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A Guide to Oregon Pronounciation
Oar-eh-GAWN.
It’s a sound that makes both native and long-time residents cringe.
Visitors and new residents to this area struggle with some of the names for our counties, cities, rivers, and streets. It’s easy to tell an out-off-towner when you hear them say “Willa-met” instead of “wil-LAM-mut”. It’s understandable. Many titles come from Native American roots, and therefore, don’t roll off the tongue easily.
In the spirit of helping Oregon newbies fit in better, I present “A Guide to Oregon Pronounciation”, including audio clips to play in your headphones and repeat out loud–just like in high school French class.
Click the small player icon to hear the clip.
Oregon — ORY-gun
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Counties
Willamette — will-LAM-mut
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Multnomah — mult-NO-meh
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Clackamas — clacka-muss
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Cities and Towns
Tualatin — too-WHAL-a-tin
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Aloha — a-LOW-uh
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Tigard — TIE-gurd
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Hubbard — hub-ERD
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Lake Oswego — oss-WEE-go
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Estacada — ess-ta-CAY-dah
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Molalla — muh-LAW-lah
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Mulino — muh-LINE-oh
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Gervais — jer-VISS
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The Dalles – like the pals
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Streets
Couch — coo-tsch
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Nicolai — NICK-o-lye
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Yeon — YEE-on
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Glisan — GLEE-sun
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(There is some controversy as whether it should be pronounced “glisten”.)
And of course, the local family chain of pubs, restaurants, hotels, and theaters.
McMenamins — MICK-mena-minz
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I’m sure I missed some. Leave a comment. I am glad I don’t have to pronounce some of the locations in Washington State. Quillayute or Puyallup, anyone?
Photo by dave77459. Used under Creative Commons license.
Comments
7 Responses to “A Guide to Oregon Pronounciation”
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Love this post. As a New YAWKer who drinks COUGHee, I often get a chuckle from my friends down south who buy IN-surance and call the PO-leece when there’s trouble.
And what about ordering sandwiches? In NY you order a Hero, down south a PoBoy, in Philly a Hoagie, in New England a Grinder
Our provincialism is less linguistic in nature. I think you’d be more scorned for choosing a domestic beer here in the land of microbrews.
I am perusing real estate blogs, as we are starting one next month. I love this article. I am working with some web people in California who pronounced Lake Oswego “Lake Os-way-go”. Also, weighing in on the Glisan topic, according to the Oregonian Rose Festival clues for the coin hunt a couple years back, the pronunciation was originally glisten. Thanks for the good read.
I grew up in Washington, just north of pew-AL-up, if you please. (And quill-ah-yoot, I think.)
Would you let people know it’s WID-MER beer…NOT Wid-mere?
Thanks!
Nancy,
Excellent correction! Wid-mur for sure. I think it might be high-time for a second pass at this guide. Widmer, Pittock, and Groening are sure to make the list.
Thanks for making the audio and posting this.
The written stress (in caps) doesn’t currently match with the audio on a couple of them. (Hubbard and Gervais)