Let's Talk About Hard-to-Say American Place Names

Welcome to my first public live-stream of the Vlogmas calendar! Today, I am going to be talking some more about those hard-to-say American place names, following my video earlier this week on 7 U.S. Place Names I've Been Saying All Wrong. You can see a link to that video below. Throughout the live-stream, write-in some of your suggestions and I will try to pronounce them (probably with embarrassing consequences) live on-air! This live stream will last 30 minutes.
7 U.S. Place Names I've Been Saying All Wrong: • 7 U.S. Place Names I'v...
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[@momstermom2939]

A couple visiting Kissimmee were eating lunch at a fast food place and were discussing how to pronounce the city’s name. Finally the wife went up to the counter and asked the clerk “How do you pronounce the name of the place we are in?” The clerk replied “Burrr Gerrr King.”

[@virginiaw8608]

From Florida here. This made me laugh hard.

[@Blondie42]

🤣

[@CoDee2U]

Just moved to Washington state a couple of years ago and have found the correct pronunciation of town names is VERY important. And they are rooted in the original native people

[@Xanthelei]

As a Washington native, I can confirm! Spelling them correctly is also a big deal, there's a city near me that has two words in it despite seeming like it'd be a single word, and we can always tell who isn't native to the area on the local subreddit based on who doesn't add that space. Also some cities that you wouldn't think are related to the original tribes that lived here sometimes are, and those stories are always fun to learn.

[@eileenweeks1815]

I hate all of those names.

[@295g295]

> 3:22

[@_Stormfather]

​@@Xantheleilet me guess: Battle Ground?

[@Xanthelei]

@_Stormfather Among a few others in SW Washington, yeah. BG is the most common one though, probably because it's so close to Vancouver. I've seen people write 'Lacenter' too, which is baffling! And seen a few names turned from one word to two over the years.

[@zinith4524]

Never in my wildest dreams would Puyallup, my birth city, be featured in a KZbin thumbnail...

[@katiepasay2347]

Me either!!!

[@andrewb3122]

Same here! And he went through the Washington cities, I was like hey, I ride the train to Tukwila everyday !

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

hey ive been to puyallup several times once for the state fair and another for that day out with thomas at the railroad meusam

[@stn7172]

Use to be stationed there an even I mispronounced it

[@MCFractal]

Agreed, though thanks to Laurence, I learned that the capital of Vermont, Montpelier has a population less than a quarter of our little Puyallup.

[@sgtsnafubohica15]

You always know who the tourists are when the Puyallup Fair arrives. Hearing some of the ways its pronounced is hysterical.

[@TruthTroubadour-xi9cc]

I lived in Puyallup for about 2.5 years. It's named after a nearby Indian tribe. It's pronouned Pew-al'-up. It's where the State Fair is held every year. You pretty much nailed the pronunciation!

[@roxannwatson8896]

They changed the Puyallup fair to, WA state fair. No more "do it in a trot, do it in a gallop..."

[@OhHeyItsRae.]

Do more Washington names! Growing up I was so used to them, it's neat to hear a non-local try to pronounce them. Like Tulalip, Issaquah, Anacortes, Burien, Chehalis, Sammamish, Snoqualmie, Hoquiam, Wenatchee, Yakima, Mukilteo, Orcas Island, Puget Sound

[@jacquelynsmith2351]

My BIL was transferred to Seattle when my sister was pregnant with her 12-yo, and they lived in Lynnwood before moving to Marysville. I had some trouble with the pronunciations for a bit, but I'm from Utah with family in Wisconsin and am very used to weird pronunciations (Tooele, Manti, Moroni, Mantua...). I'm hoping to move to Snohomish County someday myself even though my BIL has now transferred back to Utah. So gorgeous up there.

[@chaptermastertushan3576]

As someone who grew up on the Stillaguamish River in Snohomish County it never even occurred to me that those would be difficult to pronounce and I find that very interesting

[@billolsen4360]

My favorite in the Pacific Northwest is still "Clackamas" Sounds like a town W C Fields would put on his travel plans along with Tenafly, Ottumwa and Okeechobee

[@scottgrohs5940]

Don’t forget Steilacoom.

