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APG.American
Pronunciation Guide
FREE LISTENING WORKSHEET · APG

How to pronounce 20 American place names

Listen, notice one detail, and say the word in a phrase.

Open the guide & listening notes →Take the interactive quiz →

Videos and full notes: https://ipronounce.io/guides/american-place-names

Name: ________________________　 Date: __________________

A five-word listening round

  1. Choose five words below. Open each linked word and play its APG video.
  2. Write one sound observation: the strongest syllable, a silent letter, a consonant connection, or a variant you hear.
  3. Say the original practice phrase, then write and say your own sentence.
  4. Read the word’s listening note and compare it with your observation. Repeat any word you want to revisit.
Your listening record — choose five, then return for another round
Word & videoPractice phraseWhat I hear / my sentence
albuquerqueWe stopped in Albuquerque on our way west.
arkansasHer family lives in Arkansas.
boiseThe flight to Boise leaves at noon.
chicagoWe took the train to Chicago.
cincinnatiShe moved to Cincinnati last year.
connecticutThe conference is in Connecticut.
detroitHe grew up near Detroit.
helenaWe spent the night in Helena.
houstonHer flight connects through Houston.
illinoisThey drove across Illinois.
iowaThe farm is in Iowa.
floridaWe visited Florida in February.
kentuckyShe studied at a college in Kentucky.
spokaneThe train arrived in Spokane.
massachusettsThey live in western Massachusetts.
milwaukeeWe met in Milwaukee for the weekend.
nevadaThe road crosses northern Nevada.
oregonShe moved to Oregon after college.
wisconsinThe cheese was made in Wisconsin.
wyomingWe camped in Wyoming last summer.

Test your pronunciation knowledge

Choose one answer for each question. The answer key includes explanations and source links.

  1. When naming the U.S. state “Arkansas,” what happens to the last s?

    1. It becomes sh.
    2. It adds a syllable.
    3. It is silent.

  2. Which word has the same vowel as the last syllable of the city name “Spokane”?

    1. Can
    2. Cane
    3. Coin

  3. How does “Chicago” begin?

    1. With k
    2. With sh
    3. With the ch in chair

  4. Which of these vowels is used in the stressed syllable of “Nevada”?

    1. The vowel in day
    2. The vowel in see
    3. The vowel in cat
Show the answer key

Open this section before printing to include the answers.

  1. C. It is silent. The state name “Arkansas” ends with the vowel in saw and no final s sound. Its first syllable carries the main stress.

    Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

  2. A. Can “Spokane” ends with the vowel in can, not the vowel in cane. The second syllable carries the main stress.

    Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

  3. B. With sh The opening ch in “Chicago” has an sh sound. The second syllable has the main stress.

    Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

  4. C. The vowel in cat “Nevada” can be pronounced nuh-VAD-uh, with /æ/, the vowel in cat, in the stressed middle syllable. Vowel choices vary among speakers.

    Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Sources & reuse

The pronunciation notes are based on the dictionary sources linked from each word page. Practice phrases and exercises are original APG learning material, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Credit American Pronunciation Guide and keep the source links when adapting this worksheet. Videos and reference quotations retain their own terms.

Full sources & credits →