While the state is full of tricky names like “Conetoe,” “Nantahala,” and “Fuquay-Varina,” one name is a notorious “shibboleth” that creates a rivalry all on its own.
The Great Carolina Divide: Beaufort
The most famous pronunciation trap in North Carolina isn’t just one town—it’s two. The state has a “Beaufort,” and so does its southern neighbor, South Carolina. How they are pronounced is the number one way to tell which Carolina you’re in.
It’s the exact spelling, but a world of difference in sound.
In North Carolina:
- The Correct Pronunciation: “BOW-fert” (like a bowtie, or “bow and arrow”).
- The Mispronunciation: “BEW-fert”
In South Carolina:
- The Correct Pronunciation: “BEW-fert” (like the word “beautiful”).
- The Mispronunciation: “BOW-fert”
Getting this wrong is the fastest way to get a polite (or not-so-polite) correction from a local. In North Carolina, “BEW-fert” is the other guy.
The “You’re Not From Around Here” Hall of Fame…