Help me talk like a local.

**Király** · December-07-12, 04:30 PM

Hello Detroiters.

Can you help me with the local pronunciations of these. I've seen them in print a lot but have never heard them spoken aloud. I'd like to know where the syllable stress goes too. e.g. Gratiot = GRASH-it (I think I have that one right?)

The list so far:

Charlevoix
Livernois
Joseph Campau
Dequindre
Chene

Thanks from a Detroit-phile on the west coast.

**Detroitnerd** · December-07-12, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by Király

Hello Detroiters.

Can you help me with the local pronunciations of these. I've seen them in print a lot but have never heard them spoken aloud. I'd like to know where the syllable stress goes too. e.g. Gratiot = GRASH-it (I think I have that one right?)

The list so far:

Charlevoix
Livernois
Joseph Campau
Dequindre
Chene

Thanks from a Detroit-phile on the west coast.

SHAR-luh-voy
LI-ver-noy
Joseph COM-poe
Duh-QUIN-dur
SHANE

JVB · December-07-12, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by Király

Hello Detroiters.

Can you help me with the local pronunciations of these. I've seen them in print a lot but have never heard them spoken aloud. I'd like to know where the syllable stress goes too. e.g. Gratiot = GRASH-it (I think I have that one right?)

The list so far:

Charlevoix
Livernois
Joseph Campau
Dequindre
Chene

Thanks from a Detroit-phile on the west coast.

Shar-livoy
Liver-noy
joseph Com-po
De-Quin-der
Shane

That's my "Hooked on Phonics" way of spelling them like they sound. Hope it helps.

edit: nerd beat me to it, his look a little better.

**EastsideAl** · December-07-12, 04:42 PM

Shar-le-voy
Liver-noy
Joseph Com-po
De-quin-dur
Shane

Extra east side points:
Goethe = Go-thee
Freud = Frood

Pronunciations may vary by native side of town and ethnic origin of speaker.

Edit: Damn, we fast. But pretty much in agreement.

**Shollin** · December-07-12, 04:43 PM

I would say Dequindre is De-quinn-der. Wait till you have to restle with Schoenherr.

JVB · December-07-12, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by Shollin

Wait till you have to restle with Schoenherr.

Showin-her? lol

That's what I used to call it when I'd go chasing those Warren girls.

**Detroitnerd** · December-07-12, 04:47 PM

Or how Lahser is pronounced LASH-er.

**Jimaz** · December-07-12, 05:07 PM

Jjaba used to pronounce Port Huron as Porch Urine.

Schoenherr is pronounced SHANE-er.

**313WX** · December-07-12, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Or how Lahser is pronounced LASH-er.

LAW-SIR seems to be correct though.

Gratiot is GRA-SHIT

**MidTownMs** · December-07-12, 05:13 PM

[QUOTE=Detroitnerd;354989]Or how Lahser is pronounced LASH-er.[/

Lahser is Pronounced LAH-SER NOT LASH-ER

**MidTownMs** · December-07-12, 05:14 PM

[QUOTE=Detroitnerd;354982]SHAR-luh-voy
LI-ver-noy
Joseph COM-poe
Duh-QUIN-dur
SHANE[/QUOTE

Many street names in Detroit are French...Including Detroit. I have never heard anyone pronounce them correctly.

**MidTownMs** · December-07-12, 05:18 PM

DuBois = Do-Boys....

**313WX** · December-07-12, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by MidTownMs

DuBois = Do-Boys....

That one's funny, because on "The Boondocks" they pronouce Tom's last name as "Do-Bwah."

**Honky Tonk** · December-07-12, 05:20 PM

[QUOTE=MidTownMs;354995]

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Or how Lahser is pronounced LASH-er.[/

Lahser is Pronounced LAH-SER NOT LASH-ER

Gramatically, you're correct. However, most Detroiters, (even most suburbanites), pronounce it LASH-UR.

**dtowncitylover** · December-07-12, 05:24 PM

Some more..

City:
Fenkell: Fenk-ull
Grand Boulevard: the Boulevard
Kercheval: Kerr-cha-val
Tireman: I've heard "tire-men" and "tier-man"

Suburbs:
Shiawassee: Shy-ah-wah-see
Tienken: Tinkin'
Quarton: Korten

Towns:
Lake Orion: Lake Orr-ee-an
Wyandotte: Whine-dot
Canton: Cay-glottal-stop-in
Fraser: Frayzh-er
Waterford: Wadder-ferd
Macomb: Muh-comb (A coworker of mine had a Californian on the phone once looking for where "May-comb" was and she had no idea what city she was talking about)
Ypsilanti: Ip-suh-lanti

**detroitsgwenivere** · December-07-12, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Goethe = Go-thee

Das Strasse ist nicht ausgepragt "go-thee," es ist ausgesprochen "guh-teh!"

German Detroiters and readers of great literature know this, now so do we

This is coming from someone (me) who can barely speak proper english of course...

**MidTownMs** · December-07-12, 05:25 PM

[QUOTE=Honky Tonk;355002]

Originally Posted by MidTownMs

Gramatically, you're correct. However, most Detroiters, (even most suburbanites), pronounce it LASH-UR.

Your're absolutely correct. Every time someone said Lash-er I cringed. Especially when a newscaster said it.

**MidTownMs** · December-07-12, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

That one's funny, because on "The Boondocks" they pronouce Tom's last name as "Do-Bwah."

Which is the correct way to pronounce it.

**old guy** · December-07-12, 05:30 PM

As long as you're on the subject: Campus Martius and Campeau. Is it cam pow?

**dtowncitylover** · December-07-12, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

As long as you're on the subject: Campus Martius and Campeau. Is it cam pow?

Camp-us Marsh-us

**old guy** · December-07-12, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

Camp-us Marsh-us

Thanks. Always stumbled on that one.

**Shollin** · December-07-12, 05:38 PM

I remember an out of towner pronounced Gratiot GRA-Toyt.

**Honky Tonk** · December-07-12, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by MidTownMs

Which is the correct way to pronounce it.

Oui!

(weee....)

**Király** · December-07-12, 05:41 PM

MANY thanks for the help everyone. I got what I asked for and a whole lot more...the pronunciation of "Macomb" came as a big surprise. I'd never have guessed "MUH-comb".

Keep 'em coming!