We Dare You to Say These 15 Maryland Places Correctly on Your First Try (Spoiler: You Can’t)

Here are 15 Maryland place names along with their unique local pronunciations that most people cannot say correctly on their first try:

1. Anne Arundel – Pronounced “Ann-RUN-del,” merging the full name into a smooth single term with emphasis on the second syllable.
2. Baltimore – Commonly shortened and pronounced “BAL-mer,” dropping the middle syllables altogether.
3. Calvert – Said as “CUL-vert,” the old-fashioned pronunciation reflecting its historical roots.
4. Cecil – Pronounced “SEE-sil,” with a clear “see” sound starting the name.
5. Prince George’s – Spoken just as the two words indicate, “Prince George’s,” without contraction.
6. Reisterstown – Pronounced “RICE-ers-town,” blending the “Reis” into a “rice” sound.
7. Wicomico – Emphasis is on the second syllable: “wi-COMB-ic-o,” giving prominence to the middle part.
8. Worcester – Similar to Massachusetts pronunciation, said “Woo-ster,” dropping the “ces”.
9. Annapolis – Locals shorten it to “NAP-lis,” eliding the initial syllable slightly.
10. Bel Air – Pronounced simply as “Blair,” making it sound like a personal name.
11. Monocacy – Pronounced “muh-NOCK-a-see,” emphasizing the middle syllable strongly.
12. Ocean City – Both words are enunciated clearly, “O-C,” to avoid being labeled a tourist.
13. Odenton – Pronounced “O-deen-tin,” often confused by outsiders as “Ah-den-ton”.
14. Taneytown – Locally said as “Tawny-town,” with a soft and shortened first syllable.
15. Towson – Pronounced “TAW-sun,” with emphasis on the first syllable and a short second syllable.

These pronunciations reflect Maryland’s rich history and regional linguistic characteristics, often blending historical British influence with local dialects. Mastering them signals authentic familiarity with Maryland culture and geography, while mispronouncing usually marks one as an outsider.

Sources

(http://cohp.org/md/notes/placenames_pronunciation.html)
(https://www.reddit.com/r/maryland/comments/16u0wwu/which_md_citytown_names_have_a_unique/)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQxjacPzZzw)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYsmewlqU_k)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smCJlKPY16g)