Learn to Pronounce Commonly Misspoken Michigan Words

I've lived in Michigan my entire life and I still mess up the names of cities, towns, streets and so many other things. I don't know if it's just a Michigan thing or what but there really are some weird and hard to pronounce places in the state.

The Bureau of Services for Blind Persons Braille and Talking Book Library, along with LARA, put together a pretty sweet Michigan pronunciation guide to help us not sound like idiots.

When talking to out of towners, I've noticed their issue with correctly saying a few local words that just seem normal to us like Clio, Tuscola, and Genesee.

I have a buddy from Royal Oak that goes on my annual canoe trip to Mio every year and for some reason, he calls it Mee-Oh. We laugh and make fun of him every time he says it.

Regardless where you're from, I'm sure the list of words below will help you when trying to pronounce some weirdly named places in Michigan.

Commonly misspoken words on the list:

• Au Gres    (Ō GRĀ)
• Au Sable    (OU SÄB-əl)
• Au Train    (Ô TRĀN)
• Charlevoix    (SHÄR-lə-VOI)
• Cheboygan    (shə-BOI-gən)
• Chesaning    (CHES-ə-ning)
• Clio    (KLĪ-ō)
• Cohoctah    (kō-HOK-tə)
• Decatur    (də-KĀ-tûr)
• Dequindre    (də-KWIN-dûr)
• Dowagiac    (dō-WÄ-jak)
• Epoufette    (EP-oo-FET)
• Evangeline    (ē-VÂN-gel-ēn)
• Genesee    (JEN-ə-SĒ)
• Gibraltar    (JIB-räl-tûr)
• Goetzville    (GĀTZ-vil)
• Gogebic    (gō-GĒ-bik)
• Hiawatha    (hī-ə-WÄ-thə)
• Kawkawlin    (KÔ-KÔ-lin)
• Kenockee    (KEN-ə-kē)
• Keweenaw    (KĒ-wə-NAW)
• Kitch-iti-kipi Springs    (kich-ə-TI-KIP-ē SPRINGZ)
• Koegel's    (KŌ-gəlz)
• Koehler    (KŌ-lûr)
• Lachine    (lə-SHĒN)
• Lafayette    (lä-fā-ET)
• LaGrange    (lə-GRÂNJ)
• Lahser   (LÄ-sûr)
• L'Anse    (LÄNS)
• Leonidas    (lē-ō-NĪ-das)
• Les Cheneaux Islands    (LĀ shə-NŌ Ī-landz)
• Livernois    (LIV-ûr-noi)
• Macatawa    (mak-ə-TOU-ə)
• Mackinac    (MAK-in-ô)
• Mackinac Bridge    (MAK-in-ô BRIJ)
• Mackinac Island    (MAK-in-ô Ī-land)
• Mackinaw    (MAK-in-ô)
• Mackinaw City    (MAK-in-ô SI-tē)
• Manistee    (mân-əs-TĒ)
• Manistique    (mân-əs-TĒK)
• Michilimackinac    (mish-il-ə-MAK-in-aô)
• Mio    (MĪ-ō)
• Novi    (NŌ-vī)
• Oceola     (os-ē-Ō-lə)
• Ocqueoc    (ÔK-kē-ôk)
• Ogemaw    (Ō-gə-maw)
• Okemos    (ŌK-ə-məs)
• Onaway    (ON-ə-wā)
• Oneida    (ō-NĪ-də)
• Onekama    (ō-NEK-ə-mə)
• Onondaga    (ON-ən-DĀ-gə)
• Onota    (ō-NÄ-tə)
• Osceola    (OS-Ē-ōl-ə)
• Oscoda    (o-SKŌ-də)
• Oshtemo    (OSH-tə-mō)
• Osseo    (OS-ē-ō)
• Ossineke    (ä-sin-ĒK)
• Otisco    (ō-TIS-kō)
• Peshawbestown     (SHÔ-bē-toun)
• Petoskey    (pə-TOS-kē)
• Pewamo    (pə-WÄM-ō)
• Pinconning    (pin-KON-ing)
• Pointe Aux Barques    (POINT Ô BÄRKS)
• Pointe Aux Pins    (POINT Ô PIN)
• Pokagon    (pō-KĀ-gən)
• Polkton    (PŌLK-tən)
• Pompeii    (pom-pē-Ī)
• Ponshewaing    (PON-shə-wāng)
• Pontiac    (PON-[t]ē-ak)
• Potowatomi    (pot-ə-WÄT-ə-mē)
• Quanicassee    (KWAN-ə-kə-SĒ)
• Reuther, Walter    (ROO-thûr, WÄL-tûr)
• Romulus    (ROM-yoo-lus)
• Sanilac    (SÂN-ə-LAK)
• Saranac    (SÂR-ə-NAK)
• Sauble    (SOU-bûl)
• Saugatuck    (SÔ-gə-tuk)
• Sault Ste. Marie    (SOO SĀNT mə-RĒ)
• Sebewa    (SIB-ə-wə)
• Sebewaing    (SĒB-wing)
• Secord     (SĒ-cōrd)
• Seney    (SEN-ē)
• Seul Choix Point    (si-SHWÔ POINT)
• Seville    (sə-VIL)
• Tahquamenon Falls    (tə-KWÄM-i-nän FÄLZ)
• Tecumseh    (tə-KUM-sē)
• Tekonsha    (tə-KON-shə)
• Tittabawassee    (tit-ə-bə-WÄ-sē)
• Tuscarora    (tus-kə-RŌR-ə)
• Tuscola    (tus-KŌL-ə)
• Ubly    (UB-lē)
• Unadilla    (oon-ə-DIL-ə)
• Vergennes    (vûr-JENZ)
• Wabaningo    (WÔ-bə-NING-ō)
• Wacousta    (wô-KOO-stə)
• Waishkey Bay    (WĀSH-kē BĀ)
• Wequetonsing    (wek-wə-TON-sing)
• Zilwaukee    (zil-WÔ-kē)

To see the entire massive list of words, click here.