Here are 11 Colorado town names that are famously tricky and can easily confuse any GPS or visitor trying to say them right on the first try:
- Arriba – Pronounced “AIR-i-buh,” with the first syllable emphasized, not like the Spanish “arriba.”
- Arvada – Pronounced “ar-VA-duh,” rhyming with Nevada, not “ar-VAY-duh.”
- Berthoud – Pronounced “BURR-thud,” with a silent “o,” not rhyming with “cloud.”
- Buena Vista – Pronounced “BYOO-nuh VIS-tuh,” not like the Spanish pronunciation.
- Crested Butte – Pronounced “Crested Bewt,” with the “butte” sounding like “bewt.”
- De Beque – Pronounced “duh-BECK,” not like the Spanish “deh-BEK.”
- Delhi – Pronounced “dell-HI,” not like the city in India (“deli”).
- Limon – Pronounced “LIME-on,” not like the Spanish “lee-MON.”
- Ouray – Pronounced “YOU-ray,” not “OO-ray.”
- Saguache – Pronounced “suh-WATCH,” a Native American word meaning “blue earth.”
- Towaoc – Pronounced “TOY-yock,” a small unincorporated town in southwest Colorado.
These names reflect the diverse linguistic and cultural influences in Colorado, from Spanish and Native American origins to local adaptations, often leading to mispronunciations for outsiders and GPS pondering their existence.
SOURCES
(https://thegroupinc.com/our-communities/words-only-coloradans-can-pronounce/)(https://www.usends.com/toponymy.html)
(https://aftersight.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Colorado-Pronunciation-Guide.pdf)(https://www.coloradovirtuallibrary.org/resource-sharing/state-pubs-blog/pronunciation-guide/)(https://newcountry991.com/you-know-youre-a-true-coloradan-if-you-can-pronounce-these-towns/)
