Pronunciation

[Snooks]

Michigan - how is it pronounced?  All my colleagues but a "t" in it - Mit-chi-gan whereas I think it's Mish-e-gan.  Do different areas of the USA pronounce it differently?

[Thipu1]

I would go with MISH-e-gan.  That's always how I was taught to pronounce the name of the state. 

[ITSJUSTME]

Judy Garland sang a song with these lyrics -

I was born in Michigan,
and I wish and wish again
that I was back in the town where I was born.
Theres a farm in Michigan,
and I'd like to fish again,
in the river that flows beside the field of waving corn.

Definitely Mish (and I also was born there)!!

[Slartibartfast]

It is regional, although Mish-i-gin is what the residents use   Kind of like O-re-gon versus Or-gin.

(I used to get teased a lot about how I said my home state - "Wisconsin" has a honk in it, if you're a native.  "wuh-SCON-sin," but the "scon" is very nasal.  I didn't realize that's how I said it until I went off to college in North Carolina!)

[ITSJUSTME]

I don't want to hijack but I always wondered if it was only a certain select group who pronounced Wisconsin as Wis-GON-sin.

[Snooks]

It is regional, although Mish-i-gin is what the residents use   Kind of like O-re-gon versus Or-gin.

(I used to get teased a lot about how I said my home state - "Wisconsin" has a honk in it, if you're a native.  "wuh-SCON-sin," but the "scon" is very nasal.  I didn't realize that's how I said it until I went off to college in North Carolina!)

Does anyone put the "t" in?  I'm wondering if my colleagues have dealt with someone from one region and decided that's how it's said.  It's driving me batty.

[jmarvellous]

It is regional, although Mish-i-gin is what the residents use   Kind of like O-re-gon versus Or-gin.

(I used to get teased a lot about how I said my home state - "Wisconsin" has a honk in it, if you're a native.  "wuh-SCON-sin," but the "scon" is very nasal.  I didn't realize that's how I said it until I went off to college in North Carolina!)

Does anyone put the "t" in?  I'm wondering if my colleagues have dealt with someone from one region and decided that's how it's said.  It's driving me batty.

I have heard it said with a "T" by people from other areas, but not by anyone from Michigan unless they were mocking them. (I am from MI and have relatives all over the state.)

I have also heard people mispronounce Wisconsin as WisconTsin. No dice.

[drebay]

It is regional, although Mish-i-gin is what the residents use   Kind of like O-re-gon versus Or-gin.

(I used to get teased a lot about how I said my home state - "Wisconsin" has a honk in it, if you're a native.  "wuh-SCON-sin," but the "scon" is very nasal.  I didn't realize that's how I said it until I went off to college in North Carolina!)

It's not supposed to have a honk?  Then again, I am a Chicagoan born and bred and you know how WE talk. 

[Thipu1]

I always learned the name of the state as MISH-uh-gun. 

As for Wisconsin, we have family who live there and I've never noticed the 'honk'.  It's always been pronounced 'Wis CON sin'.

How about the island that is a part of NY State? 

Is it 'Long EYE land' or 'Lon GUY land?  Mr. Thipu was born and raised there.  We've always used the first pronunciation but we know many people who use the second.

[Bethczar]

I'm a lifelong Wisconsinite, and I don't understand what you mean by a "honk". But I say it more as "Wis CON sin" than "Wuh SCON sin".

As long as it's not "Wes SCAN son", though, I think it's all right. 

Michigan is "Mish i gen" - no "t" in it.

[Animala]

I must say I've never heard Michigan pronounced with a t in it and my mind is having some trouble wrapping around that idea.  I've always pronounced it MISH-e-gan although I've never lived there.  I would like to point out that people from the UP have a very unique way of pronouncing words though.  It's like the opposite of the Deep South.

Here is a link to it pronounced- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/En-us-Michigan.ogg

[AfleetAlex]

The fun part for us locals is whether we are Michiganians or Michiganders. 

[drebay]

I'm a lifelong Wisconsinite, and I don't understand what you mean by a "honk". But I say it more as "Wis CON sin" than "Wuh SCON sin".

As long as it's not "Wes SCAN son", though, I think it's all right. 

Michigan is "Mish i gen" - no "t" in it.

If you say it nasally, you get a little honk.  Hard to explain.

[veryfluffy]

How are you supposed to pronounced Houston in Texas? Is it Hoo-stun, or You-stun?

[drebay]

How are you supposed to pronounced Houston in Texas? Is it Hoo-stun, or You-stun?

Neither.  It is Hue-stun