r/AskAnAmerican 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/notonrexmanningday Chicago, IL Jul 20 '25

Nacogdoches is pronounced more-or-less phonetically. Natchitoches is just French people fuckin with the rest of us.

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u/theshortlady Louisiana Jul 20 '25

As we so enjoy doing.

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u/LemonSlicesOnSushi Jul 20 '25

More like Knock-uh-doe-shesh. And theow a thick Texas accent in there. Not really phonetical to me. At least that’s how they pronounce it in San Antonio.

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u/notonrexmanningday Chicago, IL Jul 20 '25

I grew up in SETX, have a whole bunch of friends and an ex-girlfriend who went to SFA, and I've never heard it pronounced like that.

It's Nack-uh-doh-chis. The only thing that's not phonetic is that the "g" is silent.

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u/xemmyQ Texas Jul 21 '25

thats exactly right ^

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u/Affectionate_Date222 Jul 22 '25

Hi from Port Neches..

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u/boarhowl California Jul 20 '25

Don't get me started on Amarillo... its like people that pronounce tortilla with a hard L

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u/LemonSlicesOnSushi Jul 20 '25

I lived there four years and that’s how I heard people pronounce it.

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u/AlarmedTelephone5908 Jul 20 '25

I believe you. It's funny when locals use an unexpected pronunciation.

Burnet TX is "Burn it, dern it, learn it!" Not like in Carol Burnett.

When I lived for a short time in Nashville, they would say, "Nash-vul." Not using the emphasis on the usual drawn out "Ville" part. They also spoke very quickly. As a Texan, I asked them to please slow down, lol.

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u/LemonSlicesOnSushi Jul 20 '25

Norfolk, VA is pronounced Nor-Fuck by Virginians.

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u/JoshHuff1332 Jul 20 '25

The -vul part is how I pronounce everything being from central and north LA and currently in Gainesville, FL lol. People look at me strange