It’s a dead giveaway that you’re not from the Northwest when you hack the names of the cities – and, while locals are used to it, and even some of them struggle from time-to-time, you may want to learn how to pronounce some of the more commonly mispronounced places.
Tulalip
Tulalip is pronounced “too-LAY-lip,” not too-LAH-lip or too-LUH-lip. The town that serves as headquarters for the Tulalip Indian Reservation, gets its name from the word “duh-hlay-lup,” meaning either “a wide bay with a small mouth” or “steer around the sand bar,” a warning to those who were canoeing through the bay.
Sequim
Just about every outsider squirms before trying to pronounce this town on the Olympic Peninsula. The right way to say it is Sqwim, like saying swim, but adding a q after the s. Sequim’s name is derived from the Native American language, Klallam, and was originally believed to mean “quiet waters,” but it’s now believed to translate into “place for going to shoot” or “good hunting ground.”
Lummi
Lummi isn’t pronounced LOO-mi, contrary what never everyone seems to think. This island northeast of the San Juans, was enamed in 1853 in honor of the indigenous people of the Lummi Nation, and is pronounced “LUH-mee.”
Puyallup
If you can master this one, you’re practically a native. The city of Puyallup is pronounced pew-ALL-up OR pew-AL-up. it’s pronounced pyu as a single syllable, as in Japanese pyu. It’s really not all the hard, we promise.
Spokane
This northeastern city is pronounced Spo-CAN, not Spo-CANE. It’s a Salish tribe word meaning “children of the sun.”
Washington
Despite being spelled W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N there are millions who continue to insist on pronouncing it Warshington. Please don’t. Why that ever happened in the first place is anyone’s guess, but if you refuse to pronounce it correctly, you might want to stay in Idahor, Kenturcky, or wherever you’re from.
Oregon
If you just moved to Oregon, it’s ORE-uh-ghinn. NOT Ore-uh-GONE. NEVER Ore-uh-GONE, or Ory-GONE either.
Willamette
Lots of people struggle with Willamette too. The correct pronunciation of the town and the popular Oregon wine region is “Will-AM-it” as in “It’s Will-AM-it, damnit!”
Yachats
The lucky residents of this stunning coastal town will tell you, it’s not YAK-ats or Ya-CHATS. It’s YA-hots.
Dalles
Dalles is not pronounced like the Texas city. It rhymes with “the gals.”
Albany
This town that lies just south of Salem isn’t AL-bunny. It’s ALL-buny.
Madras
This city’s name is butchered all the time. It isn’t MAH-dras, it’s MAD-ras.
Boise
Those who come from other countries, often have no clue how to pronounce the name of Idaho’s capital city, and the majority outsiders, even those who live in the U.S., usually say it wrong, calling Boise “boy-Zee.” Residents know it’s actually said BOY-see. It’s a French word that means “wooded.”
Coeur d’Alene
Coeur d’Alene is often butchered when outsiders try to pronounce it, and almost always when they attempt to spell it. It’s actually the name of an American Indian tribe who lived in the area and called themselves the Schitsu’umsh. They got the name Coeur d’Alene, which means “heart of an awl,” from French-Canadian fur traders. It’s pronounced kore-duh-LANE.
Moscow
It may look like MOSS-cow, but it’s MOSS-co, which rhymes with “toe,” not “cow.”
Nez Perce
While most pronounce this Idaho county as nezz PEARCE, it’s actually PURSE, like a handbag: nezz PURSE.
It’s the name of an American Indian tribe, given to the Nimíipuu by French-Canadian trappers.
