Say These 13 Words Correctly and Every Arkansan Will Know You’re One of Them

Arkansas: where the rivers are wide, the accents are thicker than gravy, and the town names will leave outsiders scratching their heads. You can spot a true Arkansan by how effortlessly they untangle these tongue-twisters without batting an eye. If you can say these 13 words right, congrats — you’ve officially earned yourself a plate of fried catfish and a seat at the best fish fry in town.

Arkansas (AR-kan-saw)

First test: If you pronounce the “s” at the end… bless your heart, but no.

Ouachita (WAH-shi-taw)

It looks like someone sneezed on a Scrabble board, but locals say it smooth as butter.

Tontitown (TON-tee-town)

Not “Ton-ti-town” and definitely not “Ton-titty-town.” Behave yourself.

De Queen (Duh-Queen)

It’s not “Dee Queen,” it’s “Duh Queen.” Just roll with it, royal court and all.

Lafe (Lafe, rhymes with “safe”)

Not “Laffy.” Lafe. Like you’re telling someone they’re safe… from pronunciation shame.

Searcy (SUR-see)

Say it like “Sir-see,” not “Seer-sy,” unless you’re itching for an awkward silence.

Smackover (Smack-uh-ver)

Yes, it’s a real town. No, we don’t know who got smacked over what.

Yellville (YELL-vil)

You don’t whisper about Yellville — you YELL about it.

Piggott (PIG-it)

Fun to say, even more fun to visit — especially if you enjoy towns that sound like they should have a county fair year-round.

Chicot (SHEE-koh)

If you say “Chick-ott,” you’re gonna get some real worried looks.

Monticello (MON-ti-sell-oh)

It’s not Italian. It’s Arkansas. Say it with a hint of BBQ smoke in your voice.

Bald Knob (Balled Knob)

Not bald like you lost your hair. “Balled” like you’re about to make a baseball joke but think better of it.

Pocahontas (POH-kuh-hon-us)

Almost like the Disney movie… but with a little more twang and a lot more catfish.

If you nailed all 13 without needing to Google “How to speak fluent Arkansan,” you’re one of us. Pull up a chair, grab a sweet tea, and get ready to argue passionately about who really makes the best fried pie in the county. Around here, knowing how to talk right is half the charm — the other half is knowing how to drive a tractor and fry chicken.

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