Texas is rich in cultural diversity. While standard and intuitive pronounciation is often used, mispronouncing colloquial names is a dead give away that you aren’t familiar with the local area.
Want to blend in?
Step 1: Don’t listen to your GPS. It doesn’t know how to speak Texan.
Step 2: Read this list of commonly mispronounced names of Texas places, and practice!
| Humble | Suburb of North Houston — Locals call it “um-bull” |
| Mexia | City in Texas — Locals call it “muh-hay-uh” |
| Tuam Street | Street in Houston — Locals call it “two-um” |
| Manchaca Road | Street in Austin — Locals call it “man-shack” road |
| Fuqua Street | Street in Houston — Locals call it “few-kway” |
| Nacogdoches | City in Texas — Locals call it “nak-ah-doh-chuss” |
| Kuykendahl Road | Street in Houston — Locals call it “kerr-kun-doll” |
| Refugio | City in Texas — Locals call it “re-fury-oh” |
| Manor Road | Street in Austin — Locals call it “main-er” road |
| Palacios | City in Texas — Locals call it “pah-lay-shus” |
| Pedernales | State Park in Texas — Locals call it “purd-nah-liss” |
| Elgin | City in Texas — Locals call it “el-gun” |
| Buda | City in Texas — Locals call it “byoo-dah” |
| Bosque | County in Texas — Locals call it “boss-key” |
| Boerne | City in Texas — Locals call it “burn-knee” |
| Waxahachie | City in Texas — Locals call it “wox-uh-hatch-ee” |
| Bowie | City in Texas — Locals call it “boo-ee” |
| New Braunfels | City in Texas — Locals call it “new brawn-fulls” |
| Guadalupe | River in Texas — Locals call it the “gwa-dah-loop” |
| Bexar | County in Texas — Locals call it “Bear” |
| Study Butte | City in Texas — Locals call it “stew-dee byoot” |
| Gruene | City in Texas — Locals call it “green” |
| Burnet | City in Texas — Locals call it “burn it” |
| Nevada | City in Texas — Locals call it “nuh-vay-duh” |
| Balmorhea | City in Texas — Locals call it “bal-more-ray” |
| Pflugerville | City in Texas — Locals call it “flu-gur-ville” |
| Palestine | City in Texas — Locals call it “pal-ess-steen” |
| Waco | City in Texas — Locals call it “way-co” |
| Llano | City and County in Texas — Locals call it “lan-oh” |
| Miami | City in Texas — Locals call it “my-am-uh” |
| Leakey | City in Texas — Locals call it “lay-kee” |
| Iraan | City in Texas — Locals call it “ira-ann” |
| Dumas | City in Texas — Locals call it “doo-miss” |
| Goldthwaite | City in Texas — Locals call it “goalth-wait” |
| Amarillo | City in Texas — Locals call it “am-ah-rill-oh” |
| Marathon | City in Texas — Locals call it “mare-uh-thun” |
| Pecos | City in Texas — Locals call it “pay-cuss” |
| New Berlin | City in Texas — Locals call it “new burr-luhn” |
| Jourdanton | City in Texas — Locals call it “jer-den-tuhn” |
| San Marcos | City in Texas — Locals call it “san mar-cuss” |
| Salado | City in Texas — Locals call it “suh-LAY-doe” |
| Lake Buchanan | Lake in Texas — Locals call it “lake Buck-CAN-nun” |
| Blanco | City in Texas — Locals call it “blank-oh” |
| Agua Duce | City in Texas — Locals call it “ah-wuh DEWL-sih” |
| Quitaque | City in Texas — Locals call it “KIT-uh-kway” |
| Bolivar | Community in Texas — Locals call it “BALL-ih-vur” |
| Natalia | City in Texas — Locals call it “Nuh-Tal-yuh” |
| Knippa | Town in Texas — Locals call it “kuh-NIP-uh” |
| Erath | County in Texas — Locals call it “EE-rath” |
| Luckenback | Town in Texas — Locals call it “LEW-kin-bock” |
| Montague | County in Texas — Locals call it “mahn-tayg” |
| Lorena | City in Texas — Locals call it “loh-ree-nuh” |
| Aquilla | City in Texas — Locals call it “uh-KWILL-uh” |
| Uvalde | City and County in Texas — Locals call it “you-vhal-dee” |
| Tivoli | Community in Texas — Locals call it “tih-VO-luh” |
| Alvarado | City in Texas — Locals call it “al-vuh-ray-doe” |
| Seguin | City in Texas — Locals call it “si-GHEEN” |
| Anahuac | City in Texas — Locals call it “AN-uh-wack” |
| Bedais | City in Texas — Locals call it “BEE-dice” |
| Celina | City in Texas — Locals call it “suh-LIE-nuh” |
| Nocona | City in Texas — Locals call it “nuh-COE-nuh” |
| Marquez | City in Texas — Locals call it “mar-KAY” |
| Latexo | City in Texas — Locals call it “luh-TEX-oh” |
| Lillian | Community in Texas — Locals call it “LIL-yun” |
| Tulia | City in Texas — Locals call it “TOOL-yuh” |
| Jiba | Community in Texas — Locals call it “HEE-buh” |
| Santa Elena | Community in Texas — Locals call it “san-tuh LEE-nuh” |
| Quemado | Community in Texas — Locals call it “kuh-MAY-doh” |
| Cibolo | City in Texas — Locals call it “See-o-lo” |
| Coahoma | Town in Texas — Locals call it “kuh-HO-muh” |
| Muenster | City in Texas — Locals call it “MYEWNS-ter” |
| Carmine | City in Texas — Locals call it “kar-MEEN” |
| Levita | Town in Texas — Locals call it “luh-VIE-tuh” |
| Italy | City in Texas — Locals call it “IT-lee” |
| Lamesa | City in Texas — Locals call it “La-MEE-suh” |
| San Jacinto | Street in Houston — Locals call it “San Juh-SIN-toe” |
| Kamay | Town in Texas — Locals call it “KAY-im-ay” |
| Lancaster | City in Texas — Locals call it “LANG-kus-ter” |
| Plano | City in Texas — Locals call it “plane-oh” |
For more fun, check out the Texas Almanac Pronounciation Guide. You too can learn to speak Texan and sound like a local no matter where you kick off your boots at night.