The state of Michigan has some cities and places with names that are difficult to pronounce.
From Cohoctah to Ypsilanti to Wequetonsing, there are dozens of names in Michigan that can be tricky to pronounce correctly.
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Now, there’s an online directory to help residents and visitors with the correct pronunciation of Michigan’s many unique city and place names.
The “You Say it How in Michigan?” was developed to benefit audio book production for the blind and visually impaired, but it will also benefit anyone who is unsure about their pronunciation.
"We initially developed the ‘You Say it How in Michigan?’ guide for narrators across the country during audio book production, to help get Michigan name and place pronunciations right," Susan Chinault, manager of the Michigan Braille and Talking Book Library, said. "Actually, the guide is invaluable for anyone, especially since Michigan has so many unique names that can be mispronounced."
Have you been mispronouncing the names of any of Michigan's cities? There are thousands of pronunciations on the Michigan government's website.
Did you know Detroit has two correct pronunciations listed? Here are the two ways listed on the government's website:
- (DĒ-troit)
- (də-TROIT)
Here are some Metro Detroit pronunciations:
- Adrian (Ā-DRĒ-en)
- Allen Park (AL-in PÄRK)
- Ann Arbor (ÂN ÄR-bûr)
- Armada (är-MÄ-də)
- Auburn Hills (Ô-bûrn HILZ)
- Battle Creek (BAT-ül KRĒK)
- Bedford (BED-fûrd)
- Belleville (BEL-vil)
- Bellevue (BEL-vyoo)
- Berkley (BÛRK-lē)
- Birmingham (BÛRM-ing-HÂM)
- Bloomfield Hills (BLOOM-fēld HILZ)
- Brighton (BRĪ-tun)
- Campus Martius Park (KÂMP-əs MÄR-shəs PÄRK)
- Canton (KÂN-tən)
- Chelsea (CHEL-sē)
- Chesterfield (CHEST-ûr-fēld)
- Clarkston (KLÄRK-stən)
- Clawson (KLÔ-sən)
- Clinton (KLIN-tən)
- Commerce (KOM-ûrs)
- Davison (DĀV-ə-sən)
- Dearborn (DĒR-bōrn)
- Dearborn Heights (DĒR-bōrn HĪTS)
- Deerfield (DĒR-fēld)
- Dundee (DUN-dē)
- Eastpointe (ĒST-point)
- Ecorse (Ē-cōrs)
- Farmington (FÄRM-ing-tən)
- Farmington Hills (FÄRM-ing-tən HILZ)
- Fenton (FEN-tən)
- Fowlerville (FOU-lûr-vil)
- Fraser (FRĀ-zhûr)
- Garden City (GÄR-den SI-tē)
- Genesee (JEN-ə-SĒ)
- Grosse Ile (GRŌS ĒL)
- Grosse Pointe (GRŌS POINT)
- Hamtramck (HÂM-trâm-ik)
- Harper Woods (HÄR-bûr WÜDZ)
- Hazel Park (HĀZ-il PÄRK)
- Highland Park (HĪ-land PÄRK)
- Ida (Ī-də)
- Inkster (INK-stûr)
- Lambertville (LÂM-bûrt-vil)
- Lapeer (lə-PĒR)
- Lathrup Village (LĀ-thrup VIL-ij)
- Lenawee (LEN-ə-WĀ)
- Lincoln Park (LINK-in PÄRK)
- Livingston (LIV-ing-stən)
- Livonia (liv-ŌN-yə)
- Macomb (mə-KŌM)
- Madison Heights (MAD-ə-sən HĪTS)
- Melvindale (MEL-vin-dāl)
- Milan (MĪ-lən)
- Milford (MIL-fûrd)
- Monroe (mən-RŌ)
- Mount Clemens (MOUNT clem-INZ)
- Northville (NŌRTH-vil)
- Novi (NŌ-vī)
- Oak Park (ŌK PÄRK)
- Orion (ŌR-ē-in)
- Petersburg (pē-tûrs-BÛRG)
- Pinckney (PINK-nē)
