Ten Wisconsin Towns That Are Hard To Pronounce Correctly. Fun Fact:Kinnickinnicis an Ojibwe word that means "what is mixed" a reference to the mixing of indigenous plants and tobaccos for smoking. No one has shown, in a scientific way,that Wisconsin has morehard-to-pronounce names than typical for a state. We Have Town Names That Are Hard to Pronounce If you're not from Wisconsin you probably have a hard time pronouncing names like Oconomowoc, Ashwaubenon, Sheboygan, and Weyauwega just to name a few. Fun Fact:Iola is known for various celebrations of its Norwegian heritage. Chetek,a city in northwestern Wisconsin, is in a region known as "Indianhead Country. MAN-i-tuh-wok. The country of Russia is represented by a town in Ohio. Comment or email me at adam.carlson@ajc.com for possible inclusion in a follow-up. The capital of Peru is Lima (LEE-ma). For towns from Pennsylvania to Illinois, it's ver-SAYLES. You might think assume this street on Milwaukee's south side would sound like the name "Becker." According to Gard's book,the tinyTrempealeau County village of Eleva, about 20 miles south of Eau Claire, could have stumbled into its nameafter a grainelevatorwas constructed near the village's railroad tracks around the mid-1800s. ", Portlanders are familiar with this road. Then check out anearby village named Scandinavia. And for more tricky terms, This Is the Most Commonly Misspelled Word in the Country. Iola. Visit the State Cartographers Office to make use of Pronounce Wisconsin a fully functional, large state of Wisconsin map that offers a user-friendly search feature, layers, and audio pronunciations of over 1,700 locations in the Badger State. Oh, except in those places it's not MAN-tyoo-a, but MAN-a-way. There's a city in New York named after the South American country of Chile, which we would call CHILL-ee or if you want to get fancy, CHEE-laybut there they call it CHAI-lai. How about Shawano? Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. For this Oregon city, you have to say it like "leba-NIN," not "leba-NON. Southern accents are tricky enough when working their magic on common words, such as "oil" and "aunt. The craft beer revival finally arrived. Here are 20 American towns that have really cut the cord from the sources of their names. Places arenamed because settlers want to live in place that reflects their own heritage Stockholm in Pepin County came aboutbecause the emigrants were Swedish and thus manyWisconsin place names canbe traced totheAmerican Indiansand the French. WebWisconsin is home to 72 counties, 190 cities, 400 villages, 1,260 towns, and 1,000+ unincorporated places. It is a pretty safe bet that everyone in Minnesota will go on and on about how some towns in Wisconsin are impossible to pronounce, but believe me Minnesota is right up there too. Eye-OH-luh. Heres a pretty good list of the toughest words for out-of-towners to pronounce: 1. What you may not know about Acadia National Park. WebApocryphal. Heres a list of 17 words you might be saying wrong: Waukesha. Except in those places it's MY-lun. uh-POK-ruh-fuhl. Fun fact: it's also the largest city along the Columbia River outside the Portland metro area. Texas has a town named for the whole country of Italy. 2023 www.wausaudailyherald.com. Nguyen is the most common last name in Vietnam, so theres a good chance you could encounter someone who has this surname. WAW-ki-shaw. Ive heard Ray-cine and Ruh-cine and each side will argue that the other side is wrong.. Champoeg This one will be really fun to say -- and easy to remember. ", A small lake behind my house in Clatskanie, Oregon (OC)[5382x7268] #nature pic.twitter.com/TPuOE8GPsj. Just search the Internet for "How to say the names of Wisconsin cities" and you'll find a number of examples ofvideos showing hownon-natives butcherthe names of well-knownto usWisconsin places. More than 5.7 million Wisconsinites live in this Some were so difficult, even we got them wrong. "sham-POO-ee." Dacula: Commonly pronounced "Duh-CUE-la", 4. Because even ifsomeonesays yourhometown's long-winded namewrong, Miss Pronouncer said,you'll probably jump at theopportunity to tell them how to say it right. People get passionate, even people who live in that city (Racine) differ amongst themselves, she said. However, the U here makes a [ yuh] sound. The correct pronunciation of this word, therefore, is [ voh-kab-yuh-ler-ee ]. Stir in flour, mustard and pepper. 