CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Whether you’ve recently moved to the Lowcountry or are just here for a quick visit, there are some names that are pronounced differently than you may think.
Here are some names of places you might be pronouncing wrong:
Beaufort
Pronouncing the name of this Lowcountry town can be a little confusing for new residents and tourists alike as it is often mistakenly pronounced like a town with the same name in North Carolina. There, it’s pronounced “bow-fort”, but here you’ll want to pronounce it like “byou” so that it rhymes with “you.”
Beaufain
Like Beaufort, you’ll want to pronounce the beginning part of the name of this Charleston street like “byou.”
Berkeley
You’ll want to skip the middle e when pronouncing the name of this county. Instead of “burk-eh-lee,” you should say “burk-lee.”
Bonneau
While it’s technically acceptable to pronounce this Berkeley County town like the popular name of the U2 lead singer (bahn-oh), you may get some funny looks from locals who insist it should be pronounced like “bun-oh.”
Chechesee River
This one stumps even locals and pronunciation can seem daunting at first glance, but like the river, the sound of this river is fluid. There is no emphasis on any syllable so all are soft-sounding and it should be pronounced like “chuh-chessie.”
Citadel
Contrary to what it may seem, Citadel should not rhyme with “bell,” but instead be pronounced like “sit-uh-dl.”
Cooper River
The most common way to pronounce the name of the Charleston river is as “coo-pur,” but don’t be surprised if you hear some old Charlestonians pronounce the double ‘o’ the same way as in ‘look.’ The traditional pronunciation is technically “cuh-pur.”
Edisto
You’ll want to be careful putting emphasis on the wrong syllable on this one. It’s simply pronounced “eh-dis-toe.” But you may hear “eddie-stow” from some people with strong Gullah-Geechee accents.
Gaillard
The name of this popular event venue downtown is most commonly pronounced as “gill-yard.”
Hasell Street
Think of the eye color when you want to say the name of this Downtown street. It should be pronounced “hay-zul” instead of rhyming with “tassel.”
Huger
This is a tough one and while it may seem straightforward, it’s not. For this one, drop the ‘h’ and say “u-gee” or just drop the ‘r’ and say “hu-gee.” Whatever you do, don’t pronounce the ‘r’ if you’re talking about Huger Street in Charleston.
Kiawah
Drop the middle syllable and pronounce the name of this island as “key-wah.”
Legare
There are a couple of places around the Lowcountry that feature this name. To make sure you get it right, pronounce it like “luh-gree.”
Manigualt
This name is all over South Carolina and the Lowcountry, so it’s a good idea to get familiar with its pronunciation. It should be said as “man-uh-go,” as the ‘t’ is a silent letter.
McLeod
The end of the name of the James Island plantation is pronounced like the puffs in the sky: “muh-cloud.”
Prioleau
There’s no shame in struggling with this name as even some locals still can’t get it right. The Charleston street is pronounced as “pray-low.”
Ribaut
Ribaut Road is one of the primary streets in Beaufort and is said as “ree-bow,” again with a silent ‘t.’
Salkehatchie
At first glance, the name of this town and river can seem daunting to pronounce. But really, it’s easier than it seems. The first part is pronounced like the beginning of “salt,” so the full pronunciation is “sal-kuh-hatch-ee.”
Vanderhorst
This one is a bit tricky as there are several accepted pronunciations including “van-der-horst,” “van-dross,” and “van-draws.” Although, most often you’ll hear it pronounced the first way.
Yeamans
This golf club in Hanahan is pronounced as “yay-mens.”