These Are the Most Mispronounced Towns in the U.S.

Who hasn't looked at a map and tripped over a name of a town, city, or even state? Plenty of places have different dialects or pronunciations of their areas, and it's even more confusing when you add in regional slang. Luckily, we're here to set the record straight—and finally get to the bottom of these confusing town names, so you'll sound like a local when you're passing through. And for more words you should pronounce properly, check out the 60 Words People Pronounce Differently Across America.

1 | Wayzata, Minnesota

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There is a right and wrong way to say Wayzata. Don't butcher it by announcing you're in "Way-zat-ah." You'll politely be corrected to call the lakefront community "Why-zet-uh." And for more grammar notes, check out the 23 Words You Need to Stop Mispronouncing.

2 | Boerne, Texas

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On first glance, this town in Texas Hill Country may seem like it would sound similar to the word "born." However, it's actually pronounced "Ber-nee" like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. And for other famous people whose names you should know, check out the 30 Celebrity Names You're Mispronouncing.

3 | La Jolla, California

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Don't butcher this beautiful seaside hamlet by calling it "La Jah-la." The name is actually pronounced "La Hoy-yuh."

4 | Worcester, Massachusetts

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It's easy to get this New England town confused with your favorite BBQ sauce. But it's actually pronounced "Wuss-ter," or for locals with a Boston accent, it's lovingly referred to as "Wuss-tah."

5 | Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

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This lakeside oasis, pronounced "Core Duhlane," is the name that French traders called the Native American tribe that lived in the area. The tribe's actual title was Schitsu'umsh. And for more up-to-date information delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

6 | Sequim, Washington

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This enclave on the coast of Washington is known for its gorgeous lavender fields. But if you go, make sure not to say "See-kwim" as it's actually pronounced "Skwim."

7 | Duchesne, Utah

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This alpine outpost in Utah is pronounced "Doo-shayne." Its origins are French, meaning "oak tree."

8 | Sonoita, Arizona

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You may assume that Sonoita is a Spanish word pronounced like "So-no-ee-ta." While the name itself is of Spanish origins, it's actually called "Suh-noy-tah."

9 | Norfolk, Virginia

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First off, make sure you're referring to the region in Virginia and not the twin town in Nebraska. And when you do talk about the Virginia port, make sure you say "Nor-fik" or "Nah-fik" instead of "Nor-foke."

10 | Lafayette, Louisiana

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Thanks to that Southern drawl and the extra special sounds of New Orleans slang, if you're going to this pretty Louisiana town, make sure to say "Laff-ee-yet" instead of "Lah-fey-ette."

11 | Kissimmee, Florida

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It would be sweet if this town name sounded like you were asking for a kiss. But, despite how it may appear, it's correctly pronounced "Ka-sim-mee."

12 | Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

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Not only does this waterfront city have three words in its title, but they're also a bit difficult to decipher. Really, Sault is pronounced "Soo" while Ste. sounds like "Saint." Luckily, the third word is simply the name Marie.

13 | Schenectady, New York

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This historic Dutch settlement looks like someone reached into a Scrabble bag and pulled out a bunch of random letters. So we don't blame you if you're tripping over the pronunciation. However, locals will tell you to call it "Ski-neck-tuh-dee," which is based off the land the Mohawk tribe of the Iroquois Nation called "Schau-naugh-ta-da," meaning "over the pine plains."

14 | Keosauqua, Iowa

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You know a small town is especially tiny if it doesn't even have a traffic light. Welcome to Keosauqua, pronounced "Kee-o-saw-kwah" after the Native American word for "big bend." The Iowan hamlet got this moniker because it sits on the curve of the Des Moines River.

15 | Decatur, Illinois

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There's double the trouble with this town name. Decatur—correctly pronounced as "Dee-kay-tur," not "Deck-ah-ter"—is located in the state of Illinois, which some unfortunately say with the "s" sound on the end. (It's "Ill-ah-noy.") And for more surprising words and phrases, check out the 25 Everyday Words That Used to Have Different Meanings.