4. Just two syllables. These Californians Tried To Pronounce The Names Of Cities In O Do not sell or share my personal information. There are Montpeliers all over the place in the US. The city is Milwaukee's most populous suburb. Say "a-LOW-ah. Here are nine more hard-to-pronounce town names around the state, judging by apparent phonetic difficulty or trickery. Waunaukee is a small village around a dozen miles north of Madison. Make sure to say "yaw-chats. A mouthful. Sign up here. Some Wisconsin places, like Wood County's Rudolph,were simply named after the relatives of people who settled there (andnot, to be clear, after Santa's favorite reindeer). In some ways greeting with a gesture is easier than trying to pronounce a word you dont know and risking getting it completely wrong. If I didnt know how to pronounce somebodys name, or a word, city, village, town, I would ask somebody (else) but there was no guarantee that they would know, said Johnson. WAW-ki-shaw. Fun Fact:Manitowoc has a sister city in Japan. Out-of-town visitors, though, seem only to want to talk about its name. If we're talking Egypt, we're talking KAI-ro. "sham-POO-ee." Oconomowoc, Waukesha and Mukwonago are a few that topped the list. McDonough: Commonly pronounced "Mick-DONE-a" or "Mac-DONNA", 9. ROO-shee, Ohio, to be exact. WebPronunciation of wisconsin cities with 1 audio pronunciations 0 rating rating ratings Record the pronunciation of this word in your own voice and play it to listen to how you have pronounced it. Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism, Floccinaucinihilipilification, Antidisestablishmentarianism, Honorificabilitudinitatibus, Thyroparathyroidectomized JILL-it. 1. Add ham; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Each still has an individual headquarters, but they are managed together by theU.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service. Becausewhy not, right? While the capital city of Libya, has miles of Mediterranean coastline, Iowa's Tripoli has no shore at all. This city of 15,000 people is about100 miles north of Milwaukee, on the Fox River. The municipality is known as "The Land of Five O's" and a sculpture of five O's all linked together slightly reminiscent ofthe Olympics logosits in the middle of downtown Oconomowoc. Buena Vista: Commonly pronounced "BYOO-na VISS-ta", 3. When will I get my Georgia tax rebate for 2023? What are 5 longest words? When we talk about Greece, we talk about Athens, cradle of Western civilization, birthplace of democracy. This city, the county seat of Shawano County, is home to around 10,000 people. Host (s): Joy Cardin Guest (s): Jackie Johnson Producer (s): Justin Williams (With)people who grew up here, as I did, all that's sort of second nature.". Seeing a need, Johnson built MissPronouncer.com, a website thatlists the state's more than 1,000place names with an audio clip that sounds out the correctpronunciationofeach. How to say it: gran-DILL-uh-kwuhnt. However, some towns that have borrowed city names from elsewhere don't even get the normal English pronunciation. Here are nine more hard-to-pronounce town names around the state, judging by apparent phonetic difficulty or trickery. Michigan honors the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. The town sits on the edge of Iola Lake in central Wisconsin. Its no secret that Wisconsin is full of places that are infuriatingly hard to pronounce. Grandiloquent. Fun Fact:If you're driving down Menomonie Street in Eau Claire, you'll pass Me-No-Monie Street Pawn and Loan. How do you pronounce yours? Fun Fact: The street was named after J.A. Not in Michigan, where the locals call it pom-pay-eye. Going Out Reporter Melanie Lawder can be reached at melanie.lawder@gannettwisconsin.com or 715-845-0607. The men tasked with buildingthe structure had begun to paint the word "elevator"on it, but halted the work for the winter season afterthe first five letters. And according to some Wisconsinites, it's painfully obvious when somebody in radio mispronounces a well-known Wisconsin word. Ironically, one of the hardest vocabulary words to pronounce is vocabulary. This is one of the most infamous names in the entire state. 