Here are 11 Idaho town names that’ll make your GPS have an existential crisis due to tricky pronunciations:
- Boise – Pronounced “BOY-see,” not the common “boy-ZEE.”
- Kuna – Pronounced “KYOO-nuh,” not “Coo-nuh.”
- Owyhee – Pronounced “oh-WHY-hee,” named after Hawaiian trappers.
- Nez Perce – Pronounced “Nezz-PURSE,” after the native tribe.
- Kootenai – Pronounced “KOO-tuh-nee.”
- Moscow – Pronounced “MOSS-koe,” unlike the Russian capital.
- Pocatello – Pronounced “poe-kuh-TELL-oh,” with emphasis on the last syllable.
- Payette – Pronounced “Pay-ETT,” not the French “pie-yet.”
- Dubois – Pronounced “DOO-boyss,” not French style.
- Coeur d’Alene – Pronounced “kore-duh-LANE,” meaning “heart of an awl.”
- Athol – Pronounced “ATH-ul,” defying the rhyme with “atoll.”
These names often confuse newcomers and tech devices alike but mastering their local pronunciations instantly marks one as an Idaho insider.
SOURCES
[1](https://welcometoboiseandbeyond.com/post/pronunciation-guide-for-boiseans-live-like-a-local-in-idaho/)
[2](https://liteonline.com/tricky-idaho-city-names/)
[3](https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/arts-culture/2022-10-25/how-do-you-say-kamiah-kooskia-moscow-idaho)
[4](https://www.rickjust.com/blog/pronouncing-idaho-place-names)
[5](https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/arts-culture/2022-10-25/how-do-you-pronounce-boise-coeur-dalene-kootenai)
