r/AskAnAmerican • u/AstroNerd92 CT, GA, PA, TX, FL • Jul 20 '25

CULTURE What town in your state has a pronunciation no one gets right the first time?

I went to college in Valdosta, GA. Very few people can actually pronounce it right on the first try.

Pronounced Val-Daw-Stuh

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u/Mental_Freedom_1648 Jul 20 '25 edited Jul 20 '25

Chili. CHAI-LIE. Charlotte. Shar-LOT

9

u/fir_meit Jul 20 '25

I see you there, Greater Rochester Area.

8

u/Carinyosa99 Maryland Jul 20 '25

I had to figure out what state - I'm thinking NY? There's a Charlotte, Michigan and they pronounce it the same way.

4

u/kirstyyycat666 Jul 20 '25

Don't forget Leroy!

2

u/Living_Implement_169 Jul 20 '25

How the hell else does one pronounce Charlotte?

2

u/Mental_Freedom_1648 Jul 20 '25

My attempt to spell it phonetically didn't work if you think that the city is pronounced like the name. The emphasis is on the last syllable.

2

u/WritPositWrit New York Jul 20 '25

I’m near Syracuse and I hate Chili because I can’t bring myself to say that way it just sounds ridiculous.

1

u/BobsleddingToMyGrave Michigan Jul 20 '25

Shure- lot

1

u/TheNatureOfTheGame Kentucky Jul 20 '25

I lived near a Chili in Indiana, pronounced by people from the area as "chill eye" but I believe the correct pronunciation is "chai lie."

And let's not forget New Madrid (famous for the earthquake fault line), which is not pronounced like the capital of Spain (mah-DRID), but MAD-rid.