How to pronounce 20 American place names
Practice the names of US cities and states, including Boise, Arkansas, Spokane, and Nevada.
Tie the spelling to a place
This list practices American city and state names. A personal name, street, or other place sharing the spelling may have a different pronunciation. Begin with the destination in the practice phrase, then compare the sounds described in its listening note with the APG video.
Notice silent letters and vowel choices
Arkansas and Illinois have a silent final s when naming the states. Spokane ends with the vowel in cat. The Nevada exercise uses that vowel too: nuh-VAD-uh. Check the place being named, because the same spelling can have different local pronunciations.
Say a short itinerary
Choose three places and write a simple route using their names. Listen to each video, then read your route aloud at a comfortable pace. Return to any name whose stress became less clear when you placed it inside a sentence.
Your listening list
20 wordsChoose a word to hear it in an APG video.
Test these pronunciations
Try 4 questions from this guide. Each answer includes an APG video, dictionary reference, and explanation.
Try this guide’s quiz →Sources & classroom use
Each listening tip follows the IPA shown beside its word. Other dictionary pronunciations appear on the word page; individual speakers may vary.
Practice phrases were written for these exercises; quoted book passages remain in the separate, sourced book sections. These guides and practice notes are available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Credit American Pronunciation Guide and retain the linked dictionary attributions. Videos and other reference material keep their own terms.
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