Here are 20 American towns that have really cut the cord from the sources of their names. Fun Fact:Antetokounmpo's hands are over a foot long! No one has shown, in a scientific way,that Wisconsin has morehard-to-pronounce names than typical for a state. "You can tell in a minute people who are not familiar with our names. Ironically, one of the hardest vocabulary words to pronounce is vocabulary. 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. Theme Parks. Here are nine more hard-to-pronounce town names around the state, judging by apparent phonetic difficulty or trickery. Out-of-town visitors, though, seem only to want to talk about its name. Gradually add broth and milk; bring to a boil over medium heat. But some Wisconsin wordsare so tongue-twisting that even Wisconsin residentsmight be mispronouncingthem. What are 5 longest words? Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. That they're all cool with. Kamogawa, a Japanese coastal city of a similar size to Manitowoc, has had a relationship with the Wisconsin citysince 1992. 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. But after the construction of a hydroelectric plant, the nickname was changed to "The Electric City. 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. 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. MissPronouncer. Wausau: It is a small city in central Wisconsin named after the Chippewa (Algonquin) word which means "far away." How about Shawano? 4. The city, which is often referred to as Wisconsin's second-oldest city, is near the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers. "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. People often will pronounce the U in the word as [ uh]. In fact, Wisconsin is rich in odd names or at least names that seem odd to non-Wisconsinites. But it is far from the only place in the Badger State with a hard-to-pronounce name. Shawano. Chetek. We take names from places all over the world to give to our towns and cities, and once they're ours, we'll pronounce them how we want to, thank you very much. Oconomowoc. Fun Fact:The tongue-twisting name is derived from the Potawatomi word for "waterfall.". ;). However, the U here makes a [ yuh] sound. Even longtime Oregon residents can find themselves tripping upon this tiny coastal town's name. There are Montpeliers all over the place in the US. SHAH-no. 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.'. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion, celery, carrot, parsley and garlic in butter for 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. McDonough: Commonly pronounced "Mick-DONE-a" or "Mac-DONNA", 9. Webhttp://www.bearstearnsbravo.com This video shows you how to pronounce Wisconsin city names. This small city is around 40 miles north of Green Bay. On Twitter, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin askedreaders for their opinions on the hardest-to-pronounce place in the state;nearly two dozenpeople enthusiastically offered uptheir suggestions within minutes. Apps said. Gillett. why-uh-WEE-guh. Each still has an individual headquarters, but they are managed together by theU.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service. We took pizza and put cheese inside the crust. Add ham; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 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). But these towns in Kentucky and Illinois are called EIGHTH-ens. The city is Milwaukee's most populous suburb. The city of more than30,000 sits at the mouth of the Manitowoc River, which flows into Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, there's no consensus on the pronunciation of Kinnickinnic. Chetek. We take music, foods, words and traditions from all over the world, shake them up and blend them into something distinctly American. What Falcons NFC South rivals did in 2023 NFL draft. 5. Fun Fact:Famous guitarist Les Paul was born in Waukesha, and was buried in the city's Prairie Home Cemetery after his death in 2009. Clubhouse Live: Packers John Kuhn, Eddie Lacy play HWDYK? 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. This one will be really fun to say -- and easy to remember. Still, the city hasembraced it andbranded itselfaccordingly. For Oconomowoc,its longname can be a hindrance sometimes. After all, the city's 10-letter name is a conversation starter. More than 5.7 million Wisconsinites live in this 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. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Sticking with Italy for a little longer, there's Palermo (Pa-LER-mo), or, as they say in North Dakota, PAL-er-mo. Buena Vista: Commonly pronounced "BYOO-na VISS-ta", 3. Chris Foran contributed to this report. A French speaker would pronounce chien like shee-en, but not so in Wisconsin. Fun Fact:If you're driving down Menomonie Street in Eau Claire, you'll pass Me-No-Monie Street Pawn and Loan. The correct pronunciation of this word, therefore, is [ voh-kab-yuh-ler-ee ]. While the capital city of Libya, has miles of Mediterranean coastline, Iowa's Tripoli has no shore at all. Nguyen is the most common last name in Vietnam, so theres a good chance you could encounter someone who has this surname. A mouthful. But in Georgia it's KAY-ro, and in Illinois, KEH-ro. "sham-POO-ee." 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.. According to the Courier-Journal, two acceptable pronunciations are "LOO-a-vul" and "LOO-ee-vill." With that said, here are some places in the Beaver State that may keep you practicing. Explore Quiz: Which of these weird Georgia town names is real or fake? What do you get when you cross English, Frenchand Native American heritage? Nguyen. 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. 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. 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. When we talk about Greece, we talk about Athens, cradle of Western civilization, birthplace of democracy. Oconomowoc. A sea of red shirts floods Disney World each June. Squeaky cheese, Jolly Good Soda and The Milverine, we explore what makes Wisconsin great in our weekly Be Wisconsin email newsletter. People get passionate, even people who live in that city (Racine) differ amongst themselves, she said. Joy Cardin talks with Miss Pronouncer about the most commonly botched Wisconsin cities and prominent names. Oh, except in those places it's not MAN-tyoo-a, but MAN-a-way. Wisconsin has it's share of difficult-to-pronounce towns. Can you pronounce this word better 2, Bagel/Bag Flickr/John Here are 20 American towns that have really cut the cord from the sources of their names. However, some towns that have borrowed city names from elsewhere don't even get the normal English pronunciation. You can also practice using these hard to pronounce words in conversation which will really help you learn them. Mantua, beautiful Italian city of culture. ", This is one of the more daunting names. 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. 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. And for more tricky terms, This Is the Most Commonly Misspelled Word in the Country. kuh-loh-kwee-uh-liz-uhm. 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). 32 small breweries have opened in Milwaukee since 2009. I share one of my favorite recipes with your here.Paul Miller, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Not in Michigan, where the locals call it pom-pay-eye. Subtly, they conveyed the message,"Damn right, these towns are hard to pronounce and we're proud of it.". During this time, visitors to the yet-to-be-namedvillageassumed that the "Eleva"painted on the structure was the village's name. Camaraderie. Fun Fact:Manitowoc has a sister city in Japan. 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. Fun fact: it's also the largest city along the Columbia River outside the Portland metro area. Abrams (AY-bruhmz) "They got as far as Eleva, and so that became the name of the town!" Don't believe that? Spain has Madrid (Ma-DRID). Fun Fact:Kaukauna's nickname prior to 1880 was "The Lion and the Fox." 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. Wisconsin has more than 190 cities, 400 villages, 1,000+ towns, and 1,000+ unincorporated places (give or take a few). Its no secret that Wisconsin is full of places that are infuriatingly hard to pronounce. Stir in cheese; reduce heat. 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. ", 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. 2023 www.wausaudailyherald.com. Sign up here. And in at least one case, a Wisconsin namecame about as a result ofan unfinished19th-century construction project or so the legend goes. The German capital Ber-LIN has loaned its name to many an American town, but here we've turned it into BER-lin. WebMost Commonly Mispronounced Wisconsin Cities Air Date: Monday, August 11, 2014, 6:00am Share: Listen Download How do you pronounce Boscobel? 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. It's pom-PAY right? Here are nine more hard-to-pronounce town names around the state, judging by apparent phonetic difficulty or trickery. Fun Fact:Weyauwega was the site of an alleged UFO sighting in February2003. Southern accents are tricky enough when working their magic on common words, such as "oil" and "aunt. Opera and Virgil. "I can tell in a minute a radio announcer who is new to the state," Appssaid. Just two syllables. Fun Fact:The village bills itself as "The Only Waunakee in the World.". Taste of Home is America's #1 cooking magazine. You would be wrong. But as long as you say it right, you could be considered an honorary resident. 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 While I was growing up, my family had a big garden. Fun Fact:Iola is known for various celebrations of its Norwegian heritage. In some ways greeting with a gesture is easier than trying to pronounce a word you dont know and risking getting it completely wrong. 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 She'd get her information from a community's leaders or moretrustworthy citizens by recording their pronunciations ofwhatever town they represented. All rights reserved. We took "O Sole Mio" and made "It's Now or Never." WAW-ki-shaw. "It's hard to market a place people don't know how to pronounce or spell in the first place.". You're probably better off calling him by his nickname, "The Greek Freak.". Host (s): Joy Cardin Guest (s): Jackie Johnson Producer (s): Justin Williams Then check out anearby village named Scandinavia. Becausewhy not, right? 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. If we're talking Egypt, we're talking KAI-ro. 10. Or wait, is it Missouruh? Fun Fact:The two forests were formed in 1933, but were combined in 1993. Ultimately, the villagedecided to just gowith the flowand adopt Elevaas its official name. Specifically, Johnson who receives lots of feedback on how to pronounce place namesbecause of her sitesaid there aretwo place namesthat incite the most passion among people who reach out to her through social media and email: Waukesha and Racine. Well, some of them can difficult to pronounce. ", Weyauwega residents commonly refer to this central Wisconsin city as "Wega.". "From an economic development tourismstandpoint, it's a challenge," Duffy said. Heres a list of 17 words you might be saying wrong: Waukesha. This is one of the most infamous names in the entire state. Trials and tribulations of the Land of O's. Check out this list of some of the tough ones. Its no secret that Wisconsin is full of places that are infuriatingly hard to pronounce. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. 1. The Czech city of Prague is full of old-world charm. The town sits on the edge of Iola Lake in central Wisconsin. ", A small lake behind my house in Clatskanie, Oregon (OC)[5382x7268] #nature pic.twitter.com/TPuOE8GPsj. Michigan honors the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Weyauwega. 