Tennessee is filled with place names that commonly trip up visitors with their unique local pronunciations. Here are ten of the most famously mispronounced Tennessee towns—good luck saying them all correctly on the first attempt.
1. Milan
Locals say “MY-lin,” not like the Italian city “Mee-LAHN”.
2. Lafayette
It’s pronounced “Luh-FAY-it” in Tennessee, quite different from the French “La-fye-ETTE”.
3. Ooltewah
You’ll impress locals if you say “OO-da-wah” instead of “Ool-tee-wah”.
4. Lebanon
Say “LEB-nun,” not the Middle Eastern country’s way (“Leb-a-non”).
5. Maryville
Locals call it “MUR-vull” or “Mare-vull” rather than spelling it out.
6. Finger
This West Tennessee town is pronounced “FANG-er”.
7. Maury County / Maury City
They’re known as “MURR-ee” (rhymes with blurry) County and City, not “MAW-ree”.
8. Santa Fe
Surprisingly, locals say “Santa FEE,” not “Santa FAY” as in Spanish.
9. Sevierville
It’s “Seh-VEER-vull,” not “Sev-EAR-ville” or “See-ver-ville”.
10. Louisville
Tennessee’s version is “LEWIS-vill,” not the Kentucky “LOO-uh-vull”.
Other challenging names include Pulaski (“Pyoo-LAS-kee”), Blount (“Blunt”), and Shelbyville (“SHELBY-vull”). Tennessee pronunciation is a true test for even the savviest travelers thanks to its mix of Southern tradition and local flair.
Sources
(https://tnhomeandfarm.com/tn-living/tn-towns-most-mispronounced/)
(https://www.reddit.com/r/Tennessee/comments/1e3z7pc/mispronounced_citycounty_names/)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM3-csAjjl0)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CzROBXhBWg)
(https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOq_WIHk5jH/)