10. Chequamegon is also a bay in Lake Superior, but the national forest combines an Ojibwe word with a French explorer's name (Jean Nicolet) to really confuse out-of-towners. Dane County'sRockdalewasnamed because the village was situated in a valley between two rock ridges, according to the book "The Romance of Wisconsin Place Names" by Robert Gard. Are these pronunciations way off base? For example, Cairo is commonly pronounced "Kay-row.". Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. With that said, here are some places in the Beaver State that may keep you practicing. Even longtime Oregon residents can find themselves tripping upon this tiny coastal town's name. The town named for it in Ohio? However, despite these internal battles about whetherpart of a word is wrongly emphasized, Johnson said she believes most people possess a soft spot for these difficult and sometimes verbose Badger State placenames. Joy Cardin talks with Miss Pronouncer about the most commonly botched Wisconsin cities and prominent names. The city, which is often referred to as Wisconsin's second-oldest city, is near the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers. But in Georgia it's KAY-ro, and in Illinois, KEH-ro. Taste of Home is America's #1 cooking magazine. a word, phrase, or expression that is conversational rather than formal. why-uh-WEE-guh. Wisconsin has more than 190 cities, 400 villages, 1,000+ towns, and 1,000+ unincorporated places (give or take a few). Fun Fact:Gillett, which claims to be the "ATV Capital of the World," boasts miles of ATV trails and ATV-friendly roads. FOLLOW JS ENTERTAINMENT: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram, DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more, This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin words you're probably mispronouncing, Jack McCordick, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Texans attempting to pronounce Wisconsin city names, Become a Journal Sentinel subscriber today, Wisconsin words you're probably mispronouncing, A Towering, Terrifying Demon Horse Isnt Even the Weirdest Part, Man who lost wife, son in Texas mass shooting tells story, Gwyneth Paltrow won't recoup attorney fees in ski crash suit, 'Zombie' misinformation: 'Rape Day' hoax resurfaces on TikTok, 'Very homophobic': Teachers' union leader Randi Weingarten says House hearing crossed the line, ABC Makes A 'Big Yikes' Blunder In Introducing Knicks-Heat Halftime Show, Game 7 of Rangers vs Devils is the last of NHL's first round, Cooler weather has arrived and looks to stay for the week ahead, DeKalb County man arrested in connection with South Carolina murder. Might as well make sure you pronounce it. Underlying the complexity of the enunciation of theseWisconsin names can sometimes be smallconflicts. Albany: Commonly pronounced "AlL-binny", 2. We take music, foods, words and traditions from all over the world, shake them up and blend them into something distinctly American. Here's a list of 17 words you might be saying wrong: Waukesha is a county, city and a town. It's the first name that often comes to mind when one thinks of hard-to-pronounce place names in Wisconsin. She'd get her information from a community's leaders or moretrustworthy citizens by recording their pronunciations ofwhatever town they represented. But it mightbe better known as abrand of spreadable cheese dip. Cook and stir until cheese is melted (do not boil). Why? A French speaker would pronounce chien like shee-en, but not so in Wisconsin. ", We're not talking about the country in the Middle East! Add ham; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Wisconsin names: tapestries of our histories. Find her on Twitter as@mel_lawderor follow her on Instagram as@mellawder. The Minnesota city of New Prague has a new-world way of doing things, including pronouncing it PRAYG. 