Posted in Oregon
October 21, 2017
Never Mispronounce These 8 Words In Front Of An Oregonian
The surest way to make an Oregonian cringe is by mispronouncing the name of our state, rivers, towns, cities, or streets. Whether you’re thinking about moving to Oregon, or just plan on visiting, it’s probably a good idea to start brushing up on some of the local vocabulary. The following are 8 words that you should never mispronounce in front of an Oregonian.
This word can refer to a major river, a college, a valley, and a forest. No matter which one you're talking about, make sure to pronounce it "will-AM-ett".
This city's name is butchered all the time, but the official pronunciation is "MAD-russ".
Lots of people also struggle with this word. Umpqua is a Native American word that can be used to refer to an Oregon bank, local ice cream company, forest, valley, and even a river. It's pronounced "UMP-kwah".
The important thing to remember with this word (which is the name of a community in Washington County) is that you're in Oregon, not Hawaii. You pronounce this word "uh-LOW-uh".
Lebanon may be a country in the Middle East, but it is also the name of an Oregon city. We pronounce our version "leba-NIN", not "leba-NON".
Couch is the name of a street in NW Portland. While you may be tempted to pronounce it like the furniture item, it is actually pronounced "COOCH".
Wallowa is another important Oregon place name. This word is commonly pronounced "wal-OW-ah".
This last word is a big one. The thing to remember here is that there is no "gone" in Oregon. We're not Ore-goin' anywhere.
What do you think of this list? Let us know what words we missed in the comments below!
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