The Hardest Town Names to Pronounce in Illinois

A Midwest Trap for Outsiders

If you’ve ever driven across Illinois or lived near the Indiana–Illinois border you already know this state loves to humble people with town names. Being from Illinois and moving to Indiana AND being in the media field for work you have to learn very quickly how to pronounce these fond towns or you might get yelled at by a local. I'm here to help you out before someone corrects you while laughing or you accidentally mispronounce something on air (like I have several times.)

And around Evansville, these come up a lot especially when you’re talking road trips, weather, or traffic just west of the border. Here are some of the hardest town names to pronounce in Illinois—and how locals actually say them.

Cairo
It looks like the one in Egypt. It is not. In Illinois, it’s KAY-ro, not “KY-ro.”

Des Plaines
Very French. Very deceptive. Locals say dess-PLANES, not “day plains.”

Peoria
People argue about this one, but most locals land on pee-OR-ee-uh. Say it fast and confident and you’ll fit right in.

Marseilles
Another fancy-looking name that gets the Midwest treatment. It’s mar-SALES, not “mar-sigh.”

Vienna
Despite what Billy Joel says it's not pronounced the tiny town in Illinois is not pronounced the same way. Not “vee-EN-uh.” In southern Illinois, it’s vy-EN-uh.

Buena Vista
Spanish spelling, Illinois pronunciation. Most locals say byoo-nuh VIS-tuh, not the fully Spanish version.

Champaign
Yes, it’s spelled like champagne. No, you don’t say it that way. It’s sham-PANE.

Elgin
This one gets butchered more than you’d expect. It’s EL-gin, not “ell-JEEN.”

Illinois might look easy on a map, but say one of these names wrong and you’ll instantly be clocked as an outsider. It’s just one of those Midwest things—and honestly, kind of a rite of passage.

Get our free mobile app