1. What is the People do take pride not only in their hometowns, but the pronunciation of the name of their hometowns, Johnson said. Nguyen. Menomonie is a city in western Wisconsin. SHAH-no. Or wait, is it Missouruh? Right over by Chili is Riga, a name shared with REE-ga, the capital of Latvia, but in New York it's RYE-ga. Delhi, the capital of India, gets cities named after it in New York and California, but it's hard to tell because while we are used to calling it "Delly" the people in those cities pronounce it DEL-hai. What is that extra 'i' doing on the end there anyway? Learn how to pronounce them all! Whether you're talking about the region, valley, or river, this popular area sometimes gets people mixed up. After all, the city's 10-letter name is a conversation starter. 2, Bagel/Bag Flickr/John But after the construction of a hydroelectric plant, the nickname was changed to "The Electric City. You can also practice using these hard to pronounce words in conversation which will really help you learn them. Ultimately, the villagedecided to just gowith the flowand adopt Elevaas its official name. When we speak about the palace in France or the treaty that ended WWI, it's ver-SAI. We recommend our users to update the browser. For Oconomowoc,its longname can be a hindrance sometimes. Plenty of towns have some weird spellings so here is a guide to the most mispronounced cities in Wisconsin. Oshkosh: This small city in east-central Wisconsin was named after Chief Oshkosh of the Menominee tribe. That they're all cool with. Mantua, beautiful Italian city of culture. The Dalles It may seem easy to say, but you pronounce it as "The DALZ." We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Hoschton: Commonly pronounced "HOOSH (like push)-tun", 7. Oconomowoc. Music, radio and podcasts, all free. The word is also, to the chagrin of grammar nuts, spelled three other ways: Menonimee (the county), Menonomee (the river), and Manoominii (an alternate spelling of the Native American tribe). It's affectionately called KK by locals. 5. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. One of the best of these was made in 2011, when Mike De Sisti of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had Texans try to pronounce Wisconsin cities: Wisconsinplace names incitea sort of fervor among natives of the dairy state. They even have a baseball team calledtheOconomowoc Five-O'sand a local Holiday gas station has also adopted the Five-O's title. Home Dishes & Beverages Soups Cheese Soups. But as long as you say it right, you could be considered an honorary resident. Acity of more 15,000 people, Oconomowoc is about 30 miles west of Milwaukee. Located in the northwest area of the city, never say "couch" like the furniture. easy familiarity and friendship, often built over time. Did we forget a town name? The Vermont way (mont-PEEL-yer) or the more French-style way people sometimes use (mont-pel-YAY)? Chris Foran contributed to this report. You pronounce it as "will-AM-it. MissPronouncer. Oconomowoc. 17 words only a true Wisconsinite knows how to pronounce. But some Wisconsin wordsare so tongue-twisting that even Wisconsin residentsmight be mispronouncingthem. It's pom-PAY right? New MAD-rid though? If you're done twisting your tongue, check out this funny video of Californians trying to pronounce some of these cities and towns! Ashwaubenon ; Pronunciation: Ash-wah-buh-non; Located in Green Bay County ; Population as of 2019: 17.149; Baraboo; Pronunciation: Bare-uh-Boo; Largest city in Sauk County; Boscobel; Pronunciation: Bahs-koh-Bell; Located in Grant And in at least one case, a Wisconsin namecame about as a result ofan unfinished19th-century construction project or so the legend goes. Usually we simply use the English version of the word for a place: we don't say Par-EE, Texas, the French way, but PARE-iss, because that's how we say Paris in English. Learn the correct American English pronunciation of the set of names of cities in the Midwestern state. Waukesha is a county, city and a town. Quiz: Which of these weird Georgia town names is real or fake? If you can't pronounce it, then sorry: You're not an authentic Cheesehead. Colloquialism. Spain has Madrid (Ma-DRID). Wisconsin place names incite a sort of fervor among natives of the dairy state. The Czech city of Prague is full of old-world charm. Subtly, they conveyed the message,"Damn right, these towns are hard to pronounce and we're proud of it.". "From an economic development tourismstandpoint, it's a challenge," Duffy said. Maybe it's all those O's that makeOconomowoc quite the tongue-twister for visitors. 