![Tyson Foods Plant [Photo: Food Manufacturing]](https://southarkansassun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/iStock_1185520857__1_.5e441daa51cca-600x337.jpg)
![Silverado Senior Living Management Inc. [Photo: Los Angeles Times]](https://southarkansassun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/download-6-4-600x337.jpg)
![China's Wuhan Institute of Virology [Photo: Nature]](https://southarkansassun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/d41586-021-01529-3_19239608-600x337.jpg)
Oregon may be all rain, pine trees, and craft beer—but if you think you can just breeze through the state saying town names however you want, you’re gonna get some serious side-eye from a guy in a fleece vest and Birkenstocks. From Native American names to French leftovers to just plain Oregon weirdness, our place names are as tricky as our weather forecasts. Mispronounce one, and someone will politely correct you with a smile… and a passive-aggressive IPA.
1. Oregon (OR-uh-gun, not Or-eh-GONE)
It’s not a spell. It’s a state. And we will die on this phonetic hill.
2. Willamette (Will-AM-it, not Will-uh-MEET)
Rhymes with “damn it,” which is what we say every time someone messes it up.
3. Couch Street (KOOCH, not Couch like furniture)
Yes, it’s confusing. No, you may not sit on it.
4. Tigard (TIE-gurd, not Tigg-ard)
You’re not hunting a big cat. You’re just trying to get to Target.
5. Glisan (GLISS-un, not Gly-sin)
Mispronounce it and someone from Portland will correct you through a fixed-gear bike.
6. Aloha (Uh-LOH-uh, not Ah-LO-ha)
Not Hawaii. Not even close. Just suburban confusion.
7. Clatskanie (CLAT-skuh-nigh, not Clat-ska-knee)
Looks like a sneeze. Sounds like you’re trying not to.
8. Yachats (YAH-hots, not Yack-hats)
Small coastal town, big pronunciation trap. You’ve been warned.
9. The Dalles (The DALLS, not The Dall-ess)
No need to get fancy. It’s just “The Dalles.” Keep it simple, keep it Oregon.
10. Scappoose (Sca-POOSE, not Scap-oos-ay)
Sounds like a Dr. Seuss character, but don’t say that out loud.
11. Bandon (BAN-dun, not Bane-don)
Say it like you’re ordering seafood, not starting a Batman monologue.
12. Milwaukie (Mill-WALK-ee, not Mil-wah-kay)
It’s not the one in Wisconsin. This one has more coffee shops and fewer cheese hats.
If you got them all right, congrats—you’ve probably waited in line for brunch in the rain, worn a hoodie in July, and argued about which coast has better pinot noir. If not, don’t worry—we’re chill… but not so chill that we’ll let you get away with calling it “Will-uh-MEET.” Say it right, and someone might just offer you a locally foraged mushroom. Say it wrong, and we’ll assume you’re from California.
The post We Know You’re Not From Oregon If You Mispronounce These 12 Names appeared first on When In Your State.