If You Can Pronounce These 8 Words, You’ve Lived In Pittsburgh For Far Too Long

Pittsburgh certainly does have its fair share of places and words that are, well, difficult to pronounce. That's just part of the uniqueness of life in Pittsburgh. We've all probably heard non-Pittsburghers or newbies to the city trip over the pronunciation of names and words that just glide off of our tongues. Maybe we've even tripped over them once or twice or, at the very least, had a few challenges learning to spell them when we were in grade school. Take a peek at the following list. Do you agree that those of us who live in Pittsburgh can undoubtedly pronounce these eight words?

1. Duquesne

Chances are you've heard non-Pittsburghers pronounce (or butcher, if you prefer) Duquesne in a variety of ways. But, we natives know it's doo-kane. It's a suburb of Pittsburgh, a university, and perhaps the more recognized of the two inclines.

2. Zelienople

The charming town of Zelienople sits 29 miles from downtown Pittsburgh. We, Pittsburghers, know it well and pronounce it zee-lee-en-o-ple. Or, to make it easier, we just call it Zelie.

3. North Versailles

The Palace of Versailles (silent l's and s) sits outside of Paris, France. The Western Pennsylvanian suburb of North Versailles is pronounced in its own Pittsburgh way: ver-sales.

4. Monongahela

It's one of the three rivers - along with the Allegheny and the Ohio - so, of course, we know how to properly pronounce Monongahela (muh-nong-guh-hey-luh). Now, spelling it...well, that's another story altogether.

5. Charleroi

Coincidentally, our next hard-to-pronounce name sits along the Monongahela River. Home to less than 4,000 residents, the town of Charleroi (shar-luh-roy) is only 30 miles from downtown Pittsburgh.

6. Punxsutawney

It might be a bit easier to pronounce Punxsutawney (puhngk-suh-taw-nee) than it is to spell. But, that might be due to that lovable little fella, Phil, who has put the small Pennsylvania town on the map.

7. Kielbasa

Pittsburgh is a city rich in Polish heritage. That makes it easier for us to know how to properly pronounce kielbasa ( kiel-ba-sa). But, some of us have our own way of saying kielbasa. How do you pronounce it? Kiebasa or kil-bossy?

8. Jeet jet?

Let's face it. We can't talk about words and pronunciation without giving a shout-out to Pittsburghese. If you ask others jeet jet and understand what it means, you've definitely lived in Pittsburgh too long (not that that's a bad thing, is it?).

Life in Pittsburgh means having our own twist on the language (Pittsburghese, if you will) and knowing how to pronounce other words - like these eight - that most others don't. What other words can only Pittsburghers pronounce properly? Share below to add to the list. Then, see how many of these words you'll only understand if you're from Pittsburgh.

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