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

Here are 11 Georgia place names that most people get wrong on their first try, along with the correct pronunciations:

1. Albany
   Commonly mispronounced, it is said “AlL-binny” instead of “Al-banny”.
2. Buena Vista
   It’s pronounced “BYOO-na VISS-ta,” not how it looks phonetically.
3. Dacula
   The correct pronunciation is “Duh-CUE-la,” not “Dah-kula” or similar.
4. Dahlonega
   Say “Duh-LAW-na-ga,” stressing the second syllable.
5. Hahira
   Pronounced “Hay-HI-ra,” definitely not “Ha-hee-ra” or “Ha-hi-ra”.
6. Hoschton
   Said “HOOSH-tun,” rhyming with “push”, not “hosh-ton”.
7. McDonough
   Pronounced “Mick-DONE-a” or “Mac-DONNA,” quite different from spelling.
8. Smyrna
   Say “SMUR-na” quickly and smoothly.
9. Walthourville
   Pronounced as three clear words: “Walt-hour-ville,” not in one slurred word.
10. Taliaferro (County)
    This tricky one is “TOL-ih-ver,” not “Tal-yuh-fer-ro” or anything close.
11. Senoia
    Locals say “Suh-noy-uh” or sometimes just “Senoy,” a very debated but official version.

It’s famously hard for outsiders to get these right on the first try because many don’t follow typical English or Southern phonetic rules. Trying these out will definitely make you sound more like a local when in Georgia.

SOURCES

(https://www.ajc.com/news/are-these-georgia-hardest-pronounce-town-names/A0eSz9cJZXGK5gPMU6YfkN/)(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTSuB6mgjH4)(https://www.reddit.com/r/Georgia/comments/1e3u1dm/what_are_the_most_mispronounced_georgia_towns_in/)(https://leffsatlantamedia.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/how-to-sound-like-a-local-the-unofficial-pronunciation-important-things-to-know-guide-for-reporters-new-to-atlanta/)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWUwSKwhouA)