RALEIGH, N.C. — It has been said that North Carolina is a highway full of pronunciation potholes.
Peruse a map or gazeteer and you soon realize the Tar Heel state is full of unusual names.
If there is one rule to remember about North Carolina pronunciations, it is do not get too fancy. Sometimes it is better to swallow a syllable than to overenunciate.
Here is a guide to some of the most commonly mispronounced towns in the state and a guide to help say them correctly.
Do you have a town to add to our list?
Let us know!
Accented syllable in
CAPS
Forsyth: for-SYTH Concord: KON-KORD Beaufort: BOE-furt Conetoe: kuh-NEE-tuh Salisbury: SAULS-bair-ee Bertie: BURR-TEE Tyrrell: TAIR-uhl Bahama: ba-HAY-ma Corolla: ka-RAH-la Chalybeate Springs: ka-LIB-e-ut Appalachian: ap-a-LATCH-un Watauga: wah-TAW-guh Catawba: kuh-TAW-buh Kure Beach: KUR-ee Wendell: WEN-DELL Stovall: STOE-vuhl Norlina: nor-LY-na Fuquay-Varina: FEW-kway vuh-REE-nah Zebulon: ZEB-yoo-lun Ahoskie: ah-HOSS-kee Chowan: CHOE-WAHN Robeson: ROB-uh-sun Rodanthe: roe-DAN-the Bodie Islandd: BOD-ee (like body) Harnett: HAR-net Cashiers: KASH-urs Mebane: MEB-un Chocowinity: chock-uh-WIN-uh-tee Cabarrus: ka-BAIR-us Perquimans: purr-KWIH-muns Iredell: EYE-ur-dell More names added:
Moncure: mahn-KURE Lucama: loo-KAH-ma Pocomoke: POE-ka-moke Severn: SEV-ren Advance: AD-vance Duplin: DOO-plin Kerr Lake: KAR (sounds like tar) Castalia: kas-TALE-ya Saxapahaw: SAX-pa-haw (locals drop second syllable) Beautancus: boe-TANK-us Kittrell: KIT-trull Leicester: LESS-tur Topsail: TOP-suhl Hiddenite: HID-nite (locals drop second syllable) Chicamacomico: CHICK-uh-ma-KOM-uh-koe Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
