For Your Own Safety, Pronounce Correctly

[H]

You must pronounce 'Arkansas' correctly. The only acceptable pronunciation according to Arkansas state code is "three (3) syllables, with the final 's' silent, the 'a' in each syllable with the Italian sound and the accent on the first and last syllables." So be aware if in Arkansas and keep your Arkan-sasses silent for your own safety...

[Fozzer]

Arkansas.

Ar-Kan-Saw.... ...!

Took me ages how to find out how to pronounce Arkansas!

Before that, it was Kansas...with an "Ar" in front!

Similar to San Jose...San Ho-Say....

..no "J's" in Mexico...but lots of "H's"!... ...!

...and don't get me going on the correct pronunciation of; "Saint Louis".... ...!

Paul...Fun with names!.... ...!

[Hagar]

I've always believed the correct pronunciation of place names is the way the locals pronounce them.

Here's a few examples of towns not far from me in Southern England.

Ardingly in Sussex is pronounced Arding-lie.

Oving near Goodwood is pronounced Ooving.

Leigh just over the border in Surrey is pronounced Lie.

And so on.

[Jetranger]

Errrkkkk an SAWZ' !!!!!!!!

I No Howz' to Pre'nounze it,, hell I'm originally from Kanzaz' ~ !!!! sure am'

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpL0Q2OSRwQ[/youtube]

[Fozzer]

I have have Leominster locally..."Lemster" or "Lempster".

My American Chums will recognise our place names in their own country...>>>

Worcester..."Wooster".

Gloucester..."Gloster".

Cheltenham..."Cheltnam".

...not forgetting London..."Lunden" or "Lundan" (The place I was born as a Cockney!)... ...!

Paul.... ...!

[H]

I've always believed the correct pronunciation of place names is the way the locals pronounce them.
Here's a few examples of towns not far from me in Southern England.

Oops... count me guilty... if you hadn't told me, I honestly wouldn't have known.

Ardingly in Sussex is pronounced Arding-lie.

If I fullie understand, this surelie puts a new twist to pronounced modern English.

Oving near Goodwood is pronounced Ooving.

So, in Ireland I'd be a rover, in England, a roover?

Leigh just over the border in Surrey is pronounced Lie.

Are we telling the truth here... would it make a difference if you moved the border?

[511Flyer]

Not forgetting Weobley Paul, and Eardisland, to name but two.

[H]

Not forgetting Weobley Paul, and Eardisland, to name but two.

OK, that's not fair... I give up... please provide proper pronunciation.

[boromir125]

That pronunciation only works if you're talking about the state. There is also a river, in Kansas I believe that is spelled the same way as the state, but is pronounced "Ar-kansas" river. To be fair, there are any number of places that have the same spelling/pronunciation issues; the one that comes to my mind is in Maine (I lived there a lifetime ago). Up north, or is it Downeast, there is a town spelled Calais, which the French would pronounce as "Cal-ay", but Mainers, being Mainers call it "Cal-is" looking down on anyone who would say it differently. And lastly, also in Maine is St. Agatha...Post office, general store and gas station and year round population of about 4. To us mere mortals, that is St. Agatha, but to those living there, it is St. "Agat".

"A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet".

[Hawkeye07]

That pronunciation only works if you're talking about the state. There is also a river, in Kansas I believe that is spelled the same way as the state, but is pronounced "Ar-kansas" river. To be fair, there are any number of places that have the same spelling/pronunciation issues; the one that comes to my mind is in Maine (I lived there a lifetime ago). Up north, or is it Downeast, there is a town spelled Calais, which the French would pronounce as "Cal-ay", but Mainers, being Mainers call it "Cal-is" looking down on anyone who would say it differently. And lastly, also in Maine is St. Agatha...Post office, general store and gas station and year round population of about 4. To us mere mortals, that is St. Agatha, but to those living there, it is St. "Agat".

"A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet".

