Pronunciation Guide to Virginia Place Names

For those wondering how to pronounce Staunton, Galax, Occoquan and more.

7/1/11 12:40 PM

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The Associated Press recently released a guide to the correct pronunciation of significant people and places in Virginia. These pronunciations may be obvious to those Virginia born and raised, but for anyone not originally from the Old Dominion (like myself) it's a useful little list.

Until very recently I was pronouncing Staunton with an "or", Galax with two flat "a"s, and avoiding ever having to say Occoquan if at all possible. If only I'd seen this guide sooner, I could have saved myself several rounds of "actually it's pronounced..."

To see the correct pronunciation of Staunton, Galax, Occoaquan and other places in Virginia spelled out phonetically, scroll down below and take a look.

Accomac (town) Accomack (county) (ACK'-ah-MACK')

Amissville (AY'-miss-vill)

Aquia Harbor (ah-KWYE'-ah)

Ararat (AYR'-ah-rat)

Basye (BAY'-see)

Botetourt (BAHT'-uh-tott)

Buchanan County (buck-ANN'-un)

Buena Vista (BYOO'-nah VISS'-tah)

Crozet (kroh-ZAY')

Fauquier (faw-KEER')

Fluvanna (floo-VANN'-ah)

Ft. Belvoir (BELL'-vwar)

Ft. Eustis (YOOS'-tiss)

Galax (GAY'-lax)

Giles (JYLES) County

Gloucester (GLOSS'-ter)

Gore (gohr)

Goshen (GOH'-shen)

Grottoes (GRAH'-tohs)

Haysi (hay-SYE')

Iaeger (YAY'-ger)

Jarratt (JAYR'-att)

Kilmarnock (kill-MARR'-nock)

Louisa (loh-WEE'-sah)

Luray (loo-ray)

McGaheysville (mick-GACK'-ees-vill)

Moneta (moh-NEE'-tah)

Nottoway (NAH'-toh-way)

Occoquan (AH'-koh-kwahn).

Onancock (oh-NANN'-kock)

Powhatan (POW'-hah-tan)

Pulaski (pyoo-LASS'-kee)

Sussex (SUSS'-ex)

Saluda (sah-LOO'-dah)

Smyth (smith)

Swoope (swohp) or (swope)

Staunton (STANN'-tun)

Tappahannock (TAPP'-ah-HANN'-ock)

Tazewell (TAZZ'-well)

Toano (toh-ANN'-oh)

Wythe (with)

Wytheville (WITH-vill)

- Excerpted from the Associated Press' "guide to pronunciations in Virginia news".

Tag Topics: Daryl Grove

For those wondering how to pronounce Staunton, Galax, Occoquan and more.

by Daryl Grove

7/1/11 12:40 PM

Latest Comments

Danville & Martinsville

The weather and news people always murder Danville, which should
be DAN-vul. Martinsville inhabitants use two pronunciations, but being a native, I prefer MAHT uhs vul, instead of MAR-TINS-VILL.

Posted by Janie Vaughan September 01, 2011 11:10:17
Haysi

Haysi has the emphasis on first syllable, not last as listed.
It is HAY-sye.
Also, to above comment, it doesn't matter how Pulaski pronounced his name. Linguists will tell you that the only "correct" pronunciation of a proper name is that employed by its "owners" - for a place name, that means the residents.

Posted by Pat James August 09, 2011 07:47:57
Manassas

Manassas should be on here, Muh-NASS-as... all the time telemarketers call and say "Mana-sass"

Posted by July 22, 2011 01:10:24
the most infamous Virginia pronunciation

Let's not forget Fries. That's pronounced FREEZ of course.

Posted by Jeff Conner July 19, 2011 16:57:59