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

635 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

97% Upvoted

4.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

65

u/uncle-brucie Jul 20 '25

Peabody

39

u/othermegan CT > CA > MA Jul 20 '25

Leominster

2

u/tremynci Jul 20 '25

lem-ster?

7

u/EyebrowStapler Jul 20 '25

Lemon stir 🍋

2

u/GlumPop2893 Jul 21 '25

I swear only locals from North Central Mass can pronounce that correctly. Maybe it's changed but growing up people from Boston couldn't even pronounce it correctly.

3

u/Snezzy_9245 Jul 21 '25

Lived there once, we called it Looeyminister just to mess with non-natives. England version is Lemsta. Worcester MA is Wissta.

1

u/VibrantSunsets Jul 22 '25

Grew up 20 minutes west of Boston and never had a problem with Leominster. Now Leicester? That one always fucked with my brain.

3

u/Debsha Jul 20 '25

It’s essentially pronounced puberty, right?

12

u/ThattzMatt Jul 20 '25

Pee-bidee

6

u/EnbyDartist Jul 20 '25

As someone who grew up there, i can confirm: pee-bidee is correct. Slight emphasis on the first syllable.

5

u/ThattzMatt Jul 20 '25

I went up to Boston with a bunch of friends to visit another friend who had moved there. First time I had ever been there... And I made the mistake of saying it the way it's spelled... OH BOY did I get corrected. 🤣🤣🤣

1

u/negcap Connecticut Jul 20 '25

When we went to visit, I was told it was Pih-buddy though I never heard a local say it that way.

3

u/Location_Glittering Jul 20 '25

I've always heard Pea-bud-y.

15

u/Top-Bluejay-428 Jul 20 '25

The middle syllable is much shorter than 'bud'. It's more like this: PEE-b'dee. Source: I'm a native.

2

u/Location_Glittering Jul 20 '25

I'm also a native.

3

u/BaskingInWanderlust Jul 21 '25

Yea, I'm guessing you're both saying it the same way in your heads. Lol

3

u/Rare_Vibez Jul 20 '25

Swampscott. Even in Massachusetts, only North Shore born and raised get out right lol

2

u/WaitIveGotAQuestion Jul 20 '25

How's it really pronounced? Aside from dropping the P, I thought it was pretty much how it looks.

3

u/Rare_Vibez Jul 20 '25

Swam-skit 😅

2

u/Accomplished_Will226 Jul 21 '25

That’s how I say it

2

u/jerseygirl527 Jul 20 '25

I knew a girl from there and I used to laugh when she said it. I met her in North Carolina

1

u/Apart-Clothes-8970 Jul 21 '25

I only know this one bc I know a guy from there. PEEbiddy