MICHIGAN (DDN) – You’ll remember this if you tried saying “Sault Ste. Marie” for the first time. Or the time you were mocked because you pronounced Charlotte the traditional way. (No, it’s not as you think.)
Fortunately, the state of Michigan maintains a comprehensive database of pronunciations for cities, townships, street names, and even notable people. It includes brief audio files so you may hear for yourself how things are spoken.
For our purposes, we selected 24 notable Michigan routes and attractions that you are probably not familiar with. Use this as a guide for your next Michigan road trip, or simply to impress your family and friends with your intelligence.
Mackinac
First, let’s address the obvious. Most people understand that the C is silent, and this is pronounced similarly to the name Mackinaw City: “Mack-in-awe.”
Ontonagon
This Upper Peninsula county, which includes the Porcupine Mountains, is pronounced “on-ton-ogg-on.”
Charlotte
No, it is not pronounced in the same way as in the children’s book or the North Carolina city. It’s “char-LOT.”
Dowagiac
This little city in southwestern Michigan, near the Indiana border, is pronounced “doe-wah-jak.”
Okemos
This Lansing suburb might easily trip you up: “Oh-kuh-muss.”
Sault Ste. Marie
Many people are taken aback by the name of this well-known Upper Peninsula town. The nickname is “Sue Saint Marie.”
Ypsilanti
If you say “yip” in the beginning, you’re doing it incorrectly. The pronunciation is “ip-sill-ann-tee.”
Kitch-iti-kipi Springs
Talk about a tongue twister! The first word is “Kitch-iti-kip-ee.” Don’t forget the extra “i” sound.
Dequindre
Now let’s look at street names! This route in metro Detroit is pronounced “duh-QUIN-durr.”
Lahser
Here’s another Metro Detroit street name that many people get wrong. It’s “lah-sir.”
Milan
Most people get this southeastern Michigan city name wrong by emphasizing “LAN.” It is actually pronounced “my-Lynn.”
Lake Orion
It isn’t like the constellation. It’s “Lake Oh-ree-en.”
Hamtramck
There is a concealed I sound in the name of this Polish city. It’s pronounced “ham-tram-ick.”
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Houghton
Both the Upper Peninsula city and Michigan’s largest inland lake are pronounced as “ho-ten.”
Gratiot
This is another hard one. The street name and fort are pronounced “grash-it.”
Gaylord
You don’t say “lord” at the end of this northern Michigan city name. It is “gay-lerd.”
Lake Gogebic
The Upper Peninsula’s largest inland lake is pronounced “Goh-ghib-ick.”
Schoenherr
This main route in Detroit is pronounced “Shane-err.”
Ewing
This little township in Marquette County has a Y sound in the name: “Yoo-ing.”
Keweenaw
Place the long E sound in the first syllable, not the second. It’s called “kee-win-awe.”
Bois Blanc Island
Native metro Detroiters and those around Mackinac may be familiar with this one, but many outsiders will be confused: Bois Blanc is referred to as “Bob-low.” Yes, truly.
Ocqueoc
This northern Michigan township, which has the largest waterfall in the Lower Peninsula, is pronounced “ah-key-ock.”
Grosse Ile
The first word in this metro Detroit township is what you’d expect: “Gross.” But the second word is “eel.”
Onekama
This little village on Lake Michigan is called “Oh-neck-em-uh.”
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