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. When are the 2023 college graduation ceremonies in Georgia? Are these pronunciations way off base? The Vermont way (mont-PEEL-yer) or the more French-style way people sometimes use (mont-pel-YAY)? Fun Fact:The Outagamie Museum features a bust of former Sen.Joseph McCarthy, who began his infamous political career in the area. Garnish serving with popcorn if desired. The craft beer revival finally arrived. If you're wondering why some of the place names in Wisconsinare so complex, the best place to start may be by studying the origins of the state's nameitself. WebWisconsin has 190 cities, 400 villages, 1,260 towns, and 1,000+ unincorporated. MAN-i-tuh-wok. Trust me, we've all been there! Hoschton: Commonly pronounced "HOOSH (like push)-tun", 7. It's pronounced "COOCH.". It's affectionately called KK by locals. Becher, a prominent real estate developer who came over from Germany in the 1850s. "Soda" Our neighbors to the south call it pop, but we call sugary carbonated National Parks. Fun fact: it's also the largest city along the Columbia River outside the Portland metro area. Others wereinspired by the area's distinct geological features. 17 words only a true Wisconsinite knows how to pronounce. Walthourville: Commonly pronounced "Walt-hour-ville" (like it's three separate words). ManyWisconsin place names are derived from the ethnic historyof the place in question, Apps said. Eleva's story is the exception to the rule. What is that extra 'i' doing on the end there anyway? 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. The Dalles It may seem easy to say, but you pronounce it as "The DALZ." Dahlonega: Commonly pronounced "Duh-LAW-na-ga", 5. uh-POK-ruh-fuhl. So it goes its own way name-wise too. Every state has its unique towns and places that will leave non-residents scratching their heads. Heres a pretty good list of the toughest words for out-of-towners to pronounce: 1. 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. Listen online or download the iHeart App. But for towns in Illinois and South Dakota, it's vai-EH-nuh. They even have a baseball team calledtheOconomowoc Five-O'sand a local Holiday gas station has also adopted the Five-O's title. 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. There's no E and it's certainly not "West-consin." But consider the fact that there is an entire website that lists how to correctly pronounce each Wisconsin place name. Underlying the complexity of the enunciation of theseWisconsin names can sometimes be smallconflicts. WAW-ki-shaw. but don't say it when referencing this town, which is located west of Portland. Its residents have plenty to boast about. Gradually add broth and milk; bring to a boil over medium heat. WebWisconsin is home to 72 counties, 190 cities, 400 villages, 1,260 towns, and 1,000+ unincorporated places. ", 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.". What it means: extravagant, lofty, or bombastic in style or manner, especially language. Stir in cheese; reduce heat. "Once they're able to say it they're not going to forget it," Duffy said. Some were so difficult, even we got them wrong. Colloquialism. 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. You pronounce it as "will-AM-it. Comment or email me at adam.carlson@ajc.com for possible inclusion in a follow-up. Oshkosh: This small city in east-central Wisconsin was named after Chief Oshkosh of the Menominee tribe. "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.". 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. Hahira: Commonly pronounced "Hay-HI-ra", 6. Fun Fact:Gillett, which claims to be the "ATV Capital of the World," boasts miles of ATV trails and ATV-friendly roads. easy familiarity and friendship, often built over time. And a quick note: never drop the "the." ", You'd be hard-pressed to find an athlete whose name is butchered more often than Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Fun Fact:Kinnickinnicis an Ojibwe word that means "what is mixed" a reference to the mixing of indigenous plants and tobaccos for smoking. Learn how to pronounce them all! Oconomowoc, Waukesha and Mukwonago are a few that topped the list. These Californians Tried To Pronounce The Names Of Cities In O Do not sell or share my personal information. How to say it: gran-DILL-uh-kwuhnt. You might think assume this street on Milwaukee's south side would sound like the name "Becker." Cook and stir until cheese is melted (do not boil). Ten Wisconsin Towns That Are Hard To Pronounce Correctly. 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. If you can't pronounce it, then sorry: You're not an authentic Cheesehead. Gillett. People do take pride not only in their hometowns, but the pronunciation of the name of their hometowns, Johnson said. And a quick note: never drop the "the." Wisconsinites like their cheese in curd-form, their beer always fulland their hometown's name long and impossible to say. ", 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!" This city of 15,000 people is about100 miles north of Milwaukee, on the Fox River. This town was an important settlement in Oregon's early history; now it is a ghost town and home to a heritage site. Waunaukee is a small village around a dozen miles north of Madison. Stir in flour, mustard and pepper. The United States of America, the great melting pot. I don't think Missourians even agree on that. WebMany city names all through Wisconsin characterize the historical past of how they have been settled and are additionally strongly tied to the states massive Native American presence. According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, the word "Wisconsin" itself is a multi-ethnic concoction: it's theEnglish spelling of a French version of a Miami Indian name for the river currently known as the Wisconsin River.