How do you pronounce the word Oregon?

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Feb 6, 2007
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Originally posted by: waffleironhead
Speaking of states names.

why is kansas(cans-ass) and arkansas(ar-can-saw). Wouldnt it make sense to be kansas(can-saw) or arkansas(ar-cans-ass) as well?

And what about woman/women? You change a letter at the end of the word, but change how you pronounce the beginning of the word? Preposterous.

And it's Or-ih-guhn. You have to pronounce the "e" (it's not organ), and it doesn't end in "gone."
 

DT4K

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2002
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Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy
Originally posted by: waffleironhead
Speaking of states names.

why is kansas(cans-ass) and arkansas(ar-can-saw). Wouldnt it make sense to be kansas(can-saw) or arkansas(ar-cans-ass) as well?

And what about woman/women? You change a letter at the end of the word, but change how you pronounce the beginning of the word? Preposterous.

And it's Or-ih-guhn. You have to pronounce the "e" (it's not organ), and it doesn't end in "gone."

It could be ih or eh. ih like the I in Italy or eh like the E in Edward. Actually, it's kind of a mix between the two. You could even pronounce it like a 'uh'. The middle syllable kinda gets blurred, but definitely needs to be there. It's a 3 syllable word.

And like others already pointed out, it's gun or guhn, NOT gone.

<---lived in Or-uh-guhn between the ages of 2 and 34.
 

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
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Originally posted by: Spartan Niner
Oh-reh-gun.

I live in the Portland, OR area when I'm not at school.

Thats how I say it. I grew up outside of Portland.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
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Orygun.

Only east coasters say -gone. Say it that way in public here and you're gonna get some strange and indignant where-are-they-from-and-why-don't-they-go-back looks, see sig.

 

m1ldslide1

Platinum Member
Feb 20, 2006
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Originally posted by: jpeyton
orygun

Also, for any visitors of our state, here are a few other common mispronunciations (with their name followed by the correct phonetic spelling):

Tigard = Tie-gerd

Couch = Cooch

Tualatin = Too-ah-la-tin

Willamette = Wil-am-it

I heard a lady get up in arms about Glisan St being pronounced "glee-san". Apparently in her world it's "glih-sen" and the rest of us are stupid haters who are obviously californian posers.

And don't forget wash-ing-ton, as opposed to the backwoods pronunciation of "wersh-ing-ton".
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
14,303
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Originally posted by: m1ldslide1
Originally posted by: jpeyton
orygun

Also, for any visitors of our state, here are a few other common mispronunciations (with their name followed by the correct phonetic spelling):

Tigard = Tie-gerd

Couch = Cooch

Tualatin = Too-ah-la-tin

Willamette = Wil-am-it

I heard a lady get up in arms about Glisan St being pronounced "glee-san". Apparently in her world it's "glih-sen" and the rest of us are stupid haters who are obviously californian posers.

And don't forget wash-ing-ton, as opposed to the backwoods pronunciation of "wersh-ing-ton".

Actually, she's right. But it doesn't matter, and getting up in arms about it is silly, because even all the natives pronounce it wrong. In fact, I am a native, and I only found this out a few years ago, that the Dr. Glisan of 100 years ago the street was named after pronounced it "glih-sen."

And Willamette is Wil - LAM - ette, the last 2 syllables are like damnit.
 

Kalvin00

Lifer
Jan 11, 2003
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Originally posted by: sirjonk
Ne vah duh (rhymes with coolata)

vs

ne va duh (va as in vaginal)

it is ne-vaa-duh (as in vaginal)

not ne-vaw-duh. ugh. hate people who say it like that
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
14,303
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Originally posted by: Kalvin00
Originally posted by: sirjonk
Ne vah duh (rhymes with coolata)

vs

ne va duh (va as in vaginal)

it is ne-vaa-duh (as in vaginal)

not ne-vaw-duh. ugh. hate people who say it like that

I think every Spanish-derived place name in CA and NV has an anglicized pronunciation.

For those who don't know, nevada is Spanish for "snowy." Sierra Nevada means "snowy mountains."
 
Feb 6, 2007
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Originally posted by: Vic
Originally posted by: Kalvin00
Originally posted by: sirjonk
Ne vah duh (rhymes with coolata)

vs

ne va duh (va as in vaginal)

it is ne-vaa-duh (as in vaginal)

not ne-vaw-duh. ugh. hate people who say it like that

I think every Spanish-derived place name in CA and NV has an anglicized pronunciation.

For those who don't know, nevada is Spanish for "snowy." Sierra Nevada means "snowy mountains."

Yeah. Like Los Angeles should be pronounced "lohs an-heh-lays" if we bothered to use the proper Spanish pronunciation. But no, we have to further our cultural ignorance by calling it "loss an-juhl-uss," which is just wrong. There's a boatload of them; Montana, Nevada, San Francisco... A thought just occurred to me; do people pronounce Amarillo, TX "ahm-ah-ril-lo" or "ahm-ah-ree-yo?" It should be the latter; did we anglicize that one too?
 

TuxDave

Lifer
Oct 8, 2002
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Ore-GONE!!!! (just to piss off the native Oregonians... I dunno why but they get real annoyed with that).

But in any other case, I pronounce it the right way (ore-gun)
 

ForumMaster

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2005
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this question is problematic as the answer will differ depending on where you're from and what dialect you speak. personally, i say it: "Or'e-gone".