Here are 11 Louisiana town names that notoriously make GPS devices and visitors stumble, with their correct pronunciations to help decode the mystery:
- Natchitoches – Pronounced “NACK-a-tish” (not as spelled; a frequent source of confusion).
- Tchoupitoulas – Pronounced “CHOP-uh-too-lus,” a famous New Orleans street name.
- Tchefuncte – Pronounced “chuh-FUNK-tah,” a river and area name with Choctaw origins.
- Tangipahoa – Pronounced “Tang-uh-pah-hoa,” a parish and river name from Native American roots.
- Opelousas – Pronounced “Op-el-oo-sas,” a city in Louisiana.
- Atchafalaya – Pronounced “At-cha-fuh-laya,” referring to the large swamp basin in Louisiana.
- Grosse Tete – Pronounced “Gross TATE,” a village with a French name.
- Pontchartrain – Pronounced “Pon-cha-train,” as in Lake Pontchartrain.
- LaFourche – Pronounced “Luh-Foosh” or “Luh-foo-sha,” a parish in Louisiana.
- Boutte – Pronounced “boo-tay,” a town name with French influence.
- LaPlace – Pronounced “Luh-plahs,” a town near New Orleans.
Louisiana’s rich mixture of French, Native American, and Creole influences contributes to these wonderfully confusing names that locals master but challenge most visitors and GPS systems alike.
SOURCES
(https://gator995.com/louisiana-town-named-most-difficult-to-pronounce-in-america/)
(https://107jamz.com/20-of-the-hardest-names-in-louisiana-to-pronounce/)(https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/state-pride/louisiana/pronounce-these-words-la)(https://www.rd.com/list/difficult-to-pronounce-towns/)
(https://973thedawg.com/louisianas-absolute-hardest-words-to-pronounce/)