[@californiahiker9616]

Almost everything in Washington State is hard to pronounce! When my son moved to Snohomish County some years ago and I started visiting Washington a lot I had one awakening after another. I was mispronouncing so many places I finally just asked... uh, how do you pronounce that? The latest one was Quinault. Having studied French, I was so sure I knew how to pronounce it. WRONG! I just know there are dozens of places in WA lurking, waiting for me to mispronounce them!

[@staceyoverley6148]

I am from Wisconsin and it never occured to me that our names are also hard to pronounce for non native Wisconsinites. I would say half of our towns might be tricky for out of state folks.

[@philipwilliams4388]

So many names in Washington and probably the rest of the US are based on Native American language.

[@wendylinkem6201]

Southwest US is alot of spanish names

[@jacquelinehagedorn4562]

Yes, Puyallup is the name of a Native American tribe . Here's another city in Washington : Issaqua ( Iss-uh-quaw ..emphasis on Iss) You got Wenatchee correct 😉

[@Chipper6811]

In Louisiana, there is a town, and also the parish (we don't have counties) called Tangipahoa. It's believed to be from the Choctaw meaning "Those who gather corn". Most people just call it Tangi (Tangee)

[@paintinganimalsonrocks7633]

In Cali it's Spanish.

[@ivetterodriguez1994]

@@paintinganimalsonrocks7633 And Italian.

[@sandibeu2259]

I've lived in Washington State 56 years.... always fun listening to out of townies/staties try to pronounce names here.

[@MrPhilsterable]

I'm just happy Washington is getting some recognition.

[@alexmonamochamuch2652]

I said my town enough that it got picked, and he pronounced it on first try; I'm so happy lol

[@herna962]

Oh where are you from I’m from the Tri Cities, Pasco to be exact.

[@MrPhilsterable]

@@herna962 Around the Everett-Bothell-Lynnwood area.

[@teufeldritch]

@@MrPhilsterable Hey neighbor! From Edmonds.

[@alexmonamochamuch2652]

Angela Hernandez I am from Wenatchee

[@stephenhoward6829]

Being from Washington State, I can say that indeed we do, with a chuckle, use these place-names to differentiate locals from tourists or newcomers. Yes, they are somewhat difficult to parse the first time, so don't feel bad. Love your vids!

[@OrdinaryDude]

I grew up in Issaquah. I hear ya.

[@gaylehill5303]

I grew up in Kennewick

[@xxxBradTxxx]

Especially when people say Spo-kain instead of Spo-Kan.

[@fridaylong2812]

Born in Wenatchee, grew up in Puyallup. Lots of Indian names.

[@nomnomseoulja]

Can’t get more exotic then Federal Way lol

[@hilarygleason5881]

Missed the live stream, but lived in Washington for several years. Congrats on Snohomish! Puyallup is one of the best place names ever!

[@mypetcrow9873]

And very cute shopping strip, some good antiques.

[@SangosEvilTwin]

Humptulips is pretty fantastic as well XD I usually throw that out when people tell me they have weird place names.

[@LordMelbury1953]

Hilary Gleason Cedro Wooley is a good one too

[@goldenknight578]

My favorite Washingtonian names have always been Humptulips and Lilliwaup.

[@tatersprecious5827]

@@LordMelbury1953 Sedro Woolley. :)

[@Camboninja94]

Lol the video's cover has Puyallup. That's actually pretty much whereabouts I live. When people move here from out of state that's one that everyone has trouble pronouncing though.

[@Camboninja94]

Wow it took me about 8 minutes into the video to realize how many crazy sounding native names we really have around here. Lol You did a great job pronouncing them all though. I guess a few others would be Tenino, Montesano, Tulalip, Mukilteo, Anacortes, etc.

[@djdawson9206]

i used to live a cross the water in Poulsbo

[@jexx30]

I live in Spanaway (not hard to pronounce, haha), and worked at the Puyallup Home Depot for a few years. It took me a while to get the hang of answering the phone "Puyallup Home Depot" because I am from away (military wife) and had no idea how to pronounce it! Haha. Now I am a pro, of course, and we have retired here happily. I still have trouble with some of the place names (I am originally from Southern CA, so used to Spanish place names), but I'm learning!

