Say What?

 Today's post looks at the most difficult town names to pronounce state by state. The data was compiled from a number of sources and research. Many of the town names come from native languages like Alabama's Loachapoka (which means "turtle sitting place" in Muskogee, and Wayzata in Minnesota is derived from a Sioux word meaning "north". Other names may seem familiar though they are pronounced differently like Cairo sounds more like Karo than the Egyptian capital and Milan isn't the same as Milan, Italy as it is said MY-linn. Still other names have no clear origin. 

Alabama	Loachapoka	LOW-cha-POH-kah
Alaska	Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes	Unknown. Phonetic approximation: Noo-nath-loo-ga-ga-mee-oot-bin-go-ee
Arizona	Sonoita	suh-NOY-tuh
Arkansas	Ouachita	WASH-ee-tah
California	Zzyzx	ZY-ziks
Colorado	Crested Butte	Crested BEWT
Connecticut	Berlin	BURR-lin
Delaware	Newark	New-ARK
Florida	Ocoee	oh-KOH-ee
Georgia	Buena Vista	BEW-na VISS-tuh
Hawaii	Kaumalapau	kah-OO-mah-LAH-pah-OO
Idaho	Coeur d’Alene	KORE-duh-LANE
Illinois	Benld	Ben-ELD
Indiana	Loogootee	Luh-GO-tee
Iowa	Ocheyedan	oh-CHEE-den
Kansas	Osawatomie	oh-so-WAH-tah-mee
Kentucky	Tyewhoppety	tih-WAH-pih-tee
Louisiana	Natchitoches	NAH-code-ish
Maine	Seboeis	Seh-BOW-iss
Maryland	Glenelg	GLEN-el
Massachussetts	Worcester	WOO-ster
Michigan	Sault Ste. Marie	SOO Saint ma-REE
Minnesota	Wayzata	WHY-ZET-uh
Mississippi	Louisville	LOO-iss-vill
Missouri	Qulin	Q-lin
Montana	Ekalaka	EE-ka-LAH-kah
Nebraska	Cairo	CAY-row
Nevada	Winnemucca	WIN-eh-MUCK-uh
New Hampshire	Milan	MY-linn
New Jersey	Greenwich Township	GREEN-which
New Mexico	Abiquiú	AB-ick-you
New York	Schenectady	skin-ECK-tah-dee
North Carolina	Schley	SLY
North Dakota	Palermo	PAL-er-mo
Ohio	Gnadenhutten	ji-NAY-dun-huh-tehn
Oklahoma	Pawhuska	paw-HUS-kuh
Oregon	Yachats	YA-hahts
Pennsylvania	Shickshinny	shick-SHIN-ee
Rhode Island	Quonochontaug	KWAHN-ah-kahn-tawg
South Carolina	Chechessee River	chu-CHES-see
South Dakota	Pukwana	PUCK-wah-nah
Tennessee	Ooltewah	OO-da-wah
Texas	Nacogdoches	NAH-coh-DOE-chess
Utah	Duchesne	doo-SHAYN
Vermont	Montpelier	mont-PEEL-yər
Virginia	McGaheysville	muh-GAK-eez
Washington	Puyallup	PYOO-uhl-up
West Virginia	Iaeger	YAY-gər
Wisconsin	Oconomowoc	oh-KON-oh-moh-wok
Wyoming	Kemmerer	KEM-er-er