Speaking of Maine... What about Bangor? Locally pronounced as Ban-gah. I have family just north of there in Lincoln and I was stationed at NAS Brunswick for a year.
And here in Minnesota there are a few that caught me unawares. Any good Italian, such as yours truly, would recognize this word as "Milan" (Mill-on) but here in Minnesota it's pronounced My-lan. Michigan has one too and it's pronounced My-lan also. Albert Lea, Minnesota is pronounced Albert LEE.
I had a co-worker who was from the great state of Missouri but anybody with half a brain knows it's pronounced Missur-ah.

[Fozzer]

Speaking of Maine... What about Bangor? Locally pronounced as Ban-gah. I have family just north of there in Lincoln and I was stationed at NAS Brunswick for a year.
And here in Minnesota there are a few that caught me unawares. Any good Italian, such as yours truly, would recognize this word as "Milan" (Mill-on) but here in Minnesota it's pronounced My-lan. Michigan has one too and it's pronounced My-lan also. Albert Lea, Minnesota is pronounced Albert LEE.
I had a co-worker who was from the great state of Missouri but anybody with half a brain knows it's pronounced Missur-ah.

Now, you've let the cat out of the bag, Hawk!.... ....!

So...not all you lot up in New England are all British!

(So many British Place-names...Bangor [Bangah]....Lincoln [Lincan]...!)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England

...some of you are Italian, as well!.... ... ...!

.... ... ...!

I love knowing my USA Chums Forebears!!... ...!

...any more here?.... ...!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demograph ... County.svg

..the German invasion!.... .... ....!

Paul... ...!

[511Flyer]

Answer to earlier post. Weobley = Webbly and Eardisland = Erdsland.

Capital of Texas is Awstun!

UK and USA are said to be two nations divided by a common language.

Fanny bags? Don't even go there!

[Hagar]

Albert Lea, Minnesota is pronounced Albert LEE.

Seems logical to me. How else would you pronounce it?

[Fozzer]

During my frequent explorations of parts of California over the many years...

..it took me a Month of Sunday's ... ....

...and some more... ...

To find out the correct pronunciation of the San Joaquin Valley in Central California!...>>>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Joaquin_Valley

I called it San Joah-kwin for many years...Until I realised that the Mexican residents don't have a "J-sound" in their language!

Its actually pronounced: San Wha-keen!.... ....Go figure that out!!

Funny Folks...the Mexies!....I have great difficulty in finding my way around places either side of the Mexican Border.... ...!

Paul.... ... ... ...!

[H]

To be fair, there are any number of places that have the same spelling/pronunciation issues; the one that comes to my mind is in Maine (I lived there a lifetime ago). Up north, or is it Downeast, there is a town spelled Calais, which the French would pronounce as "Cal-ay", but Mainers, being Mainers, call it "Cal-is" looking down on anyone who would say it differently. And lastly, also in Maine is St. Agatha...Post office, general store and gas station and year round population of about 4. To us mere mortals, that is St. Agatha, but to those living there, it is St. "Agat".

Originally from a French-fried place in NH, I still pronounce it Kallay and, since Ive never (to my knowledge) been there, I don't consider Agatha a gem.

Speaking of Maine... What about Bangor? Locally pronounced as Ban-gah. I have family just north of there in Lincoln and I was stationed at NAS Brunswick for a year.

That's not an exact observation. The paternal side of my Mom's family are Maniacs (her maternal side is Canadian which I've concluded may actually be the more maniacal). If you mention to them that they don't pronounce the "r" in a word ending with 'ar' or 'or' you may get a rebuff; my Connecticut cousin and friends laughed about how I extended my final "r" (particularly with the word 'car'); however, with the same words, Nebraskans made note of how I wasn't pronouncing a final "r", to which, I informed them that I most certainly was.

Answer to earlier post. Weobley = Webbly and Eardisland = Erdsland.

Thank you. If it had been spelled Woebley, I may have considered it such as an Old English pronunciation; for the same reason, E(a)rd(i)sland isn't a surprise, either, although I have a harder time ignoring the"i".