We native Texans might not have a problem pronouncing even the weirdest, most non-phonetic town names in our state, but that’s just because we’re used to them. Out-of-staters, on the other hand, might as well be looking at a foreign language when they try to say some of them. Although it can be pretty funny to witness, we figured we’d help them out a bit by (literally) spelling out some of the harder ones for them. There are definitely a lot more, but these 11 hard to pronounce Texas towns get mispronounced more than any others.

1. Boerne
Flickr/fotoman
Nope, it's not pronounced "burn." It's not "born" either. It's "burn-ee." Fooled ya there, didn't we?
2. Waxahachie
Flickr/texasbackroads
A lot of people say "wax-ahachie" like a wax figure. It may appear to be the correct pronunciation, but it's not. The right way to say it is "walks-uh-hatch-ee."
3. New Braunfels
Flickr/jrphotographyme
I know what you're thinking, but hear me out. This one might seem pretty straightforward, but you'd be surprised how many people mispronounce it. I've heard "New Braunsfels," "New Braunsfel," and even "New Brownsville." Come on, people! It's not that hard!
4. Burnet
Flickr/bjmccray
It sounds like it would be "bur-net," but it's actually "bur-knit," like knitting a sweater.
5. Llano
Flickr/khowaga
Okay, I'll admit even I'm guilty of mispronouncing this town sometimes. I'm sure a lot of us Texans have made a Spanish speaker cringe after letting "lawn-oh" slip out of our mouths. It's actually "yawn-oh," but oh well. This is Texas, and we'll talk how we want, gosh darn it.

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6. Humble
Flickr/nakrnsm
In my humble opinion, the "h" should be pronounced in this suburb's name. But, unfortunately, I don't make the rules, so it's still "uhm-bull" for now.
7. Bexar County
Flickr/matthigh
This county in the Texas Hill Country is pronounced, "bear," like the animal. Grrrr.
8. Gruene
Flickr/cogdog
I've heard out-of-staters try to pronounce this New Braunfels community to no avail. "Groo-in?" "Groon?" It sounds like a foreign language coming out of their mouth, and it's actually quite laughable. Nope, it's "green," guys. Like the color. Pretty simple.
9. Amarillo
Flickr/Charles Henry
This is another name that us Texans have continued to botch over the years. We all say "am-uh-rill-oh," but it's actually "am-uh-ree-yoh," the Spanish word for "yellow." But we have our own language, and we'll do whatever we want. The end.
10. Study Butte
Flickr/horatio3k
It would be pretty awesome if it were pronounced, "study butt," but unfortunately, it's "study byoot."
11. Marathon
Flickr/legdog
I know we all want to say we've been to "mara-thon" to make people think we're some kind of super-fit ultra runner, but it's actually "mara-thin." Oh well, we tried. Time to eat some tacos instead.

Have you ever heard anyone mispronounce any of these towns? What other places in Texas do people always pronounce wrong? This list of mispronounced Texas towns is certainly not complete. What other hard to pronounce Texas towns to do you know?

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Hard To Pronounce Texas Towns

Christy Articola | October 02, 2022

Wow! These names really are difficult to pronounce! Now that I know how to pronounce them, I'd love to visit a few of them. What can you tell me about Waxahachie?

Waxahachie is a wondeful place to visit if you like history! It's one of the most historic towns in Texas. There are over 80 buildings in town on the National Register of Historic Places. You'll love learning abou the past in Waxahachie! There Are More Than 80 Historic Buildings In This Special Texas Town

I've heard of New Braunfels before, but what is there to do there?

This city in the Texas Hill Country is a lovely place for a day or weekend trip. You can visit Landa Park, tube the Comal River, boat on Canyon Lake, walk across the Faust Street Bridge, and more. Check out this post to learn more about it: Forget Long Trips – Take A Daycation In New Braunfels, Texas. Also, another town on this list - Gruene - is actually within the city limits of New Braunfels!

Llano has always interested me as well. What can you suggest for things to do in Llano?

Llano is another fantastic place for a short trip! It's another town in the Hill Country, but it's much smaller than New Braunfels - it has only 3,000 residents. Still, there's plenty to do. Check out some of the historic buildings, walk around the downtown area, visit the Llano County Historical Museum, swim in the river, and more. Check out this post to learn more: Visit The Friendliest Town In Texas The Next Time You Need A Pick-Me-Up

You'll love visiting these towns in Texas - and you'll love them even more now that you know how to pronounce them, so you don't embarrass yourself in front of the locals!

 

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