What's the right way to pronounce 'Colorado?'

The single most popular request for our ‘What Do You Say?’ segment has been “Colorado.” So many of you have asked us to settle the debate on how to pronounce the name of our state. Is it Colo-ROD-oh? Colo-RAD-oh? What if those aren't the only two options? Kyle nerded out hard trying to figure out the answer.
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[@scottzuniga]

Governor: “coloRADo” Newscaster: “There you heard it, coloRAWdo.”

[@bbaattttyy333]

Colorado is RAD. I'm from Denver and everyone i know there says ColoRADo

[@fireball305]

No it’s rah. You probably think that because you live in Denver. Denver is the most disgusting annoying and dumb place here.

[@MiniMeowriella_]

I was born in Colorado and I pronounced it ColoRADo my whole life, my parents were from California and always said ColorAWDO. I moved to florida and grew up more here but I definitely still say ColoRADo 😂

[@danieljorden-hm3yf]

i say coloRADo too !!

[@skylervanhorne8329]

Definitely Rad-o. Only recent transplants say RAWdo. Helps me differentiate

[@revs1756]

im a giraffe!!!!!!!

[@Laz3rCat95]

I've always said the a as in "cat" for the first a in both Colorado and Nevada.

[@martyjackson4166]

Colo-rad-o. All you people coming in to our amazing state better get it right.

[@sarahmartin5251]

I'm thinking of moving to your great state from Alabama. My dad called it Codder-rada... I call it Color-ado like avocado. I don't want to offend the locals and I want to make my neighbors into new friends. Lol looking for the most common way to say it. My accent will probably give me away for a while until I lose it. Hopefully my kids will adjust quickly. Peace!✌

[@donnamichelerichey2878]

Rhymes with avocado, everything else sounds so country bumpkin.

[@martyjackson4166]

Sarah Martin haha I mean, you probably won’t offend anyone by saying Colorado like an avocado... but really, you should be saying Colo-RAD-o (like RAD). That’s how pretty much everyone who was born here says it

[@martyjackson4166]

DonnaMichele Richey It’s not “country bumpkin.” It’s just the right way XD

[@sethlangston181]

And who's to decide the pronunciation of the state? Hmm?

[@tomcunniffe7435]

When I was in 4th grade (about 1970) our class studied the history of our state. I remember that the textbook said "rah, rah, rah for Colo-rah-do". I've used that as a guide ever since.

[@eleanorswan2288]

The correct pronunciation of Colorado just like the correct pronunciation of Nevada. Add, not Odd.

[@realstatistician]

As a Utahn, I say Call-uh-rad-oh, the way he said the natives say it. That’s how all the native Utahns say it, so I looked this up to find out why everyone else says it so messed up.

[@Rogue_Centurion]

As an eastern Coloradan, I pronounce it as a mix between RAD-do and ROD-do

[@brody2199]

I’ve lived here almost my whole life, and always said “Colo-ROD-o,” but I also live about an hour from the Wyoming border.

[@peculiarjohn6900]

Cherry Creek, Boulder, Aspen (owning class), Vail (owning class): Colo-RAH-do Pueblo, Commerce City, Empire, Alamosa: Colo-RAD-o Basically, it's a class thing.

[@notthefather3919]

So what is Standard Colradoan?

[@dysparia915]

Interesting! I was born and raised in Boulder, but I say Colo-RAD-o. I study linguistics, and from the large majority that I have interviewed regarding our state's name, who was born and raised (after 2000) in Boulder say Colo-RAD-o. However, my father, born and raised in Boulder, says Colo-RAH-do. Thank you for this insight regarding classes! This gave me a new topic to study!

[@Azzazpimp]

yeah I tend to see Americans using the “ah” sound in words where it’s optional as pretentious

[@bretwrightnastyauthor]

Nope, not at all about "class." That's entirely incorrect.

[@gaila.9852]

@@Azzazpimp How is saying “rah” pretentious? It is a lot closer to the Spanish pronunciation than “rad.”

[@bigboytoni3657]

Colo-RAD-o

[@DC-bp3lv]

My grandpa who is from Colorado but he left to Washington he calls it Colorada The plains version

[@skylane807]

"Washington the state, district, or one of the several counties, cities or towns?

[@taxisteve929]

Watching biography, Dow and Jones, and a historian pronounced it rad. I’ve always used rod, and figured it might be a regional thing with the pronunciation. Thanks for all this fun information!

