If we listed every part of the state with a Native American root to its name, this would be a very long list, but those town, river and location names seem to be the words that most confuse people when they’re here in the Dairy State. Usually, it’s an accent (or lack thereof) that is the first telltale sign someone isn’t a Wisconsinite, but it’s also really fun and funny to give them a list of local town names and ask them to say them aloud.
Here’s a pretty good list of the toughest words for out-of-towners to pronounce:
- Wisconsin
Flickr/Michel Curi I’d have thought this one wasn’t that difficult, but somehow folks find a myriad of ways to say Wisconsin wrong. There’s no E and it’s certainly not “West-consin.”
2, Bagel/Bag
Flickr/John Our nasally midwestern twang seems to be the most pronounced on these two. When we say it, there’s a Y in there, plus maybe a couple of extra A’s.
- Ashwaubenon
Flickr/Kendra Maybe it’s because saying them is second nature, but I’ve never thought our town names were that complicated. I don’t know how else you’d say this, but it trips up out of towners.
- Sheboygan
Flickr/JimmyEmersonDVM Much like Ashwaubenon, this one seems like it shouldn’t be too tricky and should be said pretty much as written, but out of towners can’t handle it.
5, Oconomowoc
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson DVM All those O’s really trip folks up - I think it’s the multiple syllables here that’s the issue.
- Brat/Bratwurst
Flickr/Dan_fuh As soon as someone says this similar to the word for an unruly child, we know they’re not from around these parts.
- Milwaukee
Flickr/JimmyEmersonDvm Milwaukeeans tend to drop the L and sort of mush that beginning part of their city name so that it comes out a bit more “Muhwaukee.” Anyone going hard on that first syllable and hitting the L is definitely not a native.
- Nueske’s
Facebook/NueskesMeats Who cares how you say it, it’s just darn delicious!
- Racine
Flickr/Adam Moss Language rules say this should be a long A as in “Raycine” but locals know it’s more “Ruhcine.”
- Weyauwega
Wikipedia/RoyalBroil Admittedly, I know this one because they make delicious cheese here.
- Waukesha
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson DVM The actual pronunciation adds a W to the end so it’s “Walk-uh-shaw” but folks not from here like to make that a long E as in “Walk-E-sha.”
- Wauwatosa
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson DVM That repeated syllable is rough for folks, but even if they get it right, you can tell non-natives by the lack of nasal O on “Tosa.”
- Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
Flickr/PjNelson To pronounce the T or not to pronounce the T? This is one of those that’s just intimidating to look at and it doesn’t help that there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on whether it’s “Nicolay” or “NicoleT.”
- Favre
Wikimedia You’d think his fame reached far enough to overcome anyone not knowing who Brett Favre is and how to say his name. To be fair, the way you say it makes absolutely no sense given how it’s spelled.
- Mukwonago
Flickr/JoshuaMayer Another Native word that trips folks up.
- Trempealeau
Flickr/Roy Luck I always, always have to double-check how to spell Trempealeau.
What other words do folks trip up on that let you know they aren’t from around here? Let us know in the comments!
Flickr/Michel Curi
I’d have thought this one wasn’t that difficult, but somehow folks find a myriad of ways to say Wisconsin wrong. There’s no E and it’s certainly not “West-consin.”
Flickr/John
Our nasally midwestern twang seems to be the most pronounced on these two. When we say it, there’s a Y in there, plus maybe a couple of extra A’s.
Flickr/Kendra
Maybe it’s because saying them is second nature, but I’ve never thought our town names were that complicated. I don’t know how else you’d say this, but it trips up out of towners.
Flickr/JimmyEmersonDVM
Much like Ashwaubenon, this one seems like it shouldn’t be too tricky and should be said pretty much as written, but out of towners can’t handle it.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson DVM
All those O’s really trip folks up - I think it’s the multiple syllables here that’s the issue.
Flickr/Dan_fuh
As soon as someone says this similar to the word for an unruly child, we know they’re not from around these parts.
Flickr/JimmyEmersonDvm
Milwaukeeans tend to drop the L and sort of mush that beginning part of their city name so that it comes out a bit more “Muhwaukee.” Anyone going hard on that first syllable and hitting the L is definitely not a native.
Facebook/NueskesMeats
Who cares how you say it, it’s just darn delicious!
Flickr/Adam Moss
Language rules say this should be a long A as in “Raycine” but locals know it’s more “Ruhcine.”
Wikipedia/RoyalBroil
Admittedly, I know this one because they make delicious cheese here.
The actual pronunciation adds a W to the end so it’s “Walk-uh-shaw” but folks not from here like to make that a long E as in “Walk-E-sha.”
That repeated syllable is rough for folks, but even if they get it right, you can tell non-natives by the lack of nasal O on “Tosa.”
Flickr/PjNelson
To pronounce the T or not to pronounce the T? This is one of those that’s just intimidating to look at and it doesn’t help that there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on whether it’s “Nicolay” or “NicoleT.”
Wikimedia
You’d think his fame reached far enough to overcome anyone not knowing who Brett Favre is and how to say his name. To be fair, the way you say it makes absolutely no sense given how it’s spelled.
Flickr/JoshuaMayer
Another Native word that trips folks up.
Flickr/Roy Luck
I always, always have to double-check how to spell Trempealeau.
Looking for more ways to tell is someone is native? Show them these memes and see whether or not they laugh!
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
