A Midwest Trap for Outsiders
If you’ve ever driven across Illinois or lived near the Indiana–Illinois border you already know this state loves to humble people with town names. Being from Illinois and moving to Indiana AND being in the media field for work you have to learn very quickly how to pronounce these fond towns or you might get yelled at by a local. I’m here to help you out before someone corrects you while laughing or you accidentally mispronounce something on air (like I have several times.)
And around Evansville, these come up a lot especially when you’re talking road trips, weather, or traffic just west of the border. Here are some of the hardest town names to pronounce in Illinois—and how locals actually say them.
Cairo It looks like the one in Egypt. It is not. In Illinois, it’s KAY-ro, not “KY-ro.”
Des Plaines Very French. Very deceptive. Locals say dess-PLANES, not “day plains.”
Peoria People argue about this one, but most locals land on pee-OR-ee-uh. Say it fast and confident and you’ll fit right in…