but in So. Illinois it's "KA-ro", like the syrup. Also in Illinois, it ain't "San Ho-ZAY", it's "San JOSE"!