- Pittsfield (PITS-fēld)
- Plymouth (PLI-məth)
- Pontiac (PON-[t]ē-ak)
- Raisinville (RĀZ-in-vil)
- Rochester (RO-chest-ûr)
- Rochester Hills (RO-chest-ûr HILZ)
- Romulus (ROM-yoo-lus)
- Roseville (RŌZ-vil)
- Royal Oak (ROI-il ŌK)
- Saint Clair (SĀNT KLĀR)
- Saint Clair Shores (SĀNT KLĀR SHŌRZ)
- Saline (sə-LĒN)
- Sanilac (SÂN-ə-LAK)
- Scio (SĪ-ō)
- Shelby (SHEL-bē)
- South Lyon (SOUTH LĪ-ən)
- Southfield (SOUTH-fēld)
- Southgate (SOUTH-gāt)
- Springfield (SPRING-fēld)
- Sterling Heights (STÛR-ling HĪTS)
- Summerfield (SUM-ûr-fēld)
- Tecumseh (tə-KUM-sē)
- Temperance (TEM-pûr-ents)
- Trenton (TRENT-ən)
- Troy (TROI)
- Utica (YOO-tə-cə)
- Van Buren (van BYOO-rən)
- Walled Lake (WÔLD LĀK)
- Washtenaw (WÔSH-tə-nô)
- Waterford (WÔ-tûr-fûrd)
- Wayne (WĀN)
- West Bloomfield (WEST BLOOM-fēld)
- Westland (WEST-lənd)
- Whiteford (WĪT-fûrd)
- Wixom (WIKS-əm)
- Wyandotte (WĪ-in-DOT)
- Ypsilanti (ip-sil-ÂN-tē)
Here are some of our favorite pronunciations on the list:
- Alabaster (al-ə-BAS-tûr)
- Aloha (ə-LŌ-hə)
- Aurelius (ô-RĒL-ē-is)
- Bad Axe (BAD AKS)
- Bete Grise (BĀ-dē GRĒ)
- Breitung (BRĪ-tung)
- Charlevoix (SHÄR-lə-VOI)
- Cheboygan (shə-BOI-gən)
- Chikaming (CHIK-ə-ming)
- Copemish (KŌ-pem-ish)
- Corunna (kōr-UN-ə)
- Croton (KRŌ-tən)
- Dimondale (DĪ-mun-dāl)
- Essexville (ES-iks-VIL)
- Ferrysburg (FĀR-ēs-BÛRG)
- Fife Lake (FĪF LĀK)
- Fruitland (FROOT-land)
- Goetzville (GŌTZ-vil)
- Haight (HĀT)
- Hiawatha (hī-ə-WÄ-thə)
- Ingallston (IN-gul-stən)
- Ingersoll (IN-gûr-sōl)
- Ishpeming (ISH-pəm-ing)
- Juniata (JOON-ē-ä-tə)
- Kalamazoo (kal-ə-mə-ZOO)
- Kawkawlin (kə-KÔ-lin)
- Kenockee (KEN-ə-kē)
- Keweenaw (KĒ-wə-NAW)
- Kincheloe (kin-chə-LŌ)
- Leelanau (LĒ-lə-NÔ)
- Mackinac (MAK-in-aô)
- Manistique (mân-əs-TĒK)
- Menominee (mə-NOM-in-Ē)
- Mosherville (MOSH-ûr-vil)
- Muir (MYOOR)
- Munising (MYOON-is-ing)
- Naubinway (NÔ-bin-wā)
- Negaunee (nə-GAW-nē)
- Newaygo (noo-Ā-gō)
- Ocqueoc (ōk-KĀ-ōk)
- Onondaga (ON-ən-DĀ-gə)
- Ontonagon (ON-tə-NOG-ən)
- Oronoko (ōr-ON-kō)
- Oshtemo (OSH-tə-mō)
- Owosso (ô-WOS-ō)
- Paw Paw Lake (PÔ PÔ LĀK)
- Pewamo (pə-WÄM-ō)
- Pokagon (pō-KĀ-gən)
- Ponshewaing (PON-shə-wāng)
- Quinnesec (KWIN-ə-sək)
- Rubicon (ROOB-ə-kon)
- Rumely (ROOM-lē)
- Saugatuck (SÔ-gə-tuk)
- Sault Ste. Marie (SOO SĀNT mə-RĒ)
- Sebewaing (SIB-ə-wing)
- Shiawassee (SHĪ-ə-WÄ-sē)
- Slagle (SLĀG-ul)
- Snover (SNŌ-vûr)
- Tahquamenon Falls (tə-KWÄM-in-ən FÄLZ)
- Tittabawassee (tit-ə-bə-WÄ-sē)
- Topinabee (tə-PIN-ə-Bē)
- Tuscarora (tus-kə-RŌR-ə)
- Unadilla (oon-ə-DIL-ə)
- Vevay (və-VĀ)
- Wabaningo (WÔ-bə-NING-ō)
- Wakeshma (WĀK-shmə)
- Walhalla (WÔL-häl-ə)
- Watervliet (WÔ-tûr-VLĒT)
- Waucedah (WÔ-sə-də)
- Weesaw (WĒ-sô)
- Wequetonsing (wek-wə-TON-sing)
- Zilwaukee (zil-WÔ-kē)
To view the full list of Michigan pronunciations and listen to audio examples, click here.
Did we miss any of your favorites? How do you say your hometown? Let us know in the comments section below!