Jun
29
A Pronunciation Guide
3:32 pm · category: Embracing My Inner Geek
If you’re ever in Arkansas, you’re going to have to know how to speak the language. As a start, I want to provide you with pronunciations for Arkansas towns that are probably different than what you expect.*
Augusta: uh GUS tuh
Blytheville: BLY vil
Dierks: duhrks
El Dorado: el duh RAY doh
Elaine: EE layn
Gamaliel: guh MAYL yuh
Helena: HEL uh nuh
McGehee: MUH gee
Palestine: pal uh STEEN
Pearcy: PEER see
Searcy: SUHR see
*I was 28 years old before I knew that Worcester (Massachusetts) was pronounced “Wooster.” Doh!
June 29th, 2006 at 7:35 pm
There is a Cairo in New York, pronounced Kay-ro. Like the syrup. WTF? (There’s another really good one that is near Cairo, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it is.)
June 29th, 2006 at 8:17 pm
I’m having a slap-my-forehead moment right now. I actually live 20 minutes from Cairo, and it’s pronounced exactly the same way as the one in New York. That’s actually what made me think of doing this post, and then I forgot all about it.
June 30th, 2006 at 11:32 am
Phew. It’s a good thing you posted this! I would have pronounced everything WRONG.