When you come to Phoenix, there are certain words that are tough to pronounce. If you say these correctly, everyone will surely think you're a native Arizonan.
Difficulty: Hard
Time Required: Too much
Here's How:
- Tempe - a city in the east valley and home to Arizona State University. Pronounced: tem-pee
- Mesa - a city in the East Valley that has a large Mormon population. Pronounced: may-suh
- Ajo - a small city in southern Arizona. Pronounced: ah-ho
- Nogales - there are two cities by this name, one on each side of the Arizona/Mexico border. Pronounced: no-gal-iss
- Canyon de Chelly - in northern Arizona, a beautiful natural landmark. Pronounced: can-yen duh shay
- Mogollon Rim - the northern Arizona, marks the southern border of the Colorado Plateau. Pronounced: mug-ee-yun
- Gila River - southeast of Phoenix area, popular for rafting. Pronounced: hee-luh
- Hohokam Expressway - also known as S.R. 143, a north south road originating at the airport. Pronounced: ho-ho-kam
- Ahwatukee - a middle to upper middle class community in southern Phoenix. Pronounced: ah-wuh-too-kee
- Tlaquepaque - a wonderful collection of shops in Sedona. Pronounced: tuh-la-kuh-pah-kee
- Estrella - a community and airpark west of Phoenix. Pronounced: es-tray-uh
- Casa Grande - a city between Phoenix and Tucson. Pronounced: kah-suh grand
Tips:
- If the words have Spanish influence, as many do in Arizona, a "J" or a "G" is usually pronounced like an "H". An "LL" is usually pronounced like a "Y".
- There are exceptions to tip #1. For instance, when renting a villa, use the hard "LL" sound (or if you aren't sure just ask for large adjoining rooms.)
