Illinois is full of charming small towns and hidden gems—but when it comes to town names, things can get downright confusing. Some are hard to pronounce, some are just plain weird, and others are spelled one way and said completely differently.
Your GPS might try its best, but even the most advanced navigation system will struggle with these 11 Illinois town names that’ll make it question its entire existence.
1. Cairo
Pronounced: KAY-ro
Nope, not like the Egyptian capital. In Illinois, Cairo rhymes with “pharaoh.” Trust us, locals will correct you fast if you say KAI-ro.
2. Versailles
Pronounced: Ver-SALES
Forget everything you know about French. This town skips the fancy and goes full Midwest—“Ver-SALES,” just like it’s spelled.
3. Milan
Pronounced: MY-lin
Not Mee-LAHN like Italy. In this Illinois version, the “i” is hard, and the fancy vibes? Gone.
4. Dubois
Pronounced: DOO-boys
Looks French? Sure. Sounds French? Not here. It’s Americanized to the core.
5. Mascoutah
Pronounced: Mass-KOO-tah
It’s not as tricky as some others, but your GPS will still fumble it. Just keep practicing—you’ll get it eventually.
6. San Jose
Pronounced: San JOE’s
California says San Ho-ZAY, but in Illinois, it’s San JOE’s. Yes, really.
7. Loami
Pronounced: Low-AM-eye
At first glance, you might guess LO-mee or LO-ah-mee. Nope. It’s Low-AM-eye, and yes, it’s confusing.
8. Kewanee
Pronounced: Key-WAH-nee
Your GPS might guess Kew-ANN, but locals know better. The real pronunciation rolls off the tongue once you hear it enough times.
9. Marseilles
Pronounced: Mar-SALES
Another Illinois town that takes a beautiful French name and gives it a good ol’ Midwest twist.
10. Vienna
Pronounced: VIE-enna
Forget Austria. In Illinois, it’s “VIE-enna”, like a country song gone geographical.
11. Benld
Pronounced: Benn-ELD
This one’s tough even for locals. Named after Ben L. Dorsey, the town squished his name into a one-of-a-kind creation. Your GPS might pronounce it Bendle or Ben-lid, but it’s Benn-ELD—say it with confidence.
Illinois may look simple on a map, but once you try saying its town names out loud, you’ll realize you’re in a whole different language zone. These names carry local charm, history, and a little bit of Midwestern mischief.
Whether you’re a road-tripper, a new resident, or just laughing at your GPS’s best attempts, one thing’s for sure—pronouncing Illinois towns is an adventure all on its own.
SOURCES
- (https://archive.org/details/pronunciationgui00brow)
- (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-y_VHhHCC0)
- (https://www.ibanewsroom.org/pronunciation-guide/)