Residents of Seattle and Washington have heard the hundreds of tortured ways out-of-staters attempt to say Puyallup, or Sequim and sometimes even Spokane.
Like all regions with names of cities that come from different languages, Seattleites feel a bit smug when a newcomer butchers the names of its neighborhoods, bodies of water and nearby cities.
The reason for a lot of confusion in pronunciation for transplants is that we're full of namesakes that are lifted, perhaps stolen, from languages of the Northwest's indigenous groups.
How do you pronounce Poulsbo, the little Norwegian town west of Seattle?
Answer: PAULZ-boh
The origin of this name has spawned a few myths in Poulsbo-area elementary schools (this author has firsthand knowledge.) But the most widely told one is that the town was named after a village in Norway called Paulsbo which translates to "Paul's place." Along the way, the "a" got smudged and changed to an "o."
Whatever the case is, this little Norwegian town -- which once held Norwegian as a primary language and was visited by King Olav V -- stumps even the most hardened Seattleites at times.
Joshua Trujillo/Seattle Post-Intelligencer
How do you pronounce the Seattle pizza chain, Pagliacci?
Answer: PAUL-lee-ah-chee
The "g" is silent. Don't worry, Seattleites get this one wrong regularly.
Pagliacci Pizza/Yelp
How do you pronounce the last name of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos?
Answer: BAY-zohs
But most people in Seattle just call him, "that one billionaire whose company doesn't pay taxes."
Inside Hook
How do you pronounce Gonzaga University, Eastern Washington's powerhouse in college basketball?
Answer: gone-ZAG-uh
Don't worry, you'll hear it butchered come March Madness.
Hayat Norimine
How do you pronounce Sequim, the surprisingly dry city on the Olympic Peninsula?
Answer: skwim
Just pretend the "e" isn't even there.
Fun fact: Sequim is a little over two hours away from Forks which gets over 120 inches of rain a year. Sequim gets less than 2o. Seattle by comparison gets about 36.
JEFF LARSEN/SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
How do you pronounce the popular cross-country skiing location, the Methow Valley?
How do you pronounce Puyallup, the home of the Washington State Fair?
Answer: pew-AL-up
Don't feel bad, this city's name has been tortured by out-of-towners and radio broadcasters across the country for years. It rhymes with gallop and if you need a reminder, check out this jingle.
GENNA MARTIN/SEATTLEPI.COM
How do you pronounce the... peculiar... looking mollusk that burrows deep into Washington beaches, the Geoduck?
Answer: GOOEY-duck
This deep-delving mollusk is delicious in chowder, despite its unfortunate shape.
GILBERT W. ARIAS/SEATTLE PI
How do you pronounce Renton, the location of every Seahawks practice?
Answer: RENT-in
Keep that "t" soft when pronouncing Renton. As an out-of-towner in the P-I newsroom pointed out, this is probably more of a result of a local accent than a true pronunciation.
GRANT HINDSLEY/SEATTLEPI.COM
How do you pronounce Kalaloch, a gem of Washington's coast?
Answer: CLAY-lock
Check out the lodge, the fish and chips are excellent.
Gilbert W. Arias/Seattle Post-Intelligencer
How do you spell Eastern Washington's biggest city, Spokane?
Answer: spo-CAN
Not cane, though when national newscasters parachute in for a story, you'll hear spo-CANE more often than not.
Kai Eiselein/Getty Images
How do you spell the Rainier, the namesake of the picturesque mountain behind the Seattle skyline?
Answer: RAIN-NEER
Unless you're talking about the beer, then a simple "Vitamin R" will do.
gmc3101/Getty Images/iStockphoto
How do you spell the Central Washington city, Yakima?
Answer: YEAH-kih-mah
Never Yak-ee-ma.
palash biswas/Getty Images/500px Prime
How do you spell Leschi, a neighborhood of Seattle?
Answer: LESH-eye
The neighborhood isn't far from the former house of Kurt Cobain.
KURT SMITH/PI
How do you spell Seattle's neighbor city and perhaps suburb, Tukwila?
Answer: tuck-WILL-uh
Not took-will-uh.
Photo courtesy Starbucks
How do you pronounce the namesake of Seattle, Chief Sealth's name?
Answer: SEE-alsch
Seattle is the Anglicized form of the 19th Century Suquamish and Duwamish tribal leader. The last syllable of his name is sometimes hard to pronounce for English-speakers as its a Lushootseed sound. Lushootseed is a "dialect continuum" of the Salish tribes across Western Washington.
Courtesy MOHAI
How do you pronounce Salish, the body of water that includes all coastal waterways of Washington and parts of British Columbia?
Answer: SAY-lish
The name comes from the Salish peoples, who were indigenous groups across the Northwest who shared cultural origins and similar languages.
Courtesy Island Adventure Cruises
How do you pronounce Puget Sound, the body of water between Seattle and the Kitsap Peninsula?
Answer: PEW-jit
Just don't put "the" before it, apparently.
JoeInSouthernCA
"Comedian Steve Allen waves from on top of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer building with the P-I's revolving globe looming behind him. Allen was in Seattle on a promotional tour for his syndicated television variety show, The Steve Allen Show, which aired from 1962 to 1964. A pioneer in television, he introduced man-on-the-street interviews and crazy stunts." -MOHAI. Photo, dated Jan. 28, 1964, courtesy MOHAI, Seattle P-I Collection, image number 1986.5.17331.1.
MOHAI
Tukwila, for example, is a Chinook word for nut or hazelnut. Sequim is a one syllable word derived from the Klallam language.
Seattle itself is named after a Suquamish and Duwamish tribal leader, Chief Seattle or Chief Sealth whose name is tricky for English speakers as it uses a sound from the Lushootseed language.
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The infamous geoduck, the bane of out-of-towners trying to blend in, is also derived from Lushootseed.
So, do you think you have what it takes to sound like you fit in Washington? Do words like Bezos, Pagliacci, Poulsbo and Spokane not strike fear in your heart when in the midst of lifelong Washingtonians? Then take our quiz and test your knowledge.
If you're not done flexing your Seattle knowledge...
Seattle has a lot of landmarks, from the bold to the bizarre. How well do you know them though? Click through the slideshow to take our quiz and see the answers. But if you're feeling confident, scroll down and take the quiz in the story.
Question: The Seattle Post Intelligencer quit printing a daily newspaper in which year?
It was March 17, 2009, to be specific. After trying to sell the paper, Hearst Communications announced the paper would go online only. We now operate under the name SeattlePI but have still been the oldest Seattle employer after starting in 1863.
Joshua Trujillo/Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Question: The Smith Tower was built in 1914, and at the time was the tallest building west of which state?
The market was described as old and deteriorating by then-Mayor Dorm Braman. The Seattle City Council tried to raze the market, but a group of advocates for the historical landmark saved the day.
Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Question: Bruce Lee died in Hong Kong, but was laid to rest in Seattle. As was his son Brandon Lee. Where was Bruce Lee born?
The statue of Lenin in Fremont had quite the journey over to the U.S., and was once destined to be chopped up for scrap metal. However, he lives on in Seattle and occasionally gets his hands painted red.
JORDAN STEAD/SEATTLEPI.COM
Question: An overlooked error by the P-I changed history. An incorrect article claimed which type of business started the Great Seattle Fire, which led to the Seattle Underground?
Known for its catchy radio and TV commericals, the department store eventually became The Bon, then Bon-Macy's until the New York department story enveloped the brand.
