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If You Can Pronounce These 14 Words, You’ve Lived in Michigan Too Long


Michigan is famous for the Great Lakes, unpredictable weather, and a hand-shaped map that doubles as a GPS. But if you really want to prove you’re a Michigander, you need to master the state’s trickiest place names. Thanks to a mix of French, Native American, and pure Midwestern practicality, some of these words sound nothing like they look—so if you can say them all without hesitation, congratulations, you might just be a true Yooper or Troll.

14 Words Only True Michiganders Can Pronounce

Mackinac (MACK-in-aw)

The “c” is just there to confuse tourists.

Sault Ste. Marie (Soo Saint Marie)

We just call it “The Soo” because life’s too short.

Charlevoix (SHAR-luh-voy)

It’s French, but don’t overdo it.

Gratiot (GRASH-it)

If you say “Gra-tee-ott,” just turn around now.

Ypsilanti (IP-suh-lan-tee)

If you pronounce the “Y,” you’ve already lost.

Hamtramck (Ham-TRAM-ick)

Say it fast, like a local grabbing a paczki.

Kalamazoo (Kal-uh-muh-ZOO)

Fun to say, even more fun to live there.

Onondaga (On-uhn-DOG-uh)

If you can say this, you’ve probably been stuck in traffic on I-96.

Cheboygan (Sheh-BOY-gun)

Not to be confused with that other place in Wisconsin.

L’Anse (Lahns)

French influence, minimal syllables.

Au Gres (Aw-GRAY)

It’s French, but only kind of.

Escanaba (Es-kuh-NAH-buh)

If you’ve never been, you don’t know real pasties.

Les Cheneaux (Lay Shuh-NO)

Say it like you’ve spent summers there.

Gogebic (Go-GEE-bic)

Sounds different depending on who you ask, but it’s never “Go-geb-ic.”

If you read this list without hesitation, congratulations—you’ve earned the right to use your hand as a map, call soda “pop,” and complain about construction season. You also know that Vernors is medicine, you’ve debated whether it’s a pasty or a “pass-tee,” and you can drive in a blizzard with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a coffee from Tim Hortons. For everyone else, just listen, learn, and let the locals do the talking—preferably over a Coney dog and a Faygo.

The post If You Can Pronounce These 14 Words, You’ve Lived in Michigan Too Long appeared first on When In Your State.



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