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Sometimes you are looking on a map and encounter a city, county, or landform name that you just can't figure out. I have done some digging and created this pronunciation guide for uniquely-named cities, counties, landforms, bodies of water, etc. with its name and its phonetically sounded-out pronunciation.
Some important notes:
- The block of letters in ALL CAPS represents the syllable on which to place emphasis.
- Example: "emphasis" → EM-fa-sis ✔ em-FA-sis ✘
- Some pronunciations require additional information in parentheses to the right of the name as to whether to pronounce the hard or soft sound of a letter.
- Example: (A as in "Apple") describes the short "A" sound versus the long "A" sound described in (A as in "Awesome").
NC Pronunciation guide
| City | Pronunciation | City | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | AB-ur-deen | Greenevers | GREEN-evurrs |
| Advance | ADD-vantz | Icard | EYE-kard |
| Ahoskie | uh-HOSS-key | Ivanhoe | EYE-ven-ho |
| Alamance | ALLA-mantz | Kannapolis | can-NAP-oh-liss |
| Albemarle | ALBA-marr-ull | Kittrell | KIT-trul |
| Altamahaw | ALL-tuh-muh-HA | Kure Beach | CURE-ee |
| Angier | ANN-jure | Lake Junaluska | JOON-uh-LUSS-kuh |
| Arapahoe | uh-RAP-uh-ho | Lucama | loo-COMMA |
| Aulander | AWW-lander | Mamers | MAY-murrs |
| Autryville | AWW-tree-vill | Manteo | MAN-tee-oh |
| Avon | AYE-vonn | Mebane | MEH-bunn |
| Ayden | AYE-den | Mesic | MESS-ick |
| Badin | BAY-den | Misenheimer | MIZE-en-HI-mer |
| Bahama | buh-HAY-muh | Momeyer | MOE-my-err |
| Beaufort | BO-furt | Moyock | MOW-YOCK (long "O") |
| Belvoir | bell-VWA | Navassa | nuh-VASSS-uh |
| Bogue | BOAG | Ossipee | AHH-sih-pee |
| Brevard | breh-VARD | Parmele | PAR-muh-lee |
| Buies Creek | BOO-ees Creek | Pfafftown | POFF-town |
| Cajah's Mountain | KAY-JUHs Mountain | Peletier | PELL-LA-teer |
| Calypso | kuh-LIP-so | Plymouth | PLIM-muth |
| Cape Carteret | Cape CAR-turr-ett | Raeford | RAY-ferd |
| Casar | KAY-zarr | Ramseur | RAM-surr |
| Cashiers | CASH-urrs | Rodanthe | ro-DANTH-ee |
| Castalia | kass-TALE-ee-uh | Rougemont | ROOJ-mont |
| Catawba | kuh-TAH-buh | Roxobel | ROCK-sobul |
| Cerro Gordo | SAIR-oh GORD-o | Saxapahaw | SACKS-uh-pa-hah |
| Chalybeate Springs | ka-LIB-ee-utt | Schley | SLY |
| Chinquapin | CHINK-uh-pin | Severn | SEV-urn |
| Chocowinity | CHOCK-o-WIN-it-tee | Shallotte | sha-LOAT |
| Conetoe | kuh-NEE-tuh | Stovall | STOVE-ull |
| Cooleemee | COOL-uh-mee | Swannanoa | SWAH-nuh-NO-uh |
| Corolla | ka-RAW-la | Tyro | TIE-row |
| Cullowhee | KULLA-wee | Valdese | VAL-dees |
| Dortches | DOOR-chez | Valle Crucis | VALLEY croo-sis |
| Dundarrach | dun-DARR-uck | Vass | VASSSS |
| Enochville | EE-nock-vill | Wagram | WAY-grum |
| Etowah | ET-tuh-wuh | Wanchese | WAHN-cheese |
| Eureka | u-REEK-uh | Watha | WAH-tha |
| Fearrington Village | FAIR-ing-tun | Waxhaw | WACKS-ahh |
| Fuquay-Varina | FEW-kway Vuh-REENA | Wendell | win-DELL |
| Gerton | GURT-un | Zebulon | ZEB-you-luhn |
| Gloucester | GLOSS-turr |
| County | Pronunciation | County | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance | ALA-mantz | Guilford | GILL-ferd |
| Alleghany | al-uh-GAIN-ee | Harnett | HARR-net |
| Ashe | ASH | Hyde | HIDE |
| Beaufort | BO-furt | Iredell | EYE-ur-del |
| Bertie | burr-TEE | Lenoir | lenn-NOR |
| Bladen | BLAY-din | McDowell | mick-DOW-ull |
| Buncombe | BUNK-um | Pamlico | PAM-lih-co |
| Cabarrus | kuh-BARE-us | Pasquotank | PASS-kwa-taink |
| Carteret | CARR-turr-ett | Perquimans | per-KWIM-ins |
| Catawba | kuh-TAHH-buh | Robeson | ROW-buh-sun |
| Chowan | cho-WAHHN | Rowan | row-ANN |
| Currituck | KURR-eh-tuck | Rutherford | RUH-tha-ferd |
| Davie | DAY-vee | Transylvania | tran-sill-VANE-yuh |
| Duplin | DOOP-len | Tyrrell | TAIR-ull |
| Edgecombe | EDGE-cumb | Watauga | wuh-TAHH-guh |
| Forsyth | for-sEYEth | Yadkin | YADD-ken |
| Landform | Pronunciation | Landform | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian | APP-uh-LATCH-in | Mt. Guyot | GEE-yoh |
| Bodie Island | BODY | Occoneechee Mtn | OAK-uh-NEE-chee |
| Camp Lejeune | leh-ZHOON | Pettigrew | PET-uh-groo |
| Celo Knob | SEE-low | Unaka Mtns | yoo-NAKE-uh |
| Chicamacomico | CHICK-uh-muh-CAH-mih-co | Unicoi Mountains | YOO-nuh-COY |
| Hibriten Mtn | HI-bry-ten | Uwharrie | you-WARR-ee |
| Konehete | conn-uh-HEET-uh | Wayah Bald | WHY-uh |
| Medoc Mountain | MEE-dock | Weymouth Woods | WHEY-muth |
| Morrow Mountain | MORE-oh |
| People | Pronunciation | People | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coharie | co-HAIR-ee | Sappony | suh-PONY |
| Haliwa-Saponi | HA-lih-WAH suh-PONY |
| River | Pronunciation | River | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ararat | AIR-uh-rat | Nolichucky | NOLA-chuck-ee |
| Cashie | kuh-SHY | Oconaluftee | o-CON-uh-LUFF-tee |
| Catawba | kuh-TAHH-buh | Pasquotank | PASS-kwo-tank |
| Chattooga | sha-TOO-guh | Perquimans | per-KWI-mens |
| Cheoah | CHI-oh-wa | Scuppernong | SCUP-purr-nong |
| Contentnea | kunn-TENT-nee-uh | Swannanoa | SWAN-nuh-NO-uh |
| Cullasaja | COOL-uh-SAY-juh | Toxaway | TOCKS-away |
| Hiwassee | hi-WAHS-ee | Tuckasegee | TUCK-uh-SEE-jee |
| Hyco | HI-co | Uwharrie | you-WARR-ee |
| Meherrin | ma-HAIR-in | Waccamaw | WOK-uh-ma |
| Nantahala | NAN-tuh-HAY-luh | Wiccacon | WICK-ca-conn |
| Neuse | NOOSE |
| Lake | Pronunciation | Lake | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Badin | BAY-den | Michie | MICK-ee |
| Belews | beh-LOOS | Phelps | FELPS |
| Chatuge | sha-TOOG | Rhodhiss | ROAD-iss |
| Fontana | fahn-TAN-nuh | Santeetlah | san-TEET-luh |
| Gaston | GAS-tun | W. Kerr Scott | KURR |
| Kerr | CAR | Wylie | WHY-lee |
| Mattamuskeet | MATT-uh-mus-KEET |
Know of a uniquely-named city, landform, river, tribe, or other entity in North Carolina that was excluded above? Email me: [email protected]