[@Camboninja94]

@@jexx30 everyone tends to want to say "Poo-y'all-up which actually seems like it'd make more sense due to the spelling lol we do have quite a few random Spanish names in Washington though aside from San Juan we have Pasco, Port Angeles (or PA as my friend would always call it lol) and Oso

[@jexx30]

@@Camboninja94 Oh, for sure, there are plenty of Spanish place names, but come on, Sequim? Really? Hehe. My aunt lives in Sequim, and she's the only reason I know that's how it's pronounced. ;) Like I said, though, I'm getting better. Helps that I have friends who are from the local tribal communities, who can help me with the language differences!

[@mescko]

The PNW is one of the regions where place names are heavily influenced by native languages. The original name of Oregon's capital, Salem, was Chemeketa (emphasis on second syllable), a native word meaning 'meeting place'. A street here shares it's name, as well as the local community college.

[@redheadgeek9225]

Just watched this from Renton, WA, and laughed a lot! I was born in Phoenix, AZ, which I always misspelled as a kid because you don't pronounce the "o". Then I went to college in Tucson, AZ, where you don't pronounce the "c". But I think you should do a web cast about just unusual American city names. I've lived in Cave Creek, Boca Raton, and Monterey, but the one place I lived that always has people looking at me twice when I say it is Gun Barrel City, TX, where the town motto is, "We shoot straight with you." Can't make that stuff up!

[@UrbanSipfly]

You just reminded me of just how small this planet is... I'm here in Seattle, and once lived on the Monterey Peninsula (Seaside, Del Rey Oaks, Pacific Grove) and work in Carmel.

[@missrayelyn3045]

Broken Bow, OK

[@cindyleehaddock3551]

Now central Texas town names are another odd lot. Heard a Washington state professor butcher several recently. Bastrop, Manor, Manchaca, San Jacinto, Burnet, Bexar and Mexia come to mind.....

[@DreamLikeItsReal]

I clicked on the video thinking "Oh, Washington is full of these and nobody from elsewhere ever pronounces Sequim right."

[@andyfletcher3561]

I lived my first 15 years there and didn't pronounce it right. Neither did my family LoL.

[@nowthatsjustducky]

You mean "Skwimm?" :) Then there is Humptulips there in Washington, as well as Vader (cue the heavy breathing).

[@andyfletcher3561]

@@nowthatsjustducky Paternal grandfather took me to fish the Humptulips several times in the mid 60's.

[@Ednawandel]

"Wazzu sounds like a place in Washington" ... it actually is! Washington State University, or WSU for short, is hard to say out loud (double-yew ess yew) so many people just say "wazzu" instead:) We even write it that way sometimes!

[@garretburkholder4078]

Go Huskies

[@MollyFC]

Also University of Washington is U-Dub because we're lazy

[@teamcougars]

Ednawandel that’s where my husband went to college. We have a lot of WSU memorabilia of WSU in our house but not UW, they are rivals of course.

[@HistoryNerd808]

I'm Texan(grew up in Virginia though) and I don't have much of an issue but then again, I usually pronounce w and heard it peonounced as "dub-uh-yew" so the difficult part it sort of neutralized.

[@jdcunnington]

So you really can blow it out your Wazzu?

[@Mick-hp4yg]

Woo! I was one of the Washington commenters on that last video. I feel all warm and fuzzy right now 😊

[@alydamarincovich5704]

As a Washintonian I have great fun showing my Irish friends places like Sequim, Puyallup, Wahkiakum, and Yakima because they're all super obvious and like a no brainer for me but they struggle, and then they show me Carrauntoohil and I concede.

[@Blondie42]

I'm from Okanogan and I've never seen Wahkiakum before in my 40 years 😳

[@blindleader42]

Sequim is notable for being driest place in Western (the wet side) Washington, in the rain shadow of the Olympic mountains, and just 40 GPS miles over the mountains to the Hoh rain forest - . wettest place in the Lower 48.

[@darcyjorgensen5808]

blindleader42 Yes, the Banana Belt of WA!

[@tatersprecious5827]

And great lavender farms!

[@fridaylong2812]

@@tatersprecious5827 Ah-CHOO! (Got a lavender allergy.)

[@willturnerfanAWE]

I remember years ago, a well known nationally syndicated radio host was coming out to Puyallup and I about busted out with laughter at his pronunciation. In fairness most people who are not from Washington have a hard time pronouncing it

[@Bethylee]

or from the Oregon side of the Mid-Columbia Basin :P

[@edwardcdg]

I am always amazed by Americans who mispronounce the "Willamette" River.

[@edwardcdg]

You may remember a long while back, on a TV ad, a local bank made fun of out-of-state banks trying to break into the local market mispronouncing our local names. Almost as much fun as the old Rainier Beer ads (still visible on KZbin!).

[@stuart959]

That's how we knew a Mariners game was being announced by a non local. Good ole Poo-way-lee-up

[@captainshadow3756]

"You're putting the emPHAsis on the wrong syLLAble."

[@mjcrites1738]

Spokane, WA is pronounced spo-can. Spokane, MO is pronounced spo-cane.

[@Jimbodisfan]

Spo-CAN, as opposed to Spo-CAN'T, WA.

[@MollyFC]

Looks like Missouri has some explaining to do

[@jimgreen5788]

MJ crites, actually the other Spokane is in Mississippi, rather than Missouri.

[@eauhomme]

Beaufort In North Carolina, it's Bow-fort In South Carolina, it's Bew-fort.

[@fishinwidow35]

Not to those of us in Maine, both are pronounced the same :)

[@BisonStampede]

Laurence, that lake in Massachusetts is pronounced: CHAR-gogg-a-gogg-man-CHAWG-a- gogg-chaw-bun-a-GUNG-a-mogg. And the full spelling is Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, it's the home of the Nipmuc tribe and roughly translates to. (Corrected translation in Joseph Nalbone's comment.) I had to hear it first before I could say it correctly myself. Loved the video, by the way. 👍

[@JosephNalbone]

My high school French teacher said Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, means "I fish on my side, You fish on your side and no one fishes in the middle."

[@BisonStampede]

@@JosephNalbone I trust your memory over mine on that. It sounds more correct for the length of the name. 😂

[@sabrinacle]

Bison Stampede it’s like the Welsh train Station!

[@BisonStampede]

@@sabrinacle Right!?

[@makylemur7019]

It is Webster lake. The monstrose name is a coinage.

[@sleazyp36]

Bring the kitty into the videos. He deserves an audience!!!

[@c.hanley1423]

Styx' cat roams into his videos constantly!

[@wmdkitty]

Seconding this, moar cat!

[@rowynnecrowley1689]

I feel your pain, Lawrence. I come across a lot of these hard to pronounce cities at my job. Half the time I just have to say, "I'll spell it for you. Q--" Dispatch: "Is it (says some impossible name I can't remember)? Me: Yep that's the one!

[@thatfreakmary]

I didn’t realize Tukwila would be hard to pronounce to people? Hearing other people pronounce Washington city names is always funny to me

[@rochelle1117]

I was waiting for Steilacoom to show up. Washington really does do it's best to have places whose names look nothing like they're pronounced.

[@eauhomme]

Steilacoom and Tillicum, close to each other and similarly pronounced.

[@53kenner]

Then there are the names, given by early pioneers, which emphasize the fact that they were extremely literate but without the benefit of TV, movies, radio or international travel ... meaning they named their towns after something that they mistakenly pronounced. For instance, I live in Lake Orion, Michigan. We all know the constellation is pronounced Oh-Ryan's belt ... but they ended up pronouncing it Ore-ee-on. Then there is Milan, MI ... named after the town in Italy (Mill-ahn. That ended up as My-Lan. Finally you get the misunderstood. Novi is a nice town and it's pronounced exactly as it's spelled. The problem is that it grew up around the stagecoach station, which was Number 6. Travelers passing by saw "No. VI" and assumed it was the name rather than the abbreviation for number plus the Roman numeral 6....

[@joeruth123]

There is a beer waiting for you at Muckleshoot if you come in for it

[@shayelea]

Ha, I suggested Puyallup in your How to Pronounce Oregon video. Speaking of which, here are some Oregon place names for you: Clatskanie Yachats Netarts Wallowa The piece de resistance: Champoeg And just to mess with you: Aloha Oh, and one more from Washington state: Okanogan

[@pyrovania]

Clackamas

[@Xubuntu47]

The Okanagan is in Canada, too. It's named for the Okanagan river.

[@OmuYasha1990]

Let's not forget Chitwood, Oregon

[@scottgrohs5940]

Don’t forget: Tillamook Umpqua Willamette Cathlamet Klamath Klickitat and Scio.

[@shayelea]

Scott Grohs good ones!

