Actually, in recognition of its impressive per-capita income, Duxbury MA is now pronounced "Deluxe-bury."

When I lived in Toronto, a visitor from Quebec became hysterical with laughter on learning that Roncesvalles Ave. is pronounced Ron-sis-veils. I pointed out that this was a Polish neighbourhood and mangled English too. Geoffrey St. was pronounced Joff-ree. You could tell a new streetcar driver by the "Jeff-ree" pronunciation.<BR><BR>But my favourite is Avoch, Scotland, which I was surprised to learn is pronounced "och" to rhyme with loch. What happened to the Av?

to the top

and in New Orleans, isn't <BR>it Bur GUN dy Street, and Chartres St is "Chart-ers"?<BR><BR>Then of course, here in NYC we have Houston St pronounced How-stun,<BR>not to be confused with the city in Texas that is spelled the same but pronounced Hew-stun.

In Maine, we have almost every European country name used as names of towns. However, Moscow is pronounced Moscoe.

Nebraska:<BR>Plattsmouth="Platts-mith"<BR>Louisville="Louisville" (not like the one in Kentucky)<BR>Norfolk= "Nor-fork"<BR>Kearney= "Car-nee"<BR>Beatrice- "Bee-at-truss" with the accent on "Bee"<BR><BR>Iowa:<BR>Des Moines="Duh-moin" not "Dez-moinz"<BR><BR><BR>Maine:<BR>Bangor="Bang-gore" not "Bang-or" or "Bang-er"<BR><BR>Oregon:<BR>The Dalles="The Dals"<BR><BR>South Dakota:<BR>The capitol, Pierre="Pier"<BR>Lead="Leed"<BR><BR>Virginia:<BR>N orfolk="Naw-fick"<BR><BR>Washington:<BR>Puyallup="Poo-yall-up"<BR><BR>Wyoming:<BR>Dubois="Doo-boyz"<BR><BR>Louisiana:<BR>Houma=Darned if I know...<BR><BR>Michigan:<BR>Sault Ste Marie="Sue Saint Marie"<BR><BR>

In Texas Madrid is MAD-rid, but then Texas is replete with strange pronunciations:<BR>Refugio = Ree-FYOOR-ee-oh<BR>Mexia = Muh-HAY-uh<BR>Bexar = Bare<BR>Lamesa = Luh-MEE-suh<BR>DeLeon = DEE-lee-on<BR>Palestine = PAL-us-tee<BR>Elgin = EL-gun<BR>Lake Buchanan = Buck-AN-un<BR><BR>And here in Las Vegas, it's Nuh-vad-uh, not Nuh-vah-dah (also easy to spot new newscasters from out-of-state).

A few more from Massachusetts: Holyoke (hoy yolk); Indian Orchard (inneeyunor cherd); Amherst (am urst - in New York, it's pronounced am herst); South Hadley (sow thaddlee). And you can always tell a new guy 'cause he says "north hampton" not "nor thampton".<BR><BR>Then you get into the Indian names, and all is lost...

And the true tests for newbie Boston TV and radio announcers: Woburn (Woo-burn) and Haverhill (Hayv-rill).

On second thought, Woburn is actually Woo-b'n.

Iraan, Texas is pronounced "Ira - An"

Guess I'll throw in the one in Louisiana that I think just about tops the list, but first, for the earlier poster, Houma in Louisiana is "Home-ah." Now, for the one that takes the cake, try your pronunciation of Natchitoches, oldest settled city in the entire Louisiana Purchase. <BR><BR>Give up? It's pronounced "NAK-a-tosh."

Hawick in Scotland- Hoik<BR>Jedburgh in Scotland- Jedhart<BR>st. boswells in Scotland- boasals

Georgia:<BR>LaFayette--luh FAY' et<BR>Houston County--same as NY--house-ton<BR>Albany--all BIN' ee<BR><BR>Florida:<BR>Matlacha--matt luh SHAY' <BR>

In Mass: Billerica = "Bill Ricker"<BR><BR>Lima, Ohio = "Lie-ma"<BR>Chili, NY = "Chigh-ligh"<BR><BR>Chicago re:street names:<BR>"Goethe" = "Go-thee"<BR>"Mozart" = "Moe-zart"<BR><BR>WHole state of Wisconsin is "Wi-Scons'n"<BR><BR>But for those in UK: how do you pronounce "Slough"?

Slough is to rhyme with plough; where as a snakes sloughs (sluffs) off its skin.<BR><BR>There are people up there confusing pronunication with local names (which is OK- it's fun) like Anstruther and Ainster. But two good Scots ones are<BR><BR>Milngavie- Millguy<BR>Garioch-Geeree<BR><BR>On the local/pronunciation split, there's a village near here called Auchleven. Pronounced Premnay (it's the parish name, but it doesn't half confuse the incomers)<BR><BR>

Nebraska:<BR>Plattsmouth="Platts-mith"<BR>Louisville="Louisville" (not like the one in Kentucky)<BR>Norfolk= "Nor-fork"<BR>Kearney= "Car-nee"<BR>Beatrice- "Bee-at-truss" with the accent on "Bee"<BR><BR>Iowa:<BR>Des Moines="Duh-moin" not "Dez-moinz"<BR><BR><BR>Maine:<BR>Bangor="Bang-gore" not "Bang-or" or "Bang-er"<BR><BR>Oregon:<BR>The Dalles="The Dals"<BR><BR>South Dakota:<BR>The capitol, Pierre="Pier"<BR>Lead="Leed"<BR><BR>Virginia:<BR>N orfolk="Naw-fick"<BR><BR>Washington:<BR>Puyallup="Poo-yall-up"<BR><BR>Wyoming:<BR>Dubois="Doo-boyz"<BR><BR>Louisiana:<BR>Houma=Darned if I know...<BR><BR>Michigan:<BR>Sault Ste Marie="Sue Saint Marie"<BR><BR>

Okay, if it's not Sue Saint Marie and Duh Moin, someone please tell me the right way to say it!<BR>Also, is Mos-coe wrong? That's how the Beatles said it "the Mos-coe girls really knock me out, they leave the west behind..." Thanks : )

Down Under we say Briz-bin for Brisbane, and Keahns for Cairns.

In upstate NY:<BR>Valatie = Va -LAY-shuh<BR>Watervliet = Water-vuh-leet<BR>Coxsackie = cook-sock-key