[@homeslicington9413]

I've caught myself saying "Rada" a few times it just slips out lolol so naturally

[@Xenthera]

I'm from Colorado and me and my family and everyone I basically ever knew that was a native pronounces the a like in "at". Joining the navy and living around the country, everyone else pronounces the a like in "ah". They then proceed to tell me I'M wrong... lol what

[@trevor_corey8037]

Yea it’s weird, I always heard it pronounced ahdo, until I moved here. But the very first time I heard it was really Ado, I switched to the correct form. Unsure why everyone wouldn’t do the same.

[@Briebabcock8052]

I've always spoken it the plains version as Colorada not Colorado no matter the combo. Born and bred Coloradan with family roots goin back to 1906. Yet mom's side is heavily southern (Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabaman) with a little Plains mixed in.

[@keeganking8889]

Hey look, its my Professor. That was not expected.

[@RusskiCommieBot]

I use the Molly Brown pronunciation from a Night to Remember. Colorada

[@IronicUseOfElectrons]

LOL Hickenlooper is from Pennsylvania! Colo-raw-dough is close to the Spanish pronunciation but we don't pronounce Buena Vista or Limon along Spanish lines. It is Colo-Rad-Oh because we have to save at least one thing from the onslaught.

[@splunkr24]

Even if he is from Pennsylvania it still sounded more like Colo-rad-oh than Colo-raw-dough to me

[@gaila.9852]

How do you pronounce Buena Vista?

[@stealthycore]

@@gaila.9852 "bw-aye-nah vee-stah"

[@gaila.9852]

@@stealthycore That is definitely not how you say “buena” in Spanish, haha.

[@Rogue_Centurion]

Don’t tell us how to pronounce Salida or Del Norte either, it’s clearly Salaida and Del Nort

[@addisonridermusic]

This is so interesting. I spent ten years of my childhood growing up in Colorado Springs. I've always pronounced it Colo-ROD-o and never thought twice about it. WEIRD.

[@spacerx]

I've never, ever heard anyone say Colorado to rhyme with Gatorado. That's hilarious that that so-called "pioneer" pronunciation was ever a thing, but I think it's been long gone. Even old-timers didn't say that when I was a kid, and I'm over 50.

[@CandidZulu]

John Denver has planted Colo-rah-do so deep that it don't matter that many locals say Colo-ray-doh, it wil be Colo-rah-do for most newcomers. When I Iived in Lakewood, I do not ever remember this being an issue!? Awesome place, miss it!

[@Dontbustthecrust]

Casa Bonita, Casa Bonita!

[@jeffw1267]

John Denver actually pronounced it two different ways in that song. I guess Colo-RAH-do sounded better in the chorus.

[@bb1111116]

I’ve sung that song (Rocky Mountain High) many times, recently at a class reunion, and like John Denver I use the AH sound for the a in Colorado (like the a in avocado, taco or tostada). It fits the voice better.

[@TheSeaTurtle]

I’m from Oklahoma and I pronounce it Calorayduh

[@jacobnieves6294]

I knew it was Colorado

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I get so many complaints on my videos about this... I just want to make a jeep trail guide and for the record, I don’t pronounce anything right, the joys of being dyslexic!

[@sallydale2665]

I've lived in Washington state ( not Warshington) for 50 years. I grew up in Colorado and it was always "ColoRADo. Also Canon City has an ~ above the first n. It's Canyon, not Cannon. Just sayin.

[@jameskerr2812]

I live in Washington State and will likely never leave there; I grew up in Colorado annunciating it the same: Colo-rad-o.

[@davidcriger513]

Lets just call it what it is...the State of Denver.

[@zaff2299]

We all know Colorado springs is better 😂jk

[@biggpete100]

@Summer Wertz Ugh. Cringe...

[@andrew.cash13]

David Criger no its not the state of Denver

[@user-ww7iz5fm7k]

Summer Wertz how dare u

[@animal0mother]

@Summer Wertz *Nueva California

[@jmichaelstone]

You should have heard how I thought "Arapahoe" was pronounced when I moved here in 2008. And I still refuse to say "Buena Vista" the way the locals there say it. But with grandparents who lived in Colorado for years before even my parents were born, our whole family has always said ColoRADo.