[@teresepratt6036]

I just started listening to you a week ago. Congratulations on the Washington place pronunciations! You did better than many Washingtonians! I have lived in Washington almost all my life, but mostly on the east side of the mountains, and all the names you chose were from the west side, except Spokane and Wenatchee. We are warm and dry over here and grow most everything, including the apples and wine grapes that Washington is famous for. It gets tiring that everyone thinks all Washington is wet & green, if they don't think we are from DC.

[@andyfletcher3561]

Spent a week in the hospital in Wenatchee when I was 4 or 5. Forty five years later and I was describing the snapshots of it I see in my mind and she was almost disturbed at how vividly and accurately I remembered it. Especially the straps they used to keep me in the bed. I can see them to this day. They were clear vinyl with straw in them. She said they had to because I kept pulling my IV out and climbing out the window to play outside.

[@fridaylong2812]

Also cold and snowy.

[@lesahanners5057]

I lived in Hawaii and just moved back to the mainland. If you want to hurt your brain just try to figure out some of these names. Kukuihaele, Kekuanaoa, Kamehameha, Leilani, Paauilo, Panaewa, and Kea'au. These are all places and streets on Hawaii the Big Island, where I lived. Which is not to be confused with the state of Hawaii, which is the entire chain of islands. I'm just glad to be back in my home state of Washington, in the county of Klickitat, which is far easier to pronounce.

[@stuart959]

I grew up in Washington and lived on big island from 2017 to 2020. Gave me a smile banging out those Hawai'ian names, also glad to be back home.

[@neutrino78x]

USS Kamehameha SSBN-642 was one of the Polaris submarines aka "41 for freedom", the ones that preceded the current generation, Trident aka Ohio Class. Submarines that are designed to carry SLBMs, which are ICBMs launched from a submarine. (I was submariner from 1999-2003 and my first boat was a Trident.) 🙂 USS = United States Ship SSBN = Submersible Ship, Ballistic missiles, Nuclear powered. 🙂

[@mastercobweb]

Haha! So excited that you did my hometown of Tukwila (tuck-WILL-ah, but glide all of those syllables together)! No one outside of Washington State has heard of it. Nice job on Puyallup as well - I always stump my British friends with that!

[@ambert.3792]

auburn, puyallup, STAND UP!!!

[@Xubuntu47]

And Sumner, and Algona...I grew up in the Federal Way area and used to drive all over South King. I am an urbanite now, and haven't owned a car in years. I have a cool bike, though ;)

[@darcyjorgensen5808]

Sequim is a great starter for WA. BTW, it is lovely and replete with lavender farms.

[@fridaylong2812]

Ah-CHOO.

[@armitage1950]

Pretty much all native-American names are difficult. I live near the conodoguinet creek. Found out it’s pronounced like ‘Can a dog go in it’.

[@uofa82]

Armitage 😹

[@hymanocohann2698]

As you had non native speakers trying to translate into written form, the Aztec word for male gonads, with they used for alligator pear. Was translated to the word used by Spanish for lawyer.

[@bstylesv1]

Huh. Central PA?

[@jimgreen3966]

Laurence, the part after the hyphen in Wilkes-Barre is berry.

[@kitkatpitterpat4498]

I've been going to England with my British husband every 1-2 years for the last 20 years. He's from Northamptonshire--- we inevitably find new places I try to pronounce as spelled & am wrong. My favorite being Cogenhoe---- pronounces by locals as "cook-no"---- how the af do they come to that??

[@MinimumGnome]

Couldn't watch live. Hard to watch after the fact because I can't see the comments. If you do something like this in the future, highly recommend a whiteboard or even just paper and sharpie to hold up to the camera the word you are trying to pronounce. Other than that, thoroughly enjoy you "webinar". :D

[@baizawai]

there is a chat replay for me, do you see anything like that?

[@MinimumGnome]

Not that I can figure out how to access on my phone.

[@MinimumGnome]

Thanks, that worked.

[@susanwallace2258]

I LOVE when you and Tara do videos together. You are such a power couple. Thanks for the wonderful shows!

[@RiverWoods111]

Sequim WA. is an absolutely beautiful place, and has superb weather as it part of the banana belt as we would call it.

