What is The Most Mispronounced Town in Ohio?

OHIO - Ohio is a state full of linguistic traps for outsiders. You've got towns with French names that aren't pronounced in a French way, towns with global names that have a unique local spin, and a healthy dose of Native American and German names that just don't look how they sound. While many towns battle for the top spot, the title of the "most difficult to pronounce" town in Ohio often goes to one small village in Tuscarawas County: Gnadenhutten.

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The Top Contender: Gnadenhutten

If you're looking at "Gnadenhutten" and your first thought is "Guh-NAD-en-hut-ten," you're not alone. But you're also not correct.

• Common Mispronunciation: Guh-NAD-en-hut-ten
• Correct Pronunciation: ji-NAY-dun-hut-ən (juh-NAY-dun-hut-un)

That's right, the "G" is silent, and the "naden" is pronounced "nay-den." The name, which means "Huts of Grace" in German, is a nod to the Moravian missionaries who settled the area. Reader's Digest famously singled out Gnadenhutten as the most difficult-to-pronounce place name in the entire state, a title it holds with pride.

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The Local Shibboleths: How to Sound Like an Ohioan

While Gnadenhutten may be the most phonetically complex, there are several other towns that locals use as a shibboleth—an instant test to see if you're "from around here."

1. Lima

This is the most famous test in Ohio. It’s a global city name, but with a hard Ohio twist.

• The Outsider: LEE-muh (like the capital of Peru)
• The Local: LEYE-muh (like the bean)

2. Bellefontaine

The name means "beautiful spring" in French, and an outsider might be tempted to give it a fancy, French pronunciation. Locals do not.

• The Outsider: Bell-fon-TAHN
• The Local: Bell-FOWN-tən (like "fountain")

3. Gallipolis

Another French-inspired name ("City of the Gauls") that has its own local flair. The emphasis is the key.

• The Outsider: Gal-ih-POH-liss
• The Local: GAL-ih-po-LEESE

4. Russia

No, it's not like the country. This small village north of Dayton has one of the most unique pronunciations in the state.

• The Outsider: RUSH-uh
• The Local: ROO-she (as in, "Roo-she is a small town")

5. Versailles

Following the trend of Americanizing French names (like Versailles, Kentucky), Ohio's version drops all pretense.

• The Outsider: Ver-SYE
• The Local: Ver-SALES (like the store)

6. Cuyahoga

A name so tricky, even locals sometimes disagree on the "right" way to say it, though one is far more common.

• The Outsider: Kwee-uh-HOG-uh (or "Koy-uh-hoe-guh" as heard in the R.E.M. song)
• The Local: Kie-uh-HOG-uh (or "Kie-uh-HOE-guh," but "HOG-uh" is most common)

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So, while you might struggle with the German "Gnadenhutten," the real test of Ohio knowledge is knowing that Lima isn't in Peru and Versailles isn't in France.

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