Pronouncing Iowa Place Names: An Audio Guide

Presidential hopefuls need to clear all kinds of hurdles. Some are unique to politics, but one is familiar to every Iowan: getting our state's place-names right. While some of them (like Atlantic) are clear from the spelling, others trip "newbies" up. Louisa County? Not like my cousin's first name. Madrid? Not like the city in Spain. Nevada? Not like that state out west. You can’t take anything for granted.But you're not on your own - Iowa Public Radio has you covered. Below is our handy audio guide to pronouncing Iowa place names.

Iowa Place Names: A - E

Iowa Public Radio | By Barney Sherman

Published September 14, 2017 at 1:00 PM CDT

-A- -B- -C- -D- -E-

Adel: Ay- DELL

Allamakee: Aal -uh-muh-KEY (NOTE: Al as in "Call Me Al")

Amish: AY-mish

Arispe: uh-RISS-pee

Atalissa: at-uh-LISS-uh

Audubon: AW-duh-bin

Ayrshire: AIR- "sure" ("air" like the stuff we breathe; sure like the sher in "Sherman")

Bondurant: BONN-durr-RANT

Bremer: BREE-mer

Buena Vista: BYOO-nuh VIH-stuh

Calamus: CAAL-uh-muhss ("Cal" as in California or Calvin)

Calmar: CAAL-mer ("Cal" as in California or Calvin)

Camanche: cuh- MAANCH

Chariton: SHARE-ih-ton

Charlotte: sharr- LOTT

Cherokee: chair-uh-KEE

Chillicothe: chill-uh-KAW-thhee

Churdan: shur-DAAN

Clermont: Clare - mont

Clutier: clue - teer

De Witt:Most residents say simply Duh WITT, with a schwa vowel in the first syllable; but some say "Dee Witt," as follows:

Decorah: dih - CORE - uh or duh-CORE-uh (short "schwa" as the first vowel) - though some residents say dee-CORE-uh as follows:

Delhi: DELL- high

Delmar: DELL- mer (although some say DELL- mar)

Delphos: DELL- fooss[the second syllable rhymes more with "foot" than with "dose"]

Des Moines: di Moyn (or de moyn - that is, a "schwa" in the first vowel - or deh moyn) [For both the state capital, in the center-west of the state, and Des Moines County, in the far southeast, do not say the letter "s" - that letter is silent. And no vowel in the word should rhyme with "say," But what is the first vowel? I hear a short "schwa" in the county, and a short "ih" in the city - but Wikipedia hears a short "deh," rhyming with "meh," and I sometimes hear that in the city.]