Louisiana Names People Almost Always Mispronounce

Most of the names in Louisiana, like street names or small cities and towns, are very hard to pronounce. If you aren't French or Creole, the words like are, "Fordoche," are not going to roll off your tongue. I live here and constantly mispronounce the names of people, places, and things.

Not everyone speaks Cajun French, Native Indian, or Creole language, including myself. In Louisiana, that can be problematic if you need to catch a taxi or an Uber and can't spell or pronounce where you are trying to go. That kinda sucks, because 80% of the places and things in the Bayou State have names that reflect the above heritage.

Yo.

Below are the names of a few cities, towns, streets, rivers, lakes, Parishes, and neighborhoods that people almost always mispronounce. It's not hard to understand why. Just look how they are spelled!

Whether you are from Louisiana or not, most people can't pronounce these words. If you think you're a cut above the rest take the Cajun French Challenge and try to say them all! Don't cheat and click on the words first either. Ready? Go!

Algiers
Amite
Bogalusa
Leonidas
Bossier City
Chalmette
Fordoche
Grosse Tete
Keachi
Natchitoches
Lake Pontchartrain
Ouachita
Tchoupitoulas
Tangipahoa
Thibodaux
Zwolle

So how'd you do? If you couldn't say them all you need not worry. Truth be told, there are very few people in the world that can pronounce all of these. That includes half of the people living in the state of Louisiana! So, if you are still scratching your head trying to figure out how to say those words there is no shame in giving up.

I didn't make it past the second word myself. Besides, I got a feeling we probably did a better job than these poor souls anyway.

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Gallery Credit: Katherine Gallagher