When you come to Phoenix, there are certain words that are difficult to pronounce, but if you say them correctly everyone will surely think that you are a native of Arizonan.
Many of the city and town names in Arizona come from the Native American tribes and Latin American populations that established the region, but that doesn’t mean that all of these names are pronounced based on their origin.
As a general rule of thumb, if the words have Spanish influence, as many do in Arizona, a “J” or a “G” is generally pronounced as an “H” and an “LL” is pronounced as a “Y”. However, there are exceptions to this. For example, when renting a villa, use the hard sound ‘LL’ instead of ‘Y’, or just ask for a large adjoining room if you’re not sure what to say.
Arizona Cities
If you find yourself exploring the area around Phoenix, you will likely come across one of the many cities with strange names that populate Arizona, and you may need to ask for directions to one of the smaller cities to visit one of the local tourist attractions.
Tempe, a city in the eastern valley and home to Arizona State University, is a popular destination for Phoenix travelers, but did you know that it is pronounced “tem-pis ” instead of “tem-Pe? » On the other hand, the neighboring city of Mesa, which is known to have a large Mormon population, is pronounced ” may -su.”
Further south, along the Mexican border, the cities of Ajo and Nogales are also pronounced in a Spanish dialect. Ajo is pronounced ” ah- ho,” while Nogales, a popular day-trip destination from Phoenix for people who love to shop at the markets or buy prescription drugs across the border, is pronounced “no- gah – iss “.
Even some of the villages and communities in the Phoenix area have names that are hard to pronounce. Ahwatukee, an upper-middle-class urban town in South Phoenix, is pronounced “ah-wuh- too -kee,” while the Estrella community and the air park in West Valley in Goodyear are pronounced “es- tray- uh.” . Meanwhile, Casa Grande, a city between Phoenix and Tucson, is pronounced in English as well as Spanish: » kah -suh grand-eh».
Monuments, natural features and attractions
Cities aren’t the only destinations in Arizona named after Native American and Latino cultures, there are also a plethora of landmarks, natural features like rivers, and area attractions with hard-to-pronounce names.
Canyon de Chelly, a National Monument in northern Arizona, pronounced “duh shay can- yun”. Meanwhile, the Mogollon Rim, pronounced ” mug -ee-yun,” marking the southern border of the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona, is a popular Phoenix day trip offering hiking, camping, and scenic drives. through the Coconino National Forest («co -co- see -no«).
A popular rafting destination southeast of the Phoenix area, the Gila River, has a strange pronunciation due to its Native American (rather than Latin) origin: ” hee -luh.” Meanwhile, another destination with a Native American name in the area, Tlaquepaque, is a fun collection of shops in Sedona that is pronounced “tuh- la -kuh- pah -kee.”
Also known as SR 143, a north-south highway that originates from the airport, the Hohokam Expressway shares the name of the stadium in Mesa (Hohokam Park) that serves as the spring training home of the Oakland Athletics. The Hohokam were Native Americans who lived in this region for centuries, and both the highway and the stadium are pronounced as they had been then: “ho – ho- kam”.
