Results: Most Difficult-to-Pronounce Town in Every State (Part Five)

Massachusetts - Ah, Worcester, you're the worst-er-est. You've got so many silent letters, it's almost like, why not just add a few more? A silent "x" perhaps right at the end, perhaps? Perhaps a silent "k" at the beginning? Then there's the fact that so few of your letters give any sort of clue to how you're actually pronounced. And finally, there's almost no reasonable phonetic way to express how your first syllable is pronounced except to say that it sounds like the last vowel sound in New Hampshire. Alternatively, it would also be accurate to say that the first vowel sound in the first syllable of Worcester sounds like the vowel sound in the word "sir." Have you ever visited this town?

Michigan: Sault Ste. Marie - When you arrive in Sault St. Marie, Michigan, don't be surprised if someone says, "Welcome to the Soo," because that is, in fact, how the first word of this town's name is pronounced. The second word is pronounced "Saynt" (or "saint"). The reason for the "e" at the end is the town was named for the Virgin Mary by a French missionary, and the feminine of "St." in French is "Ste." So, say it with me: SOO Saint Mah-REE, and leave the "salt" out of it. Have you ever visited this town?

Minnesota: Wayzata - If you're looking for a "way" to pronounce this, you're going to have to ask "why"—as in, why you gotta be so confusing, Why-ZET-uh? Have you ever visited this town?

Mississippi: Louisville - There are so many hard-to-pronounce place-names in Mississippi that it was hard to choose just one. But I selected Louisville because even if you know how to pronounce the one in Kentucky properly (LEW-wee-vill), or how to pronounce the one in Kentucky like you're from Kentucky (LEW-uh-vill), it's of no help at all. Rather, Louisville, Mississippi, is pronounced LEW-iss-vill. Nor does it help that Louisville, Mississippi, was named for a state senator by the name of Louis Winston, because that would seem to imply the French pronunciation used in Kentucky. In fact, Louis Winston is pronounced "Lewis" Winston. Have you ever visited this town?

Missouri: Qulin - No, it's not a typo. The tiny town of Qulin, Missouri (population approximately 450 at last count) has no vowel between the "Qu" and the rest of it, leaving most of us to wonder: WHICH vowel? The answer is: none. The town of Qulin is pronounced Q-lin. Why they spelled it that way remains a mystery. Have you ever visited this town?