[@royjohnson465]

Exactly correct! kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpjThH-wib5klZY The Spanish pronunciation is ColoRADo (as in Brad Conrad) also this is the correct right way to say it. But pronouncing it the incorrect wrong way is ColoRODo. ~Also the correct way is NeVADa. The wrong way is NeVODa. ~Correct way is avoCADo & pAsta. Wrong way is avoCODo & pAWsta.

[@gaila.9852]

How do you pronounce Buena Vista?

[@gaila.9852]

@@royjohnson465 This is completely incorrect. Colorado in Spanish is pronounced Co-lo-rah-do, not rad. If you pronounce avocado like it were a Spanish word, you would say ah-vo-cah-do, not cad. This is coming from someone who speaks Spanish. He literally says this in the video at 2:08.

[@Rogue_Centurion]

@@gaila.9852as a Coloradan, let me inform you that you pronounce Buena Vista Byoona Vista and don’t you dare pronounce it as Buena

[@gaila.9852]

@@Rogue_Centurion I am confused by “Byoona.” Could you try spelling it differently?

[@rileymartin6375]

I grew up in Otero county always say ColaRADA I knew it was unique way of saying it but never questioned it

[@taxisteve929]

For all the people from Colorado who say RAD, he makes an excellent point with avocado. I can’t imagine how they pronounce it down south lol

[@KirbyComicsVids]

I was born in CO and my mom grew up there and we both say -rodo

[@AxeSoul]

Well, Me and my mom both grew up in Colorado and we both say -rado.

[@cheyleereed9914]

Yeah same I grew up in the Pueblo, Cannon City area

[@dogwolf1135]

@@AxeSoul yep coloRAD oh

[@aar3782]

I'm a native and I say Co - lo - *raw - dough.*

[@allenrobers4286]

Hot Chocolate, exactly! Most natives pronounce it that way, the correct way.

[@mikaelsmith22]

Allen Robers I grew up in Colorado (Boulder) and never heard a native say colo raw do.

[@stakknation123]

Im native also and this seems like the most accurate despriction of all the comments.

[@sacchiteddu_2796]

You're a sack of shit.

[@aar3782]

@@sacchiteddu_2796 Awe, thanks, stranger!

[@darrenfoster1118]

Common everyone, let's get real. It's ColoradBro. Totes rad.

[@cloverle9827]

CO native and fully endorse lol

[@HaggisDruid]

Awwwh yeeeah buddy 😎

[@h4jlk790]

when i visited, everyone said coloRADo, so i've started saying it. seems like most ppl in other states say coloRODo lol.

[@Korvilon]

My family has been in Colorado for 5 generations. I say it like Color-ado.

[@Nick40ghs]

Sad, fad, tad, bad, had, grad, Chad, mad, rad… rad… Colorado. I rest my case.

[@dogwolf1135]

Color Rad oh I'm born and raised in Colorado

[@ryancruz1876]

Hickenlooper wasn’t born in Colo-RAD-o

[@thedude4795]

colo-rada is the shit

[@SeanHummer]

It's colo-rad-oh. I was born there and that means I'm right. Also, I know a lot of idiots and they all say "colo-raw-oh".

[@Spartan7940]

Out of curiosity, how many people who were born in Colorado do you know who say "Colo-raw-doh"? And would you have any idea why exactly they'd say it that way?

[@watcherwlc53]

Why does the newscaster directly misrepresent the way the Governor says it?

[@huerta25264]

huh..... i thought it was pronounced coolooraydus

[@beckylawler6569]

I'm American but I say the Spanish pronunciation. The A is always pronounced AH.

[@RalphReagan]

Backeasterners are wrong. Natives are correct. Period. Not some sqishies from Denver. Or newcomers.

[@piehound]

I happen to be approximately tri-lingual, German, English, Spanish, a smattering of Russian, and more. But how to pronounce the name of a state specifically Colorado is for a me a non - issue. But them i'm not a Colorado resident, and never have been.

[@ajaliyahgrace3999]

I’m born and raised and I say CALL-O-ROD-O 😂 uhh

[@martyjackson4166]

Ajaliyah Grace You’re not a true Coloradan then

[@kelithic]

Marty Jackson i mean, my family has been in colorado for 3 - 4 generations and thats how we say it. “Call-o-raw-dough”

[@omsmada]

@@kelithicyou’re just an exception. Over 70% of native Coloradans pronounce it colo RAD o.

[@BeccaTheBoring]

Nah, Hickenlooper pronounced the “a” like “at”.

