Are you mispronouncing these Oregon words? Probably
Psst, it’s definitely not Ory-gone. The Oregonian/OregonLive has compiled a pronunciation guide to some of the most misunderstood names in the state. These include the name of towns, counties, rivers, streets, and even lighthouses that many people mispronounce. The guide includes examples where people mistakenly call these towns AL-bunny, not YAK-ats or Ya-CHATS. The name of Portland's Glisan Street, which was named after Rodney Glisan, should actually sound like “listen” rather than GLEE-son. Other mispronounced words include Will-a-MET and Wallowa, a Nez Perce word describing a triangular structure of stakes that supports a network of sticks.
Được phát hành : 11 thàng trước qua The Oregonian/OregonLive.com trong Travel
This article was originally published in 2016
Oregon is full of towns, counties, rivers, streets and even lighthouses that many people (hello, transplants) unknowingly mispronounce. Heck, even folks from other parts of the country butcher the name of our beloved 33rd state. Psst, it’s definitely not “Ory-gone.”
So with that, The Oregonian/OregonLive presents this important pronunciation guide to some of the most mangled names on the local map.
If you’re pronouncing it like the Hawaiian word, you’ve got it all wrong.
As residents of this small coastal town will tell you, it’s not YAK-ats or Ya-CHATS.
Looks like you would say Glenn-e-den, right? Wrong.
There are still people who call this town south of Salem AL-bunny.
This city in Jefferson County gets its name butchered all the time. Note: It was not named after a middle-eastern educational institution and shouldn’t be pronounced like one.
Trivia: Wallowa is a Nez Perce word describing a triangular structure of stakes that in turn supported a network of sticks called lacallas to form a fish trap.
In the 1830s, the original Fort Boise was established near this city on the Oregon-Idaho border. The city was originally a shipping center for sheep and stock on the Union Pacific’s main trunk line.
It’s not WILL-a-MET. It’s also not Will-a-MA-TAY. It derives from the Native American word Wallamt.
Actually, we’re all apparently saying it wrong. Interestingly, Portlanders have accepted the wrong pronunciation of this street name as the norm. According to the Oregon Historical Society, the Glisan family didn’t go by GLEE-son, like the name of the comedian who starred in “The Honeymooners.” It should actually sound like “listen.” Glisan Street was named after of Rodney Glisan, a U.S. Army frontier medical doctor.
Some call it the “HECK-ah-Ta” Head Lighthouse on the Oregon Coast.
The Molala were a Native American tribe in the Cascade foothills of Clackamas County. Somewhere along the line someone decided to add an extra L. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Don’t pronounce it like the place you sit in your living room to stream your favorite TV shows.
Home of the popular Festival of Balloons each June, you can lean on the high school mascot to pronounce this Portland suburb.
It’s Oregon’s most popular little ghost town, located about a 2.5-hour drive from Portland. When we say little ghost town, we mean it. Shaniko boasts a population of a whopping 30 people.
Early fur traders called the river Riviere des Chutes, which means “River of the Falls.”
It’s no shoo-in to say this Northeast Portland street name correctly.
Fun fact: Philomath is Greek for “a lover of learning.”
If you’re calling it “Clat-skan-EEE,” you’re probably not alone. But you’d also be incorrect.
The “G” is not only silent, it turns into a long “E.”
Just past Hood River but don’t overlook this Columbia River Gorge gem, home to the Cherry Festival in the spring and Northwest Mural Festival in the summer.
Say it: The Dallz (rhymes with gals)
Yes, Oregon has legalized marijuana. But Weidler still isn’t pronounced “WEED-ler.”
This tiny central Oregon town was not named after Paulina Porizkova. It was named after Paiute Chief Paulina -- and it’s not “Pa-LEEN-a.”
Home to the world-famous Smith Rock State Park, Terrebonne translates to “good earth.”
Known as the “Covered Bridge Capital of the West,” this tiny town southeast of Salem has a population of under 1,000 (956).
Located near the southern coast, Coquille is 2.8 square miles, of which 2.76 square miles is land and .04 square miles is water. The Coquille Tribe is pronounced “ko-kwel,” but the river and town are ...
Nehalem was named for the Nehalem Native Americans, also known as the Tillamook. One attributed meaning for Nehalem is “place where people live.”
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