Can you pronounce the names of these places in NC?
The North Carolina Museum of History is challenging our state knowledge with their series of Tweets, "#PronouncingNC."
If you can pronounce all these counties, cities and towns, then you're a true North Carolinian.
Here are a few:
- Fuquay-Varina: FEW-kway vuh-REE-nuh
- Mebane: MEB-in
- Chalybeate Springs: ka-LIB-ee-ut
- Saxapahaw: SACKS-uh-pa-hah
- Cullowhee: KULLA-wee
- Nantahala: NAN-tuh-HAY-luh
- Pfafftown: POFF-town
- Uwharrie: you-WARR-ee
- Ahoskie: uh-HOSS-kee
- Ocracoke: OAK-ra-coke
- Catawba: kuh-TAW-buh
- Occoneechee: OAK-uh-NEE-chee
One that people seems to struggle with is Alleghany County, pronounced: al-uh-GAIN-ee.
Another one that everyone seems to get wrong is Beaufort, pronounced BOE-furt.
- Did we miss anything? Send us a news tip if you know of a hard-to-pronounce town!
- For more guidance check out WRAL's pronunciation guide.
Have you ever heard of these NC towns?
North Carolina has a lot of small towns with strange names scattered throughout the state. See if you know these:
Lizard Lick, in Wake County. Historians say the town was named Lizard Lick after a passerby saw many lizards licking themselves on a fence.
Half Hell, in Brunswick County. The community gets its name from a swamp, located off N.C. Highway 906. In the 1800s, settlers were unable to cross the dense swamp, and named it "halfway to hell." Historians also believe the community could have been named off of the reputation it had for moonshining.
Whynot, in Randolph County. The town's name came from residents debating a title for their community. A man finally remarked: "Why not name the town Why Not and let's go home?" And that's still its name today.
Boogertown, in Gaston County. The town was named after moonshiners who warned that the bogeyman lurked in the forest in order to deter visitors.
Suggestions from WRAL viewers:
- Topsail Beach: TOP-sul, from tops'l. Not Top-sail.
- Rocky Mount: ROCK-y MOU-nt, equal emphasis on 'rock' and 'mount', with a nice drawl on "mount."
- Bahama: buh-HAY-muh
- Shallotte: shah-LOTE
- Bertie: burr-TEE
- Robeson: ROBE-bu-sun
- Chowan : Cho-WAHN (though give some equal accent to both syllables)
- Carteret: CARR-turr-ett
- Tyrrell: TAIR-ull
- Conetoe: kuh-NEE-tuh
Chocowinity: CHOCK-o-WIN-it-tee
Pactolus: pak-TOLL-es
Pamlico: PAM-lih-co
