Here are 11 Texas places notorious for tripping up even locals on pronunciation—places very few get right on the first try:
- Boerne – Pronounced “BER-nee,” not “born” or “burn.” It was named after a German satirist Ludwig Börne but anglicized their pronunciation.
- Gruene – Pronounced “green,” despite the German spelling. It’s a historic district near New Braunfels often mispronounced by outsiders.
- Llano – Pronounced “LAN-oh.” It confounds people expecting it to sound like “Plano,” but it follows a unique Texan adaptation of Spanish pronunciation.
- Elgin – Pronounced “EL-gen,” not like the Illinois city “EL-gin.” Known as Texas’s Sausage Capital.
- Iraan – Pronounced “Ira-Anne,” named by combining the founders Ira and Anna’s names, rather than the country Iran’s pronunciation.
- Hico – Pronounced “HIGH-co,” not “hee-co,” surprising many out-of-staters.
- Joaquin – Pronounced “waw-KEEN,” reflecting Spanish origins but often mispronounced by English speakers.
- Carrollton – Locals say “CARE-uhl-ton,” rather than a quick “CAR-ol-ton”.
- Comal – Pronounced “CO-mahl,” a river and county name in Central Texas, often mispronounced phonetically.
- Mexia – Pronounced “meh-HAY-uh,” its Spanish roots make this name tricky for many.
- Goliad – Pronounced “guh-LY-add,” famous from Texas Revolution history but hard for newcomers to say correctly.
Texas place names blend German, Spanish, Native American, and Anglo influences, creating idiosyncratic pronunciations that defy phonetic expectations, making the state’s geographic lexicon a playful challenge for listeners and speakers alike.
SOURCES
[1](https://www.texasalmanac.com/drupal-backup/images/topics/TownPronunciationGuide.pdf)
[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lqIS7RS4Ho)
[3](https://texashighways.com/culture/how-to-talk-like-a-true-texan/)
[4](https://www.reddit.com/r/texas/comments/xgp2pb/texas_town_pronunciations/)
[5](https://travisso.com/the-newcomers-guide-to-mispronounced-texas-cities/)
