Pronunciation Guide to Virginia Place Names

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".