[@desertrose9483]

Thank you for the live stream! The city, town pronunciations were an interesting topic! 😎👍

[@sarahteague7290]

If no one mentioned already, the song Godzilla ate Tukwila is pretty funny.

[@webbtrekker534]

I know Dave Phillips who wrote the song .

[@Woodsyhikes]

Wisconsinite is pronounced “cheese-head”

[@cocotaveras8975]

Eric Lee Vincent Connectican is pronounced "Nutmegger". (That's what people from Connecticut are called).

[@Earnestlie]

A person from WI may be called a "Cheeser", too. 😁

[@goldktgal]

'Sconees!

[@chadnelson9926]

You must be from Wisconsin too

[@goldktgal]

@@chadnelson9926 Close! I'm a Minnesotan...a Cheesehead ally!

[@underground_man]

Born in Orlando, raised in Kissimmee. He’s correct about its pronunciation.

[@larryphilby4918]

Grew up in Orlando from age 8. Kissimmee was a source of fun.

[@Chipper6811]

We used to get commercials telling people to visit the Kissimmee and St. Cloud areas, and they always pronounced it the correct way.

[@sallyatticum]

Hahah. When he first said Kissimmee, I cringed.... It's just a natural reaction from someone from Florida.

[@underground_man]

@Razor Face Dostoevsky

[@underground_man]

Razor Face I haven’t read that but I know it’s one of his best. I’ve only read “Notes from the Underground” which is where my username comes from.

[@matrixescapee5809]

Arkansas has alot of French influence in it's place names. A lot of people think Arkansas sounds hickish and is a 'wrong' pronunciation compared to Kansas, but Arkansas is actually a French pronunciation of the same native word as Kansas, and Kansas is the English pronunciation. So if 'Arkansaw' sounds hickish to you, you can blame the French.

[@GreatMutaFan76]

A fellow Arki? Wonder if he could pronounce Ouachita? Spent many years fishing that river.

[@hymanocohann2698]

@@GreatMutaFan76 Wich a taa

[@PoetiqueMs]

@@GreatMutaFan76 Wash i taw

[@GreatMutaFan76]

@@PoetiqueMs Wash a taa is how I've heard it pronounced for the past 40 or so years

[@GreatMutaFan76]

@@hymanocohann2698 Just saw your reply Hyman. Stupid YT. Close bud but its Wash not Wich, at least down here in Crossett.

[@psleep4255]

Sequim! Hilarious only people who’ve lived there know how to pronounce these towns. Tuck-weela. Puy-all-up. You pronounced Snohomish was great. Honestly, you did quite well. 😊❤️👏👏👏 waxy = Washington State University! Thx for doing this. Washington hardly ever gets mentioned. ❤️❤️❤️

[@fridaylong2812]

Tuk-Will-A, not Weel. Went to grade school and junior high there.

[@billbored8277]

Living in he PNW, its always funny to hear people attempt the names out here..... quickest way to spot a newcomer.

[@PinkTigger33]

We've got some tricky ones in Texas like Refugio, Palacios, Buda, Mexia, and Bexar.

[@SGlitz]

Prescott, AZ. Pres-kit. Favourite: Pierre, SD. Pronounced "pear" (crush the word)

[@abirdhasnoname.5376]

As a Wisconsinite, I’m looking forward to you pronouncing our city names. Haha!

[@ditdiver123]

I am from Puyallup.and I absolutely love this video. I use these same cities to test my east coast friends now that I live in PA when they make fun of my miss pronouncements of reading when they just change real words. I pronounce it.... poooowalllup. And fyi I give you Snohomish. Your 3rd attempt was super close. Better than most Americans trying.

[@composerdave68]

Natchitoches, Louisiana versus Nacogdoches, Texas

[@joegibson4946]

Not to forget Opelousas

[@deadlysquirrel5560]

Yep, I lived close to both. Pronounced totally different. Nakatish, Nakadoches. But I'm from S'port, so our pronunciations could be off a bit.

[@danielleporter1829]

I can pronounce Nacogdoches , my maternal grandmother was born and raised in Nacogdoches, Tx

[@deadlysquirrel5560]

@@joegibson4946 In my part of the state (northern) we say Opa-loosa, but southern part may have another way.

[@wendelynmusic]

I wish I'd been home when you were live. I wish you'd done Natchitoches LA. (pronounced Nackadish) I love that one

[@user-zd8no2qq6i]

What??

