DENVER (KDVR) — Besides wearing a flashing sign that says “tourist” or “newcomer,” there is one way to make it obvious to locals that you haven’t been somewhere very long: Mispronounce locations.
So, if you want to blend in with the Coloradans and look like you’ve never lived in any other state, you need to know how “not” to say things.
One rule is that you can’t always depend on the way it is said in other states or countries, because Colorado has its own way of doing things.
But here’s how to correctly — and incorrectly – say these Colorado locations:
Colorado
Even the name of the state is a contentious issue. There are a few ways that people can pronounce it, and they range from correct to egregiously wrong in the eyes of Coloradans.
The most accepted way of pronouncing “Colorado” is “Caw-luh-rad-oh.”
Other ways of pronouncing it, from “Caw-loh-ray-doh” to “Caw-luh-rah-duh” — and everything in between — are not as well-liked by residents of the Centennial State.
Buena Vista
The “Vista” part of Buena Vista is not really up for debate between residents and non-residents of the Centennial State. The issue comes with “Buena.”
Coloradans have found a different way to pronounce “Buena” for the Chaffee County town. Buena, the Spanish feminine word for good, is traditionally pronounced as “bwen-ah.”
But if you’re talking about the town, it’s pronounced “Buu-nah.”
Del Norte
Some might assume that you would pronounce Del Norte as “Del Nor-tay” to account for the e at the end, but that is not the case. For Coloradans, the “e” is silent, making it “Del Nort.”
Louisville
There may be the assumption that Louisville, a town located southeast of Boulder, would be pronounced like Louisville, Kentucky, as in “Lew-ee-ville.”
The fix is simple, however. Here, it is pronounced as if you put the name Louis — “Lew-iss” — and added “ville” to it. “Lew-iss-ville.”
Limon
Limon — or limón — is another Spanish word. It means lemon. It is typically pronounced, “lee-mon.”
Limon, a town located in eastern Colorado, is not pronounced that way. It is pronounced, “Lie-mon,” and rhymes with “Simon.”
Galapego Street
Another Spanish word. Galapago Street comes from the Spanish “galápago” which means tortoise. It is pronounced “gah-lap-ah-gos.”
The street in Denver, however, is pronounced “Gah-luh-pay-gos.”
Ouray
Ouray, in southwestern Colorado, looks as if it could be pronounced “Oh-ray” or “Ow-ray.” However, it is actually pronounced “Yuu-ray.”
A guaranteed way to get it right every time is to just imagine it does not have the “O” in front of it.
Poudre
The French word poudre means powder or dust. It is pronounced “pooh-dro.” Others might look at it and think it should be pronounced “pooh-dray.”
The river, the school district and the high school in Colorado are instead pronounced, “Pooh-der.”
Saguache
There are a few silent letters in Saguache. Because of these silent letters, it is not pronounced “Sah-gwah-che” or anything like that.
Here, it is “Sah-watch.”
Uncompahgre
There are many ways people may mispronounce this mountain peak. Thankfully, the correct way to pronounce it, according to residents, is very simple and is very close to how it is spelled. “Un-kum-pah-gray.”
Wynkoop Street
Wynkoop Street in downtown Denver is somewhat debated. Some say “When-coop,” but the right way to say it, according to longtime residents, is “Wine-coop.”
Zuni Street
Another Denver street, Zuni, is also a bit debated. It is between “Zoon-eye” and “Zoon-ee.” The former, “Zoon-eye,” is the most accepted way of saying it.
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