Are you mispronouncing these Oregon words? Probably (2024)

This article was originally published in 2016

Oregon is full of towns, counties, rivers, streets and even lighthouses that many people (hello, transplants) unknowingly mispronounce. Heck, even folks from other parts of the country butcher the name of our beloved 33rd state. Psst, it’s definitely not “Ory-gone.”

So with that, The Oregonian/OregonLive presents this important pronunciation guide to some of the most mangled names on the local map.

Aloha

If you’re pronouncing it like the Hawaiian word, you’ve got it all wrong.

Say it: a-LOH-ah

Yachats

As residents of this small coastal town will tell you, it’s not YAK-ats or Ya-CHATS.

Say it: Yaa-haats

Gleneden Beach

Looks like you would say Glenn-e-den, right? Wrong.

Say it: Gleh-nuh-den Beech

Albany

There are still people who call this town south of Salem AL-bunny.

Say it: ALL-bunny

Madras

This city in Jefferson County gets its name butchered all the time. Note: It was not named after a middle-eastern educational institution and shouldn’t be pronounced like one.

Say it: MAD-russ

Wallowa

Trivia: Wallowa is a Nez Perce word describing a triangular structure of stakes that in turn supported a network of sticks called lacallas to form a fish trap.

Say it: Wuh-LOW-wah

Nyssa

In the 1830s, the original Fort Boise was established near this city on the Oregon-Idaho border. The city was originally a shipping center for sheep and stock on the Union Pacific’s main trunk line.

Say it: NISS-uh

Willamette

It’s not WILL-a-MET. It’s also not Will-a-MA-TAY. It derives from the Native American word Wallamt.

Say it: Will-AM-it

Glisan Street

Actually, we’re all apparently saying it wrong. Interestingly, Portlanders have accepted the wrong pronunciation of this street name as the norm. According to the Oregon Historical Society, the Glisan family didn’t go by GLEE-son, like the name of the comedian who starred in “The Honeymooners.” It should actually sound like “listen.” Glisan Street was named after of Rodney Glisan, a U.S. Army frontier medical doctor.

Say it: GLEE-son

Heceta Head

Some call it the “HECK-ah-Ta” Head Lighthouse on the Oregon Coast.

Say it: Ha-SEE-Ta

Molalla

The Molala were a Native American tribe in the Cascade foothills of Clackamas County. Somewhere along the line someone decided to add an extra L. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Say it: Moe-LAH-lah

Couch Street

Don’t pronounce it like the place you sit in your living room to stream your favorite TV shows.

Say it: Cooch

Tigard

Home of the popular Festival of Balloons each June, you can lean on the high school mascot to pronounce this Portland suburb.

Say it: TIE-gard

Shaniko

It’s Oregon’s most popular little ghost town, located about a 2.5-hour drive from Portland. When we say little ghost town, we mean it. Shaniko boasts a population of a whopping 30 people.

Say it: SHAN-i-koh

Umatilla

Ooo-ma-tilla? Nope.

Say it: YOU-muh-TILL-uh

Deschutes

Early fur traders called the river Riviere des Chutes, which means “River of the Falls.”

Say it: Duh-SHOOTS

Schuyler Street

It’s no shoo-in to say this Northeast Portland street name correctly.

Say it: Sky-ler

Philomath

Fun fact: Philomath is Greek for “a lover of learning.”

Say it: Fi-loh-myth

Clatskanie

If you’re calling it “Clat-skan-EEE,” you’re probably not alone. But you’d also be incorrect.

Say it: Klat-skuh-nai

Champoeg

The “G” is not only silent, it turns into a long “E.”

Say it: Sham-POO-ee

Tumalo

TOO-ma-lo? Try again.

Say it: TUM-ah-low

Siletz

It’s not “Sigh-letz.”

Say it: Sill-ETZ

The Dalles

Just past Hood River but don’t overlook this Columbia River Gorge gem, home to the Cherry Festival in the spring and Northwest Mural Festival in the summer.

Say it: The Dallz (rhymes with gals)

Weidler

Yes, Oregon has legalized marijuana. But Weidler still isn’t pronounced “WEED-ler.”

Say it: WIDE-ler

Paulina

This tiny central Oregon town was not named after Paulina Porizkova. It was named after Paiute Chief Paulina -- and it’s not “Pa-LEEN-a.”

Say it: Pol-EYE-nuh

Terrebonne

Home to the world-famous Smith Rock State Park, Terrebonne translates to “good earth.”

Say it: Terra-BON

Scio

Known as the “Covered Bridge Capital of the West,” this tiny town southeast of Salem has a population of under 1,000 (956).

Say it: Sai-oh

Coquille

Located near the southern coast, Coquille is 2.8 square miles, of which 2.76 square miles is land and .04 square miles is water. The Coquille Tribe is pronounced “ko-kwel,” but the river and town are ...

Say it: Ko-keel

Nehalem

Nehalem was named for the Nehalem Native Americans, also known as the Tillamook. One attributed meaning for Nehalem is “place where people live.”

Say it: Nuh-hay-luhm

Yaquina

Home to Oregon’s tallest lighthouse, it’s not “Ya-KEEN-a.”

Say it: Yuh-kwi-nuh

***

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe