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Ohio may be the Buckeye State, but if you think you can just roll in and pronounce every town name correctly, think again. From Native American origins to borrowed European words filtered through pure Midwestern stubbornness, Ohio place names are less about logic and more about tradition. Say one wrong, and someone wearing an Ohio State hoodie will correct you—politely, but firmly, with bonus points if they’re holding Skyline Chili.
1. Versailles (Ver-SALES, not Ver-sigh)
France called—they want their pronunciation back. Too bad.
2. Bellefontaine (Bell-FOUNT-in, not Bell-fon-tane)
It’s a nice town. It just hates phonics.
3. Russia (ROO-shee, not Rush-uh)
No Kremlin. Just confusion.
4. Chillicothe (Chill-uh-KAW-thee, not Chilly-co-thay)
Ohio’s first capital and the final boss of town name mispronunciations.
5. Xenia (ZEE-nee-uh, not Zen-yuh)
Starts with an X. Sounds like a character from a ‘90s cartoon. Still very Ohio.
6. Wapakoneta (Wah-pah-ko-NET-uh, not Wappa-koh-neeta)
Birthplace of Neil Armstrong and at least five pronunciation fails per day.
7. Tiffin (TIFF-in, not Tie-feen)
Not complicated, but still frequently butchered by out-of-towners.
8. Lima (LIE-muh, not Lee-muh)
It’s not in Peru. It’s in Ohio. And we say it our way.
9. Maumee (MAW-mee, not May-oo-mee)
If you say it wrong, you just might get “accidentally” lost on the turnpike.
10. Medina (Muh-DINE-uh, not Meh-dee-nuh)
It’s not a spa town—it’s where Ohio dares you to mess up.
11. Cuyahoga (Ky-uh-HO-guh, not Koo-ya-ho-ga)
River, county, headache.
12. Ohio (Oh-HI-oh, not Oh-hee-oh)
Just in case you really want to get booed at a football game.
If you got them all right, congrats—you’ve clearly survived a county fair, a snowstorm in April, and at least one round of “O-H!” “I-O!” without flinching. If not, don’t worry—we’re friendly folks. Just don’t say Ver-sigh unless you want to be handed a map, a corndog, and a look that says, “You ain’t from around here, are ya?”
The post We Know You’re Not From Ohio If You Mispronounce These 12 Names appeared first on When In Your State.