We Dare You to Say These 10 Washington Places Correctly on Your First Try (Spoiler: You Can’t)

Posted by Jackson May 22, 2025
We Dare You to Say These 10 Washington Places Correctly on Your First Try (Spoiler You Can’t)

Washington state is famous for its beautiful scenery and unique towns, but it’s also notorious for place names that stump even seasoned travelers. Many of these names come from Native American languages or have unusual spellings, making them a challenge for outsiders—and sometimes even locals. Here are 10 Washington places that most people mispronounce on their first attempt:

1. Puyallup

  • Correct Pronunciation: pew-AL-up
  • Common Mistake: Poo-YALLUP This city, home to the Washington State Fair, is infamous for tripping up newcomers.

2. Sequim

  • Correct Pronunciation: SKWIM
  • Common Mistake: see-KWIM Located on the Olympic Peninsula, its spelling is nothing like how it sounds.

3. Steilacoom

  • Correct Pronunciation: STILL-a-come
  • Common Mistake: STEAL-a-comb The oldest incorporated town in Washington, and one of the most mispronounced.

4. Chelan

  • Correct Pronunciation: shuh-LAN
  • Common Mistake: CHILL-lan A popular summer destination with a name that confuses many visitors.

5. Ephrata

  • Correct Pronunciation: ee-FRAY-tuh
  • Common Mistake: EFF-ruh-tuh Grant County’s seat is often mispronounced by out-of-towners.

6. Pateros

  • Correct Pronunciation: puh-TAIR-us
  • Common Mistake: Patter-ros A small town with a big pronunciation challenge.

7. Wenatchee

  • Correct Pronunciation: weh-NATCH-ee
  • Common Mistake: When-NOTCH-ee Located in central Washington, this city’s name is often butchered.

8. Qui-nai-elt Village

  • Correct Pronunciation: kwi-NAIL
  • Common Mistake: Anything but the above A small community on the Quinault Reservation that even locals may not get right.

9. Okanogan

  • Correct Pronunciation: oh-kuh-NAH-gun
  • Common Mistake: oh-KAN-oh-gan A county and city in north-central Washington with a tricky name.

10. Inchelium

  • Correct Pronunciation: in-CHEE-lee-um
  • Common Mistake: IN-chell-ee-um A small town near the Columbia River that’s easy to mispronounce.

Sources:

  1. https://929thebull.com/the-15-hardest-town-names-to-pronounce-in-washington/
  2. https://kw3.com/how-do-you-say-puyallup/
  3. https://kw3.com/pronunciation-challenge-washington-towns/
  4. https://www.hotels.com/go/usa/mistakes-when-visiting-washington-dc