32 small breweries have opened in Milwaukee since 2009. ", Thor's Well at Sunset - Yachats Oregon, USA#nature #landscape #seascape #longexposure #pnw #oregon #ThePhotoHour pic.twitter.com/8Xcf0HA1WJ, You may be familiar with the Hawaiian saying, "Aloha!" "Once they're able to say it they're not going to forget it," Duffy said. ;). No wonder we've borrowed its name for towns in Ohio and Utah. Here are 20 American towns that have really cut the cord from the sources of their names. SHU-tek. "I can tell in a minute a radio announcer who is new to the state," Appssaid. Squeaky cheese, Jolly Good Soda and The Milverine, we explore what makes Wisconsin great in our weekly Be Wisconsin email newsletter. But consider the fact that there is an entire website that lists how to correctly pronounce each Wisconsin place name. ", But it gets even trickier when faced with the many different kinds of names given to Georgia's towns,as AL.com recently demonstrated in Alabama. Wisconsin Flickr/Michel Curi I'd have thought this one wasn't that difficult, but somehow folks find a myriad of ways to say Wisconsin wrong. 2 Spokane, Washington iStock Spokane is the second largest city in Washington state. Well, some of them can difficult to pronounce. What it means: extravagant, lofty, or bombastic in style or manner, especially language. Usually, the people who butchernames like "Wauwatosa" and "Kaukauna" are out-of-staters (like intheviral 2011 video of Texans attempting to pronounce Wisconsin city names). Abrams (AY-bruhmz) No, it's not pronounced like the razor brand. Outagamie is a county in northeastern Wisconsin in the Appleton area. According to the Courier-Journal, two acceptable pronunciations are "LOO-a-vul" and "LOO-ee-vill." But for towns in Illinois and South Dakota, it's vai-EH-nuh. Becher, a prominent real estate developer who came over from Germany in the 1850s. Mom would turn that produce into some wonderful mealsthat's where I get my love of cooking. When we talk about the Austrian city, the Chicago all beef hot dog, or even the city in Virginia, vee-EH-nuh is the way to go. Grandmas Pressure-Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup, Pressure-Cooker Chicken and Bacon White Chili, Hearty Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing, We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), 50 Quick and Easy Slow Cooker Soup Recipes, This Plant Subscription Box Means a New Houseplant on Your Doorstep Regularly, Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Wisconsin native Jackie Johnson was working in news and radio in 2005 when she realized that there was no resource for broadcasters confused by the correct phonetics of a Wisconsin place name. Fun Fact:Kaukauna's nickname prior to 1880 was "The Lion and the Fox." Milan is mi-LAN, or if you're really feeling it, mi-LAHN, and it's another Italian city we pay tribute to in our town names, everywhere from New York to Tennessee to Illinois to Washington State. Eye-OH-luh. Eleva's story is the exception to the rule. "I think people could be intimidated by looking at it, seeing it all spelled out with a bunch of O's," said Oconomowoc's economicdevelopment manager Bob Duffy, who was also named the 2015 Citizen of the Year by the Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce. Gradually add broth and milk; bring to a boil over medium heat. ", Weyauwega residents commonly refer to this central Wisconsin city as "Wega.". Gradually add broth and milk; bring to a boil over medium heat. All rights reserved. "Our place names represent our history,"said Jerry Apps, a Wisconsin historian who wrote the foreword to Gard's book. Stir in cheese; reduce heat. Clubhouse Live: Packers John Kuhn, Eddie Lacy play HWDYK? Rate the pronunciation difficulty of kaukauna wisconsin 3 /5 (1 Vote) Very easy Easy Moderate Difficult Very difficult Pronunciation of kaukauna wisconsin with 1 audio pronunciations 0 rating Record the pronunciation of this word in your own voice and play it to listen to how you have pronounced it. Fun fact: it's also the largest city along the Columbia River outside the Portland metro area. kuh-loh-kwee-uh-liz-uhm. Explore Quiz: Which of these weird Georgia town names is real or fake? Shawano. From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tri-POH-luh? Every