Cities with improbable pronunciations
I called up my dad and apparently he's spending today at some music festival in Saline, Michigan. Saline is pronounced not like the word saline (as in, "SAY-lean") but rather like "suh-LEAN". It's near Milan, Michigan. Pronounced "MY-lin".
Another Michigan city, which is near Lansing, is "Charlotte". Pronounced, of course, "shar-LOT".
I solicit your examples of city names with odd pronunciations, or any other general commentary on the topic.
Lac Courte Oreilles, Wisconsin.
How is it pronounced? Leh KOO deray.
Melbourne is pronounced 'MELbin', not 'melBOURNE'.
Are you serious, spitz? Huh. I did not know that.
The Boston Metro region has a million towns that people from outside the area pronounce wrong. Peabody, MA. People think it's PEE-body, but it's pee-BA-dy. Medford, MA if you're from the area but don't live in the town is "Mehfud", but if you're from Medford it's "Meffa"
Versailles, KY is pronounced just like it sounds. vur-SAYLS. Biloxi, MS is pronounced bu-LUCK-see. Down here, we also have a Gautier and a Saucier, pronounced GO-shay and SO-sher.
Oh that's awesome.Originally posted by Marsilia
Don't forget Wuh-STAHHH. (Worcester.)
Last edited by Orual; 17 Jul 2010 at 09:10 PM.
Like wise, Marseilles, Il is pronounced MAR SALES.
"I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."
-Jim Rockford
Des Moines, Washington, usually has the final s pronounced, but only on the second word ('deh MOINZ'). There's a growing movement to change it to be more like Iowa (or French, I suppose).
There was the famous story of the guy who was flight was transferring planes in Los Angeles to Oakland, CA. The plane happened to be a Air New Zealand, and they announced that passengers who were continuing to "Auckland" should stay on the plane. So he did. And ended up taking a rather long side trip. And before you ask, yes, this actually happened.
California (and probably the Southwestern US generally) has its own Spanglish place names anyways (e.g "Vallejo" = 'val-EH-ho'). My favorite is "Del Norte" county, often 'Del Norty' or 'Del Nort'.
In Massachusetts: If you're from the town where the Old North Bridge is at, it's CONcud.
Rochester area: Nunda, pronounced NunDAY
Chili, pronounced CHEYElye
Charlotte, ShaLOT
Arab, AL is pronounced "AY-rab" and Belle Fountaine, Ohio is pronounced......"Bell Fountain."
everything in nature is sort of gross when you look at it too closely. what is an apple? basically the uterus of a tree - terrifel
There's a city here in Georgia spelled Albany.
It's pronounced Al(like the name) BANE - ee by many who live there.
Villa Rica, Georgia is VILL-ah RICK -ah.
There's a medical center here that's pronounced like the street in The Village in NYC. House - ton Medical Center spelled like the city Houston.
Last edited by jali; 18 Jul 2010 at 09:18 AM.
They weren't singing....they were just honking.
Glee 2009
Depending on what part of the Boston area you are in, this is sometimes. "Wis-TAH"
Taumpy: Oh noes, you aren't a super powerful wave of destruction.
Panther Squad: It's true! My scythe does not shorn the biomonsters in great swaths like it ought!
Oh, and for some reason Norfolk county, MA is pronounced "NOR-fork". Not only is the first R completely uncharacteristically left intact, another one gets added!
Last edited by Taumpy; 18 Jul 2010 at 09:37 AM.
Taumpy: Oh noes, you aren't a super powerful wave of destruction.
Panther Squad: It's true! My scythe does not shorn the biomonsters in great swaths like it ought!
That's still better than how the natives pronounce Norfolk, VA. Nawfuck.Oh, and for some reason Norfolk county, MA is pronounced "NOR-fork". Not only is the first R completely uncharacteristically left intact, another one gets added!
Boise, ID, isn't pronounced "boy-ze" like most of us pronounce it, it's actually pronounced "BOY-see," with the two syllables pronounced very distinctly from each other, and a pronounced ess sound.
Yes, Zuul. Brisbane is pronunced BRIZbn, not BrizBANE too.
That's not unusual though, that's just 'Strayin. Like how military = millitree. We might talk oddly, but we do talk consistantly.
It does play hell with GPS navigation units which make a decent but horribly guess at pronounciation.
Something tells me we haven't seen the last of foreshadowing.
Sydney = "Wallamallamangaroonicorn"
Some people seem to have a problem with Donegal and Galway, which are "Dunnygaul" and "gaulway".
Actually I'd say Dún Laoghaire is the most confusing of all. Although written in Irish, it is pronounced in English, "Dunleary". The only time you ever hear the Irish pron. is during elections and it always sounds odd, "Doon Lairah".
Japan, MO: JAY-pan.
Yerka, CA
"wye-REE-ka"
Win!
They weren't singing....they were just honking.
Glee 2009
Until about three years ago, I thought either someone couldn't spell "Eureka", or that someone built a town call "Yer-ka".
I still think someone couldn't spell Eureka. It's just been codifed, now.
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