[@deborahdanielson8901]

Try to Pronounce “geoduck”, also a Washington state tongue and brain puzzle like Sequim.😂😂😂

[@webbtrekker534]

Tasty "duck" :-)

[@tatersprecious5827]

For anyone who wonders, it's "gooey-duck". For no reason at all. :)

[@floradiamonds]

@@tatersprecious5827 I have wondered for years, genuinely, ever since I read the word in a Betty McDonald autobiography, written as a novel, and very funny indeed. Possibly out of print now, my mum was given several of her books, which I then acquired. It's how I got most of my American knowledge, such as it is. Look her up, if you're interested, well worth reading.

[@fridaylong2812]

@@webbtrekker534 It's actually a giant clam.

[@mecheva9098]

My fave WA state town name is George. George, Washington. Hahahhaha

[@mlclaxonauthor]

I love your videos! Greetings from Hopewell, Kentucky in Eastern Kentucky.

[@cherylchristian5673]

Touchet, WA, pronounced TUSHY.

[@Xubuntu47]

wow, I gotta get out of King County more often.

[@deltamp787]

I missed the live stream have well done Lost in the Pond. I did comment Tooele in the 7 place names video. I have another one for you and it's a county in Utah and that's "Wasatch"

[@debigarland7313]

Oregon has some funky pronunciations, too. The Umpqua and Willamette Valleys, the cities of Yachats, Owyhee, Umatilla, Yoncalla, Scappoose, Clatskanie, Molalla, Nonpareil, Dufur, Philomath, Imbler, Champoeg, Yaquina, Aloha, Noti, and Ruch.

[@jeffgreiner7634]

Folks get the pronunciation of the state wrong too, which has always confounded me, being from the PNW

[@patriciawinkler3939]

Washingtonian here. Both of my parents were born and raised in Snohomish and lived in Sequim for a few years. Those of us who are born in Washington know if people are from elsewhere if they stumble on the very names you have worked your way through. I live on Whidbey Island which a large number of British residents. They have said our weather is familiar to them.

[@lilliodhe5enraptured]

Absarokee, Absaroka (both phoenetic) and Absaroka (pronounced Ab-soar-kee), two towns and a mountain range in Montana named for the Absaroka tribe. It just kills tourists, because they're all pronounced differently.

[@lilliodhe5enraptured]

@Leftenant Dan It is. I've been corrected on it, too. Paradise Valley is very beautiful. [By the way, those two towns and a mountain range are in no particular order.] But I know the mountains are how you pronounce them, and then there's two towns with different pronunciation.

[@martalli]

Illinois is pronounced in the style of Missouri French, a dialect that dates back to before the Louisiana Purchase.

[@wannabefolkie]

I know I’m so late I commenting. Months. Just discovered your channel yesterday and have subscribed. I guess I’ve only lived in towns/cities in Washington that are easy to pronounce. But I knew how to pronounce all the WA ones you featured and the ones people put in the chat. So fun! Also, I’ve been learning Welsh 😋

[@jchow5966]

This was a fun episode!! 🙂

[@sinjun1973]

Wisconsin has tons of names no one who lives here can't pronounce.

[@Casseyopeia]

I am really upset I missed your stream. I wasn't paying attention to my phone. But, Laurence, Michigan is pronounced Mi(sh)igan. It is my home state. Lol

[@Inamichan]

Casseyopeia hello fellow Michigan native

[@Casseyopeia]

Hi🥰

[@linskeptikat9069]

HI from Michigan - A couple of names in Michigan that non-Michiganders can never say: Dowagiac (Doh WA Jack) and Cassopolis (Cass OP oh liss)

[@therast5]

@@linskeptikat9069 how did you not add Sault Ste. Marie?

[@linskeptikat9069]

@@therast5 That's a good one! but I'm more familiar with southern Michigan. I'm sure there are more.

[@vallis1469]

So much word fun! I love it. Thanks.

[@kathy2trips]

Just re-watched this one and it was a blast. I'd love for you to do another...live, of course. There are a lot of them in the USA.

[@marthacalkins2126]

My rule of thumb when trying to pronounce British names: if you can't altogether eliminate syllables, at least elide them right out of existence.

[@flakeyjake3339]

i'm in Auburn just north of Puyallup.

