Here are 11 Alabama places you likely can’t say correctly on your first try, with their proper pronunciations:
- Guin — pronounced like “Gwin” (not as it looks).
- LaFayette — said “La-FAY-it” or “Luh-FET,” differing locally.
- Mobile — pronounced “Moh-BEEL,” not like the cell phone.
- Arab — pronounced “AY-rab,” not like the Middle Eastern ethnicity.
- Conecuh County — said “Cuh-NECK-uh.”
- Dauphin Island — pronounced “Daw-fin,” not “dolphin.”
- Helena — pronounced “Huh-LEEN-ah,” not “Hell-EE-nah.”
- Loachapoka — said “Low-cha-poke-ah.”
- Pintlala — pronounced “Pent-la-la.”
- Oneonta — typically said “Wuh-NON-tuh.”
- Talladega — pronounced “Tuh-LAD-uh-guh” or simply “Dega” by locals.
These place names can be tricky for visitors because they reflect local history and pronunciations that aren’t obvious just from reading the spelling…..