NEW JERSEY - If you're typing an address into your GPS in New Jersey, you might want to double-check your spelling. The Garden State is famous for its "shibboleths"—words or names that only locals know how to say (and spell) correctly. From South Jersey's peculiar pronunciations to the Lenape-influenced tongue twisters of the north, New Jersey is full of streets that outsiders consistently get wrong.
Here are the most misspelled and confusing street names in New Jersey.
1. Duerer Street (Galloway Township)
The Trap: The Pronunciation How Locals Say It: "Doer" How Outsiders Spell It: Doer St, Dure St, Dooer St
If you are new to Galloway Township, you will likely encounter this spelling nightmare. Named after the German artist Albrecht Dürer, the street has retained its German spelling but adopted a hyper-local, simplified pronunciation. Locals insist it is pronounced "Doer" (rhyming with "mower"), leading almost everyone who hears it to omit the distinct "ue" when writing it down.
2. Aloe Street (Egg Harbor City / Galloway)
The Trap: The "Silent" Vowel How Locals Say It: "A-low" How Outsiders Spell It: Alo St, Alloe St
Most of the English-speaking world pronounces "Aloe" (like the plant) with three syllables: Al-oh-ee. In South Jersey, that final "e" is strictly forbidden. The street is pronounced "A-low," identical to the phrase "a low bridge." When visitors hear directions to "A-low Street," they almost invariably spell it without the "e," leading to navigation errors.
3. Greenwich Street (Various Locations)
The Trap: The "Green-Witch" vs. "Gren-itch" Debate How Locals Say It: "Green-witch" How Outsiders Spell It: Grenich, Grinitch
New Yorkers and Connecticut residents know that "Greenwich" is pronounced Gren-itch. But in New Jersey (specifically in Gloucester and Warren counties), that rule is thrown out the window. Here, the "w" is hard and pronounced clearly: Green-Witch. This reversal causes endless confusion for out-of-staters, who try to spell it phonetically based on the New York pronunciation they are used to.
4. Shades of Death Road (Warren County)
The Trap: Disbelief How Locals Say It: "Shades of Death" How Outsiders Spell It: Shades of Dearth, Shadow Death
This road in Great Meadows is legendary, not just for its spooky folklore, but for the fact that people often can't believe it is real. When typing it into a GPS, users frequently hesitate or misspell "Death," assuming it must be a misunderstanding or a similar-sounding word like "Depth" or "Dearth." It is one of the few streets where the spelling error comes from pure skepticism.
5. Musconetcong River Road (Hunterdon/Warren)
The Trap: The "Lenape" Vowel Scramble How Locals Say It: "Mus-ka-net-cong" How Outsiders Spell It: Musconetcong, Musconetcoong, Musconetkongs
New Jersey is dotted with names of Lenne Lenape origin, which are notoriously difficult to spell if you haven't memorized them. Musconetcong (along with its cousins Manalapan and Piscataway) is a prime candidate for vowel swapping. The "e" and "o" in the middle are frequently flipped, and the "t" is often doubled or dropped by those unfamiliar with the region.
6. Uibel Avenue (Egg Harbor Township)
The Trap: The Vowel reversal How Locals Say It: "You-bull" How Outsiders Spell It: Yuble, Ubel, Yewbel
Another South Jersey special, Uibel Avenue is a masterclass in confusion. The "Ui" combination is rare in English, and when pronounced as "You," it creates a disconnect between the ear and the pen. Delivery drivers often search for "Yuble Ave" or "Ubel," leaving them lost in Egg Harbor Township.
7. Goa Way (Lavallette)
The Trap: The Pun How Locals Say It: "Go Away" How Outsiders Spell It: Go Away
Located in the seaside town of Lavallette, this street name is a local favorite. While it is likely named after the Indian state of Goa, it is pronounced exactly like the command "Go Away." Naturally, when people text their address to friends, autocorrect (and human instinct) changes "Goa Way" to "Go Away," often resulting in confusing text threads: "What street are you on?" "Goa Way" "Rude."
The most misspelled streets in New Jersey generally fall into two categories: The South Jersey Phonetic Traps and the Native American Tongue Twisters. In South Jersey, streets like Duerer ("Doer") and Aloe ("A-low") are misspelled because locals refuse to pronounce them as they are written. In the north, complex Lenape names like Musconetcong trip up anyone who isn't a geography bee champion. Finally, oddities like Goa Way ("Go Away") cause errors simply because they sound like a joke rather than a destination.