[@jonselby4889]

How do you pronounce the Chevy Silverado? AD-o or ODD-o?

[@andrew.cash13]

Jon Selby odd

[@mguanipa2]

I say Ad-o

[@omsmada]

i mean that's just a made up word a company came up with, how is it relevant?

[@evanscott5636]

Col-Or-Od-O

[@zaff2299]

It's ColoRADo just remember, Colorado is RAD

[@josealcala4344]

Means colored maybe because it's a beautiful colorful state

[@bbqbros3648]

colo-RAD-o

[@Qwerty83834]

Say "Call a raw dough" quickly

[@TheInkPitOx]

It's from Spanish, so it should be color-rod-O, but I guess this comes from living in Californy.

[@m3po22]

If I was speaking Spanish I would use the Spanish pronunciation. But since we're not speaking Spanish, we do not have to use the Spanish pronunciation. The is a problem with languages that sound so similar they're almost the same language. I'm never tempted to pronounce "Karate" the Japanese way when speaking English.

[@rorymosley9356]

There’s no wrong way to pronounce it. Unless you say anything other than Colo-RAD-o.

[@kevinkelly1586]

Nearly all dictionaries prefer coloRADoh to colorAHdo.

[@potatotomato7854]

Ok I’m 9 years old now and when I was like 3 I said color-a-do

[@zennoodle]

I pronounce it Colorado.

[@rubynomics]

At first i said co-lo-raddo

[@bry117]

I say Colorado

[@briantravelman]

In actually, it should be pronounced the same as the Spanish word for "color"

[@erinrichie4486]

C springs baby native

[@shaylaleblanc8982]

I say both tbh

[@aguy7848]

I say "Call-OH-Rad-OH"

[@SuperEman500]

Colorada, if yer from Texas

[@hildkiin]

Ahh it lost it's meaning while I was practicing it now it's just a soup of sound coming put of me. The hell is a colorado now

[@therealhelmholtz]

colorado doesn't exist

[@nassab6466]

Co-lo-ra-do No es tan difícil.

[@TajaneaPerry]

It’s Color-rad-o

[@katarzynalejkowska4906]

i thought it was cah-lah-rah-doh ah

[@EvadeEXE]

Colo-RAD-o m8

[@JoeMartinez_LA_LostSoul]

Colo-Raw-Doe... loosely means 'Red Mud'

[@amberly_gawx5304]

I changed this comment for someone that hated the way that I talked....so sorry if I made anyone else mad.....sorry....sorry

[@timewarpdrive77]

How could you figuratively be from Colorado?

[@amberly_gawx5304]

@@timewarpdrive77 i said literally, but idk how you can figuratively be from colorado

[@timewarpdrive77]

@@amberly_gawx5304 I know you said literally, but I was pointing out that you were using literally in an unnecessary fashion (people who use literally like this annoy the shit out of me). Hence why I asked you how you could figuratively be from Colorado.

[@amberly_gawx5304]

@@timewarpdrive77 I am sorry I never meant to annoy you, and if I made you that mad then I will change my comment. I am dyslexic and so words that I used, I don't use correctly. I am sorry....I won't do it again if you feel that strongly about a mistake like this, or the way that somebody talks....i am sorry

[@timewarpdrive77]

@@amberly_gawx5304 Don't be sorry. Perhaps I over-stated my thoughts on the use of literally. Apologies if you took it badly...

[@armyofthewolves]

I always thought it was Cah ler ah doe because I had a friend from there who pronounced it that way. I feel betrayed. Next I'm going to learn Oregon is not pronounced Or again or Or igun.

[@CaliforniaGirl49]

I say cohl-o-rahd-o

[@suzygstephens]

I understand most Colorado natives say Call-uh-rad-oh with the "rad" rhyming with "bad." However, the reason everyone else says Call-uh-rod-oh is because that is how it SHOULD have been pronounced all along. I mean, the word derives from Spanish and in Spanish, an "a" sound resembles the o in "rod" or "hot." That said, if you're visiting you should probably remember to say it like the natives, as it will be grating to the nerves if said differently. I know I cringe when someone says "New or-LEENS" with the accent on the last syllable. Natives say New OR-luns, with the vowel sound in the last syllable pronounced like the a in "about" (a schwa sound). Now, don't get me started on Nevada pronunciation. Same issue completely!

[@taylorjacobson1391]

By this logic, Montana should be pronounced Mon-tawn-yuh. Who pronounces it that way? Not any native English speakers. Not even people from the east coast. Not even the, "highly educated." You can't push Spanish pronunciation rules down people's throats over Colorado and Nevada, if you're not going to follow the same rules with Montana.

[@martyjackson4166]

By your logic, neither pronunciation is actually right. The actually Spanish pronunciation is “co-low-rah-oh.” Both ColoRADo and ColoRODo are anglicized pronunciations, so your whole “original Spanish pronunciation” argument is moot.

[@phillipjameson2599]

I didn't know that about New Orleans. Funny enough, Louis Armstrong always said it "New or-LEENS" so I thought that I was hearing it straight from the horse's mouth!

[@Leeroywantsrx7]

It’s pronounced colorado

[@sienahutchinson2022]

Rad.

[@theasthmatic1456]

Not ra da

[@taylorjackson9660]

ColaRADo gang

[@brandonkenning8096]

It’s “Colo-RAD-Oh” 🤓

[@tyrell.]

But how do you say the "Colo" part.

[@TajaneaPerry]

Yessssssssssss it’s not color-rod-o

[@ja6975]

It’s a Spanish word co-low-rah-doh

[@Baphomet--]

Co-lo-ra-do

[@Thatguy-kg3tz]

Can we all agree it’s not colorada

[@latin-lightning]

Its pronounced Colorado. Easy

[@LoyalColoradan]

I’ve been living in Colorado for nearly six and a half years, and I’ve been pronouncing it as Colo-ROD-o and everyone I talk to goes with it.

[@bretwrightnastyauthor]

So... you've pronouncing it like a non-native. OK. :)

[@stealthycore]

@@bretwrightnastyauthor i know natives that still say it that way...so.

[@Rogue_Centurion]

@@stealthycorethose guys aren’t natives. Colorado gets a lot of transplants

[@farticlesofconflatulation]

Colorao

[@jessi2077]

kuh -luh-ruh-doh is a good middle ground lol

[@davidzimmerly7354]

Imagine living in a state so beautiful and full of life that your biggest issue is getting offended on how another human pronounced your state name that someone else many years ago came up with

[@EntangledWithBreeJo]

RADO not Rahdo!

[@creedbratton5456]

Actually, as a born and bred Colorado citizen, I know most locals say Colo(raw)do, not Colo(rah)do. It's a sure-fire way to tell tourists from locals.

[@np4231]

Born and bred Coloradan and always said ColoRADo. I’d never say ColoRAWdo.

[@TECfan1]

6th generation Coloradan and we pronounce it ColoRADo.

[@splunkr24]

So how is it that you can tell tourists from natives? Colo(raw)do and Colo(rah)do sound the same.

[@omsmada]

“rah” sounds indistinguishable from “raw” the h literally gives it an “aw” sound… but >70% of native Coloradans pronounce it rad as in radical, not raw.

[@Elijah-fc3ex]

Completely wrong

[@theasthmatic1456]

Colo ra do

[@Dizzle-pk1uf]

colo-rah-doh

[@TajaneaPerry]

Grayson Hunter no

[@martyjackson4166]

@@TajaneaPerry yes

[@rickroybal7022]

OK all you genius ones. Is it Coloradan? NO!! Hell no! It's Coloradoan. ( Idaho, Idahoan. Ohio, Ohioan) Get some schoolin Kyle.

[@rickroybal7022]

John Smith. You're right about that. But, we are Coloradoan.

[@vvrosievv]

I've never heard that, only coloradan

[@sacchiteddu_2796]

I hope somebody beats your ass.

[@xii8877]

New Mexicoan

[@Baphomet--]

@@xii8877 lol californoan, canadoan, americoan. logic

[@pheelyoself2517]

Educated outsiders who know better... holy f_$%

[@atticstattic]

Colo-raid-o - I like it!

[@stevenkonzen826]

Colorado doesn’t know how to pronounce anything.

[@pheelyoself2517]

Propaganda much? Insiders?

[@voa23]

If you are European you will have your own linguistic approach, but Colorado, meaning RED or implying it's red. Soon it will go back to it's roots.

[@A107S]

It’s colo-RAD-oh period. My dad and most of my family are natives. And I moved here when I was 4. Listen to the actual Coloradoans:

[@zesulant]

say Cadillac Eldorado

[@johnwood8441]

@@zesulant wrong

[@splunkr24]

@zesulant irrelevant