What's the Most Mispronounced Town in Pennsylvania?

PENNSYLVANIA - If you are driving through Pennsylvania and relying on your high school French class to guide you, you are going to have a bad time. The Commonwealth is home to some of the most notoriously difficult-to-pronounce place names in the United States. From the Welsh-influenced puzzles of the Main Line to the Native American tongue-twisters in the mountains, Pennsylvania’s map is a minefield for outsiders.

But if we have to crown a winner—the single most aggressively mispronounced town that instantly marks you as a tourist—the title goes to a township just outside of Pittsburgh.

The Winner: North Versailles

Correct Pronunciation: North Ver-SAYLZ

To the rest of the world, "Versailles" evokes the opulent palace of Louis XIV, a symbol of French grandeur pronounced with a soft, elegant Ver-SIGH.

To a Pennsylvanian, it is North Ver-SAYLZ.

Locals do not care about French phonetics. In Western Pennsylvania, if there is an 'S' and an 'L' at the end of a word, you better believe they are going to pronounce them. The pronunciation is so jarring to outsiders that it has become a local badge of honor—a shibboleth that separates the "yinzers" from everyone else.

The Runner-Up: DuBois

Correct Pronunciation: Doo-BOYZ

Keeping with the theme of "Pennsylvania vs. France," DuBois is another town that refuses to bow to linguistic norms. While a French speaker would see "DuBois" and say Doo-BWAH (meaning "of the woods"), the locals in this Clearfield County city firmly say Doo-BOYZ.

It sounds exactly like you are describing a group of young men ("Dem boys"), and if you try to fancy it up with a French accent, you will likely be met with blank stares or polite chuckles.

The "Alphabet Soup" Hall of Fame

While North Versailles and DuBois are difficult because they defy logic, other Pennsylvania towns are difficult because they defy the alphabet.

1. Schuylkill

Correct Pronunciation: SKOO-kill This name appears everywhere—a river, a county, and an expressway. It looks like a Scrabble hand gone wrong. The name is Dutch for "Hidden River," and the pronunciation is sharper than it looks. Forget the 'y' and the 'l' in the middle; just think "School-Kill" or "Skoo-kill."

2. Bala Cynwyd

Correct Pronunciation: BAL-a KIN-wid Located on the famous Main Line outside Philadelphia, this town owes its name to Welsh settlers. The 'C' is hard (like a K), and the 'y's behave like vowels. It is not Bala Sin-wid or Bala Kin-weed. It flows quickly: BAL-a KIN-wid.

3. Wilkes-Barre

Correct Pronunciation: Wilks-BEAR-ee (or Wilks-BEAR) This city in Northeastern PA causes endless debates. The first half is easy. The second half, named after British politician Isaac Barré, creates chaos. While the historical figure pronounced it Ba-RAY, the accepted local pronunciation has morphed into "Berry" or "Bear." If you say "Wilkes-Bar," you are definitely not from the Wyoming Valley.

The Stress Test: Lancaster & Carnegie

Finally, there are the towns where you know all the letters, but you emphasize the wrong ones.

• Lancaster: It is not Lan-CAST-er (like Burt Lancaster). It is LANC-aster, spoken quickly and forcefully, almost swallowing the second syllable.

• Carnegie: In New York, you go to Car-NEG-ie Hall. But in the town of Carnegie, PA, the stress moves to the middle: Car-NAY-gie. This is actually closer to how industrialist Andrew Carnegie (a Scot) pronounced his own name, making the "incorrect" Pennsylvania version historically accurate.

The Verdict

Pennsylvania’s place names are a history lesson wrapped in a riddle. Whether they are anglicized French, preserved Welsh, or simplified Native American terms, they all serve one purpose: to let the locals know exactly where you are from—and it’s usually not here.

So, the next time you’re near Pittsburgh, put away your French dictionary, grit your teeth, and ask for directions to North Ver-SAYLZ.