We Dare You to Say These 11 Connecticut Places Correctly on Your First Try (Spoiler: You Can’t)

Here are 11 Connecticut places that people almost always mispronounce on their first try, along with the correct pronunciations:

1. Quinebaug – Pronounced “QUINN-uh-bog,” named after a nearby river meaning “long pond.”
2. North Grosvenordale – Pronounced “GROVE-ner-dale,” a village named for investor William Grosvenor.
3. Berlin – Pronounced “BER-lin,” with the emphasis on the first syllable, unlike the German capital.
4. Coventry – Often pronounced “CAH-ven-tree,” birthplace of Revolutionary War spy Nathan Hale.
5. Mashamoquet (State Park) – Pronounced “mash-MUH-kit,” a Native American word meaning “important fishing place.”
6. Quinnipiac – Pronounced “KWIN-uh-pee-ak,” named for the Quinnipiac tribe.
7. Southington – Pronounced “SUH-thing-ton,” not like the direction south.
8. Thames River – Pronounced “Thaymes,” with a long ‘a’ sound, different from England’s “Temz.”
9. Machimoodus (State Park) – Pronounced “Match-a-moo-dus,” thought to mean “place of bad noises.”
10. Meshomasic (State Forest) – Pronounced “mess-shaw-mass-ick,” a Native American term meaning “great rattlesnake.”
11. Poquonnock – Pronounced “Puh-qua-nock,” an Algonkian word meaning “cleared land.”

Many of these names reflect the state’s Native American and colonial heritage and have pronunciations that differ significantly from how they look on paper. Trying to say these correctly often reveals whether you’re a true local or a newcomer.

SOURCES

[1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAl3_TM_PFA)
[2](https://yourehistory.wordpress.com/2015/03/10/how-to-pronounce-connecticut-town-names/)
[3](https://i95rock.com/the-weird-town-pronunciations-of-ct-and-ny/)
[4](https://www.reddit.com/r/Connecticut/comments/1mqhvvu/dear_connecticut_whats_actually_our_hardest_to/)[5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG8o_5S2KMI)