Visitors to the Old Dominion will have trouble pronouncing some — if not most — of our unique landmarks, towns, and even lingo. We pride ourselves in developing our own pronunciations, and feuds have been started between those who disagree on the true way of saying certain words. If you can confidently pronounce the following 9 words, you’ve officially lived in Virginia for far too long (and who says that’s a bad thing!).
- Fries
Eli Christman/flickr Named after a cotton mill owner by the name of Francis Henry Fries, this town has nothing to do with potato products. Rather, it’s pronounced “freeze.”
- Chilhowie
George Backus/flickr Chilhowie is a Native American word which translates into “the land of many deer.” It’s not as challenging to pronounce as you might expect: Chill-OW-ee.
- Bumpass
J. Albert Bowden II/flickr Yes, you’ve read that correctly. This little town with a very peculiar name is actually pronounced “Bump-us.”
- Staunton
Doug Kerr/flickr This one seems like a no-brainer if you’ve lived in Virginia long enough, yet most out-of-towners wouldn’t know to say “Stan-ton.”
- McGaheysville
Wikipedia This one will really trip you up if you’ve never seen it before. The small community in Rockingham is pronounced Ma-GAK-eez-vil.
- Norfolk
VDOT/flickr Residents of this coastal city may give you a funny look if you pronounce their hometown any other way but “Naw-fik.”
- Botetourt
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/flickr This stunning mountainous landscape can trick even the most seasoned residents of Virginia. Despite how it’s spelled, this area is pronounced BAHT-uh-tott.
- Buena Vista
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/flickr Forget any Spanish you may known, because this scenic town outside of Lexington pronounces its name as “Byoona Vista.”
- Gloucester
Chuck Thompson/flickr It’s not difficult to mispronounce the name of this scenic town in the Northern Neck. Hint: drop the middle syllable.
So how did you do? Were there any places on this list that you had trouble pronouncing? Any other words come to mind? Be sure to share with us! For related content, you’ll enjoy reading about These 10 Things That Will Always Make Virginians Think Of Home.
Eli Christman/flickr
Named after a cotton mill owner by the name of Francis Henry Fries, this town has nothing to do with potato products. Rather, it’s pronounced “freeze.”
George Backus/flickr
Chilhowie is a Native American word which translates into “the land of many deer.” It’s not as challenging to pronounce as you might expect: Chill-OW-ee.
J. Albert Bowden II/flickr
Yes, you’ve read that correctly. This little town with a very peculiar name is actually pronounced “Bump-us.”
Doug Kerr/flickr
This one seems like a no-brainer if you’ve lived in Virginia long enough, yet most out-of-towners wouldn’t know to say “Stan-ton.”
Wikipedia
This one will really trip you up if you’ve never seen it before. The small community in Rockingham is pronounced Ma-GAK-eez-vil.
VDOT/flickr
Residents of this coastal city may give you a funny look if you pronounce their hometown any other way but “Naw-fik.”
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/flickr
This stunning mountainous landscape can trick even the most seasoned residents of Virginia. Despite how it’s spelled, this area is pronounced BAHT-uh-tott.
Forget any Spanish you may known, because this scenic town outside of Lexington pronounces its name as “Byoona Vista.”
Chuck Thompson/flickr
It’s not difficult to mispronounce the name of this scenic town in the Northern Neck. Hint: drop the middle syllable.
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