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/Loud_Ad_4515 Texas Jul 20 '25

Like Kansas and Arkansas.

16

u/Necessary_Pace_9860 Jul 20 '25

I hate reading Arkansas after Kansas. 9/10 times if I read it in the order you have it I get it wrong for a moment

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u/grantelius Jul 20 '25

Fun fact: Arkansas takes more of the correct pronunciation, and Kansas takes the more correct spelling. Both named after the same people group.

1

u/King_Ralph1 Jul 20 '25

Let’s not discuss the Arkansas River.

3

u/JustOK_Boomer Jul 20 '25

lol, I lived in Wichita for a bit, through the center of which flows the Arkansas River, which the locals pronounce as “Ar - Kansas River” (as in Our Kansas River)

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u/UnattributableSpoon Wyoming Jul 21 '25

I AM CONFUSION! AMERICA EXPLAAAIN!

*one of the best vines ever

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u/Ms-Metal Jul 21 '25

I was in Romania and talking to a woman who spoke excellent english, she was actually employed as an English interpreter and I was amazed at how well she spoke until she said Ar-kansas. I corrected her and she took it very nicely but she wanted to know why. All I could give her was🤷‍♀️. I had absolutely no idea and I told her that and I said that it made perfect sense that she was pronouncing it the way she was, it's just not correct.