Is this the hardest Arizona place name to pronounce?

Arizona has its fair share of place names that outsiders, and sometimes even locals, struggle to pronounce.

If you’ve ever pronounced Prescott as “Press-scott” instead of “Press-kitt” or called the Gila monster a “Gee-la” instead of a “Hee-la,” chances are you’ve gotten a chuckle, an eyebrow raise or even a side-eye from an Arizonan.

A recent study by the language-learning website Preply pinpointed the hardest-to-pronounce town names in America. The researchers compiled a list of 50 challenging names, one from each state, that Americans find the trickiest to pronounce. For Arizona, the spotlight fell on Sonoita (pronounced suh-NOY-tuh) in southern Arizona. But any local can tell you it’s hardly the only name here that trips people up.

Here’s a roundup of the hardest to pronounce town names in each state, as well as a guide to some of the most commonly mispronounced Arizona place names.

The hardest-to-pronounce US town names by state

Here are the names selected by Preply as the most mispronounced towns or places in every state, along with their correct phonetic pronunciation:

Alabama: Loachapoka — LOW-cha-POH-kah
Alaska: Nunathloogagamiutbingoi Dunes — Noo-nath-loo-ga-ga-mee-oot-bin-go-ee (approximate)
Arizona: Sonoita — suh-NOY-tuh
Arkansas: Ouachita — WASH-ee-tah
California: Zzyzx — ZY-ziks
Colorado: Crested Butte — Crested BEWT
Connecticut: Berlin — BURR-lin
Delaware: Newark — New-ARK
Florida: Ocoee — oh-KOH-ee
Georgia: Buena Vista — BEW-na VISS-tuh
Hawaii: Kaumalapau — kah-OO-mah-LAH-pah-oo
Idaho: Coeur d’Alene — KORE-duh-LANE
Illinois: Benld — Ben-ELD
Indiana: Loogootee — Luh-GO-tee
Iowa: Ocheyedan — oh-CHEE-den
Kansas: Osawatomie — oh-suh-WAH-tuh-mee
Kentucky: Tyewhoppety — ty-WAH-pih-tee
Louisiana: Natchitoches — NAH-code-ish
Maine: Seboeis — Seh-BOW-iss
Maryland: Glenelg — GLEN-elg
Massachusetts: Worcester — WOO-ster
Michigan: Sault Ste. Marie — SOO Saint ma-REE
Minnesota: Wayzata — WHY-ZET-uh
Mississippi: Louisville — LOO-iss-vill
Missouri: Qulin — Q-lin
Montana: Ekalaka — EE-ka-LAH-kah
Nebraska: Cairo — CAY-row
Nevada: Winnemucca — WIN-eh-MUCK-uh
New Hampshire: Milan — MY-linn
New Jersey: Greenwich Township — GREEN-which
New Mexico: Abiquiú — AB-ick-you
New York: Schenectady — skin-ECK-tah-dee
North Carolina: Schley — SLY
North Dakota: Palermo — PAL-er-mo
Ohio: Gnadenhutten — ji-NAY-dun-huh-tehn
Oklahoma: Pawhuska — paw-HUS-kuh
Oregon: Yachats — YA-hahts
Pennsylvania: Shickshinny — shick-SHIN-ee
Rhode Island: Quonochontaug — KWAHN-ah-kahn-tawg
South Carolina: Chechessee River — chu-CHES-see
South Dakota: Pukwana — PUCK-wah-nah
Tennessee: Ooltewah — OO-da-wah
Texas: Nacogdoches — NAH-coh-DOE-chess
Utah: Duchesne — doo-SHAYN
Vermont: Montpelier — mont-PEEL-yər
Virginia: McGaheysville — muh-GAK-eez
Washington: Puyallup — PYOO-uhl-up
West Virginia: Iaeger — YAY-gər
Wisconsin: Oconomowoc — oh-KON-oh-moh-wok
Wyoming: Kemmerer — KEM-er-er

Arizona names that could stump you

With names that take on pronunciation from Spanish, English and Indigenous languages, the state has dozens of places that puzzle visitors, and sometimes even long-time locals. Some follow English phonetics, others lean on Spanish, and still others honor Native words.Here’s a guide to 25 more Arizona names besides Sonoita, including towns, rivers and canyons, that often get mispronounced. Use it the next time you’re playing tour guide, or when you want to flex your locals-only Arizona knowledge.

Ajo: Spanish for garlic. Pronounced AH-ho.
Agua Fria: Say “AH-gwah free-ah,” with a soft g and rolled r.
Ahwatukee: An urban village in south Phoenix. Pronounced ah-wuh-TOO-kee.
Aravaipa: Apache for “laughing waters.” Pronounced air-uh-VAI-paw. Refers to a canyon and creek northeast of Tucson.
Canyon de Chelly: A national monument in the Navajo Nation. Pronounced du-SHAY.
Casa Grande: Despite its Spanish origin, locals say CASS-uh-grand.
Diné: Meaning “The People,” what many Navajo call themselves. Pronounced dee-NEH.
Estrella: Spanish for star. Pronounced es-TREH-yah.
Fort Huachuca: Historic Army base. Pronounced wa-CHOO-kuh.
Gammage: As in ASU Gammage in Tempe. Pronounced GAM-edge.
Gila monster: Arizona’s famous lizard is pronounced HEE-la, not “Gilla.”
Guadalupe: Arizona’s Yaqui community says gwah-doo-LOO-peh.
Hopi: Indigenous people of northeast Arizona. Pronounced HO-pee.
Mazatzal: From ancient Mexican Indigenous culture, meaning “land of the deer.” Pronounced MAH-zaht-zahl.
Mogollon Rim: Spans 200 miles across northern Arizona. Acceptable pronunciations include MOE-gee-yawn or MUG-ee-own.
Navajo: The Navajo Nation is pronounced NAH-vuh-hoe.
Nogales: Border city whose name means walnut. Pronounced noh-GAL-es.
Prescott: Locals say PRESS-kitt, not “Press-scott.”
San Xavier: Depends on location — Phoenix’s school is ZAY-vier, while Tucson’s San Xavier del Bac Mission is San hah-VEE-air.
Saguaro: Iconic cactus of the Southwest. Pronounced suh-WAR-oh.
Sahuarita: South of Tucson. Pronounced sah-wuh-REE-tuh.
Tempe: Home of ASU. Pronounced Tem-PEE.
Tlaquepaque: Sedona’s arts village. Pronounced TLAH-key-PAH-key.
Tohono O’odham: Indigenous tribe of southern Arizona. Pronounced to-HO-no awe-THUM.
Tucson: Pronounced TOO-sahn.