Alabama is famous for town names that confound both visitors and GPS systems. Here are 11 that will challenge anyone—pronunciation included!
Loachapoka – Pronounced “LOW-cha-POH-kah,” not as it’s spelled.
Arab – Locals say “AY-rab,” not like the Middle Eastern term.
LaFayette – Alabama prefers “La-FAY-it” instead of the French “La-fy-ETTE”.
Eutaw – It’s “Utah” to locals, not “You-taw”.
Opelika – Say “Oh-puh-LYE-kuh” or “Oh-peh-LIE-kuh,” not “Oh-peh-LEE-kuh”.
Sylacauga – “Silla-CAW-guh,” not “Sill-uh-cow-guh” or “Sill-uh-kooga”.
Conecuh – Say “Kuh-NECK-uh,” not “Cone-eh-cuh”.
Tallassee – Locally it’s “TAL-uh-see,” not “Talla-hassee”.
Hatchechubbee – Pronounced “Hatch-uh-CHUB-bee,” not how it’s spelled.
Dauphin Island – Actually “DAW-fin” Island, not “Dolphin”.
Guin – It’s “GYOO-in,” not “Gwin”.
Table: The Existential Crisis Alabama Towns
These tongue-twisters are proof that in Alabama, spelling is just the beginning of the journey—true pronunciation is a local badge of honor.
SOURCES
(https://wtug.com/15-of-alabamas-hardest-to-pronounce-town-names/)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xbwyKHDJUE)
(https://1051theblock.com/alabama-town-name-deemed-the-absolute-hardest-name-to-pronounce/)(https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/saying-8-alabama-town-names-144416838.html)(https://www.reddit.com/r/Alabama/comments/xxhokg/alabama_cities_pronunciation_spelling/)
