Only A True Texan Can Pronounce These 8 Words Correctly

The English language can be a little tricky. Words spelled one way are somehow pronounced differently. Texas has some of its own words that can be quite the tongue twisters. If you're not a native of the Lone Star State, you may need a quick tutorial. But, before long, you'll be talking like a true Texan.

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Only In Your State spotlights a few words that can sometimes be a challenge to pronounce correctly. Their list is mostly made up of Texas towns and cities, as well as a couple of other words you may have seen before.

Before we get to their 8 gems, let's look at a few that came to me while perusing their list.

How many of these are you pronouncing correctly?

Salado

This Texas town's name is taken from the Spanish word for salty, not salad. Pronounce this one “suh-lay-doh”.

Balmorhea

No, this is not some new type of Texas disease. It is actually the name of a Texas town and state park. Say “bal-more-ray”.

Antilley

Street names in Texas will even give you some trouble. Saying “an-till-ee” in Abilene could get you some funny looks. Make sure you pronounce it “ant-lee”.

Moran

Be careful how you say this one, especially out loud in public. This Texas town is called “mo-ran”. Whatever you do, don’t say “moron”.

De Leon

This one might trip you up. It’s not “day lee-on” but “dee-lee-on”.

Iraan

I’ll admit I had issues with this name at first. It’s not a misspelling of the country Iran. Say it loud and proud - “eye-rah-ann”.

Judge Ely

Here’s another Abilene street name that will get you if you’re not careful. Ely is pronounced “e-lee”, not “e-lie" or "el-ee".

Nacogdoches

The name of this city in Texas can be butchered in ways too numerous to mention. I’ll agree it can be a genuine tongue twister. The correct way to say it is “na-kuh-dough-chuss". Quite a mouthful, huh?

Potosi

Here’s another one that’ll get you corrected by die-hard Texans. This rural area just outside of Abilene is never pronounced “pot-tiss-ee”. Instead, try saying “puh-toe-see”

Miami

There’s only one Miami that Texas calls its own, and it’s not pronounced like you think. This Texas town is “my-am-uh”.

Those are just a few off the top of my head. Now let's see the big 8 that Only In Your State came up with.

LOOK: ONLY A TRUE TEXAN CAN PRONOUNCE THESE 8 WORDS CORRECTLY

Bexar County

Right from the start, this Texas county (home of the Alamo) can be a tough one to spit out. It's like the animal, pronounced "bear". Whatever you do, don't say "bex-are".

Boerne

I've heard it all, everything from "burn" to "born", but actually it's neither. This city in Kendall County is actually pronounced "burn-knee".

Bowie

Are you saying it correctly? This Texas town's name comes from Jim Bowie, a soldier in the Battle of the Alamo. Don't get it confused with "bow-wee" - it's "boo-wee".

Gruene

This one has been butchered pretty badly, especially by those out of state. I can certainly see why. It's another word where the spelling can throw you off. It's pronounced just like the color, "green".

Guadalupe

This river flows long and powerful in the state of Texas. You would never go tubing on the "Guada-loopy". No, thank you. The "Guada-loop-ay" on the other hand is a different story.

New Braunfels

Even some Texans pronounce this city like there's an S in the middle of Braunfels. However, it's simply "Braun-fels".

Waxahachie

This one can be a stumper and it might even get your tongue twisted. Many think it's "wax-uh-hatch-ee" by the way it's spelled. It's actually pronounced, "walks-uh-hatch-ee".

Whataburger

This debate needs to be settled. Texans absolutely love their Whataburger so this one is critical. It's never been pronounced "water-burger" or "what-a-burger". Try "watt-ah-burger." Mmm, now that sounds tasty.

No bones about it. Texans are pretty picky when it comes to saying things the right way. Making a slip in front of a die-hard native will likely get you corrected, but only in a friendly Texas kind of way.

Town names and restaurants are just the beginning. When it comes to street names, things can get downright nuts. Abilene has some of the trickiest ones I've ever seen. Look below to see how many you say correctly.