state has its unique towns and places that will leave non-residents scratching their heads. To pronounce this small timber town in Oregon, make sure to say "clat-skan-eye. I think most people, rather than be offended, smile and think Thats my place, thats my hometown, I know how to pronounce it and heres my opportunity to tell people about it.. Webhttp://www.bearstearnsbravo.com This video shows you how to pronounce Wisconsin city names. Hahira: Commonly pronounced "Hay-HI-ra", 6. And I think because its something special, its like a little secret, but its something they have to be able to say 'Oconomowoc,' or 'Rio' or 'Waukesha.'. This town was an important settlement in Oregon's early history; now it is a ghost town and home to a heritage site. Chetek. It's part of the name! Still, the city hasembraced it andbranded itselfaccordingly. 17. of 40. Kamogawa, a Japanese coastal city of a similar size to Manitowoc, has had a relationship with the Wisconsin citysince 1992. Its no secret that Wisconsin is full of places that are infuriatingly hard to pronounce. ", Fun Fact:Until 1872, the city was known by various spellings Sheetak, Shetak, Shetuk, Chetack which were all different variations on the Ojibwe word for "pelican.". of questionable authenticity, as in a story or statement. Listen online or download the iHeart App. "Theyrepresent how we were settled; theyrepresentthe different kinds of people, where they came from,and that we hadand still dohave a tremendous Native American presence.". No, a bionic bordello isnt coming to rural Georgia, Atlanta parents say trip to state soccer finals marred by racial slurs, Seeing is believing: Stars and styles from tonight's Met Gala, Braves star Ronald Acua Jr. exits game with left shoulder contusion, Mistrial over murder charge for defendant accused in Gwinnett teens death, Dickens proposes $790M budget that invests in Atlantas youth and the citys workforce. Sheboygan: This small city in east-central Wisconsin is the Algonquin word for the Sheboygan River. So it goes its own way name-wise too. Weyauwega. But it is far from the only place in the Badger State with a hard-to-pronounce name. Stir in cheese; reduce heat. Cook and stir until cheese is melted (do not boil). Kih-nih-kih-neck but also Kin-NEY-kuh-nick but also Kih-nih-KIH-neck. "Soda" Our neighbors to the south call it pop, but we call sugary carbonated There's no E and it's certainly not "West-consin." It's pronounced "COOCH.". Heres how to pronounce it: WAA-saa Wewahitchka This city is best known for two of its unique assets; the Dead Lakes and Tupelo Honey. Its residents have plenty to boast about. Here's why. Fun Fact:The tongue-twisting name is derived from the Potawatomi word for "waterfall.". but don't say it when referencing this town, which is located west of Portland. What Falcons NFC South rivals did in 2023 NFL draft. Wausau: It is a small city in central Wisconsin named after the Chippewa (Algonquin) word which means "far away." Wisconsinites like their cheese in curd-form, their beer always fulland their hometown's name long and impossible to say. Manitowoc. Trials and tribulations of the Land of O's. And a quick note: never drop the "the." It's part of the name! ", You'd be hard-pressed to find an athlete whose name is butchered more often than Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Fun Fact:The city was named by early French explorers in the 17th century, who encountered a Fox Indian chief whose name meant "dog," or chien in French. Sticking with Italy for a little longer, there's Palermo (Pa-LER-mo), or, as they say in North Dakota, PAL-er-mo. National Parks. And a quick note: never drop the "the." WebPronouncing Wisconsin Names is Hard | Fox Cities Magazine Pronouncing Wisconsin Names is Hard Posted on August 11, 2016 by Suzanne Hones Wisconsin native: Pronounce that word. (Waukesha) Me: Wah-KEH-shu, wah-KEE-shu Wisconsin native: *laughs* Pronounce this word. (Winneconne) Me: Win-a-cone Wisconsin native: *laughs* And Nestled between Milwaukee and Madison, Oconomowoc is an idyllicand charmingcity in southeastern Wisconsin,with a quaint downtown and an abundance of lakes on all sides of it. This small city is around 40 miles north of Green Bay. oh-CON-oh-moh-wok.