50 People Tell Us Which Word Their State Always Mispronounces | Culturally Speaking

Mispronunciations Across States: A Linguistic Exploration

Regional Pronunciation Variations

• Missourians often mispronounce words like "quarter" as "quarta" and "wash," leading to confusion in conversations.

• In Alabama, the tendency is to mispronounce many words, with examples including "window" pronounced as "winder."

• The pronunciation of "water" varies significantly; some say it without a hard 't', resulting in variations like "wadar."

• Common mispronunciations include “Amburlance,” “nuclear,” and “caramel,” showcasing regional accents and dialects.

• People from Texas may pronounce “oil” as “awl,” while others might say “bag” instead of the correct pronunciation.

Notable State-Specific Mispronunciations

• The word "Nevada" is frequently mispronounced as "Navada," highlighting its Spanish origin.

• In Arkansas, there’s debate over how to pronounce “crayon,” with some saying it as “crown.”

• Older generations in Washington may still refer to their state as “Wershington,” while younger people use the correct pronunciation.

• Hawaiian Pidgin introduces unique phrases such as, “Hoy, brah, you goin hit walls today?” reflecting local slang.

• In Pennsylvania, common phrases are shortened for ease of communication; for example, asking someone if they ate becomes simply “Digeat?”