[@MollyFC]

Say hi to my grandma lol

[@roxannwatson8896]

Puyallup here. Hello Auburn!

[@robinchesterfield42]

Woot! Tooele actually made the video! XD That's my favorite local weirdly-spelled name. :P

[@skrimshaw72]

Every time I watch your show, I'm reminded of the Movie "My Fair Lady" and the song "Why Can't the English?" 😁

[@krisshenderson4478]

Sylacauga Wetumpka Tuskegee Dauphin Island Talladega Opelika Tuscaloosa Mobile All in Alabama

[@Ammo08]

Here in Missouri we have: Milan (My-lun), Vienna (Vy-inna), New Madrid (New Mad-drid), and Nevada (Nuh-vay-duh).

[@davidpotter8297]

Don't forget Versailles (Ver-SALES)

[@rich3371]

I live in Idaho & I love it that you pronounced both Boise & Coeur d'Alene properly

[@drisiguitars]

I am from Chicago and now live in Washington. It was fun watching you deal with the same names I did when I came here. Lived in Sequim for a while. Live in Forks now.

[@dianacarter8204]

In Utah we have some odd ones... Hooper which is pronounced Hup-er, the we have Hurricane pronounced Hurrkin and the National Park Zion is really pronounced is Ziuns

[@RichardDCook]

Hurricane West Virginia is also HUR-kun.

[@robintenney2505]

Hurricane UT is pronounced the British way because the people that settled there were from England

[@rowynnecrowley1689]

Call them Larrys. I give you 3 Larry's for that.

[@slm3913]

Love this. Tons of places in Scotland that are pronounced differently too.

[@sgarner935]

Washingtonian here. I love it! We have many city names that are hard to pronounce. Being in Transport I here a lot of different tries.

[@MsFluffySama]

I used to live near Weeki Wachee Springs in Florida. XD"

[@fadnama]

Digging the Washington love! ❤️

[@susanwallace2258]

I live in Snohomish, WA, and sometimes I go to the Scottish Games in Enumclaw, WA. We have so many fun city names here!!!

[@erinblack9689]

I'm a native Washingtonian, and I was impressed with some of your guesses! Good job!

[@richardleatherman5075]

Putting the "smart glasses" on, I see.

[@vagal2312]

Dante, Virginia...pronounced by locals with a long "a" and silent "e". It rhymes with paint.

[@gyro4250]

this was a rather fun video, thanks

[@michaelanders6161]

Ha! I was born in Puyallup. Tickled to hear you feature it. Also, because, despite my father having grown up just across the Sound and a smidge north, in Bremerton, and later moving to just outside Puyallup, he could never seem to say it correctly. He would say "Pee-Yal'-lup." For the record, "Pew" plus A as in apple plus lup ("up" with an "L" on the front.) Emphasis on the second syl-LA-ble, 😏 The "y" is completely silent. Footnote, Sequim (Squim) is the western Washington local with the least annual precipitation, due to being in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains.

[@sandrataylor2323]

Chattahoochee, Ochlocknee, Altamaha....all names from Georgia.

[@goodenoughgirl8102]

Also Okefenokee Swamp. I’m a local GA peach also. 😬

[@NaomiDollxoxo]

I lived in Puyallup. Nobody. Literally NOBODY not from here says it right. Hahahaha

[@ButacuPpucatuB]

I have a group of friends who work in Leicester Square. I pronounce it as it should be, but when it comes to spelling it on paper, I have to say lei-chester and drop the h. I should also add that even though I am a polyglot, I can’t spell to save my sorry little life. Hahaha ❤️

[@olgaanadella]

Absolutely fascinating!

[@bullinmd]

Mexia, TX

[@jasonsummit1885]

Assawoman, sounds like someone was really drunk when they named it!😂

[@dangoff5629]

It's just down the road from Onancock, VA...

[@JunctionToMusou]

@@dangoff5629 More like "up" the road, but yeah. There's also Assateague Island.

[@jasonsummit1885]

Glad to see you've been to my state, referring to the thumbnail.😁

[@danabrown2391]

Fun to see towns from my state used!

[@isoron]

Wiksberry PA to the residents.

[@tjg813]

Piasa, pronounced Pie-ah-saw. In Illinois It’s a town but also the Piasa bird from Native American legends. It’s like a bird/cat/snake with a human looking face and antlers.