NEW JERSEY - If you ask a search engine or a linguist what the most mispronounced word in New Jersey is, they might point you to a recent viral study that claims the answer is "Primeval." According to search trend data, New Jerseyans (along with people from just one other state) struggle mightily with the word, often Googling how to say it. (For the record, it's pry-MEE-vul).
NEW JERSEY - If you ask a search engine or a linguist what the most mispronounced word in New Jersey is, they might point you to a recent viral study that claims the answer is "Primeval." According to search trend data, New Jerseyans (along with people from just one other state) struggle mightily with the word, often Googling how to say it. (For the record, it's pry-MEE-vul).But if you ask an actual New Jerseyan, "Primeval" isn't even on the radar. The most mispronounced words in the Garden State aren't SAT vocabulary terms; they are the names of our own towns, rivers, and favorite foods. These are the shibboleths—the words that instantly reveal if you are a local or a "benny" from out of town.
Here is a guide to the words that actually trip people up in New Jersey.
The "Greenwich" Trap
If you are from New York or Connecticut, you see the word Greenwich and your brain automatically says "Gren-itch."
Do that in South Jersey, and you will get weird looks. In New Jersey (specifically Cumberland, Gloucester, and Warren counties), the town is pronounced exactly how it looks: GREEN-WICH. We pronounce the "Green" and we pronounce the "Wich."
The Two-Syllable "Forked"
This is the ultimate litmus test for Ocean County locals. When referring to Forked River, an outsider will look at the first word and pronounce it like the utensil you eat dinner with (Forkt).
A local knows that in this specific instance, the word has two distinct syllables. It is FOR-KID River.
The "Buena" & "Bogota" Twists
New Jersey has a habit of taking names with Spanish origins and Jersey-fying them completely.
- Buena: In Spanish, it's Bway-nah. In Atlantic County, it is firmly BYOO-nah.
- Bogota: In Colombia, the capital city is Bo-go-TAH. In Bergen County, the borough is Buh-GO-tuh (rhymes with "pagoda").
The "Newark" Slur
This is the quickest way to spot a tourist at the airport.
- Outsider: "New-ark" (two distinct, crisp syllables).
- Local: "Nork" (one syllable, rhymes with "fork").
The "Mozzarella" Rule
This falls under the specific dialect of North Jersey Italian-American culture, famously dramatized by The Sopranos, but heard in delis across the state. The vowel at the end of Italian food words is often considered optional.
- The Word: Mozzarella.
- The NJ Pronunciation: MOOT-z (or Moot-zah-rell if you're being formal).
- See also: Prosciutto (Pro-shoot), Ricotta (Ri-gawt), and Capicola (Gabagool).
Honorable Mentions
- Kearny: It looks like it should rhyme with "early." It doesn't. It's CAR-nee.
- Passaic: It's Puh-SAY-ick, not PASS-ay-ick.
- Water: While the Philadelphia area (South Jersey) leans toward "Wudder," the North Jersey accent often bends it toward "Waw-ter."
So, while the internet might think we struggle with "primeval," the truth is we're just too busy correcting people who say "New-Ark" to worry about it.
