Minnesota is known for its 10,000 lakes, brutal winters, and an accent that sneaks up on you. But if you really want to prove you’re from the Land of 10,000 Mispronunciations, you need to master its trickiest town names. With a mix of Native American, French, and Scandinavian influences, some of these words look like they belong in a spelling bee—so if you can say them all effortlessly, congratulations, you might just be a true Minnesotan.
14 Words Only True Minnesotans Can Pronounce
Minnesota (Min-uh-SO-tuh)
Extra points if you say it with a little nasal twang.
Wayzata (Why-ZET-uh)
If you say “Way-zah-ta,” you’re getting some side-eye.
Ely (EE-lee)
If you say “Ell-ee,” you clearly don’t fish up north.
Mahnomen (Mah-NO-men)
A real test of your Minnesotan credentials.
Shakopee (SHAH-kuh-pee)
No, it’s not “Shake-oh-pee.”
Edina (Ee-DIE-nuh)
Say it fancy, like a true cake-eater.
Faribault (FAIR-boh)
If you say “Fair-ee-balt,” we need to have a talk.
Chisago (Shih-SAH-go)
Not “Chee-say-go,” no matter what your GPS thinks.
Orono (OR-uh-no)
Say it fast, and don’t overthink it.
Wabasha (WAH-buh-shaw)
Home of the Grumpy Old Men, and that’s no joke.
Bemidji (Buh-MID-jee)
If you can say it, you’ve probably taken a picture with Paul Bunyan.
Owatonna (Oh-wuh-TON-uh)
Sounds fancier than it is.
Isanti (Eye-SAN-tee)
Not “Iz-an-tee,” unless you want a lecture.
Nisswa (NISS-wah)
If you can pronounce this, you’ve definitely spent a weekend at the lake.
If you nailed all of these, congrats—you’ve earned the right to complain about the State Fair crowds, call any distance “about 30 minutes,” and casually mention that you once saw Prince at a Target. You also know that “Oh, for cute!” is a real phrase, that road salt is a necessity, and that you don’t actually need to say goodbye—just start walking toward the door, and the Minnesota Goodbye will take care of the rest. For everyone else, just nod, smile, and let a local handle the talking—preferably over a hotdish.
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