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This article was co-authored by Stephanie Jeret. Stephanie Jeret is a Speech-Language Pathologist based in Northeastern Illinois. She works with children who stutter, have receptive/expressive language difficulties, and have articulation disorders/delays. She also works with adults who present with dysarthria, apraxia, aphasia, executive function disorder, and stuttering. She is certified by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and received their ACE Award for excellence in continuing education. She is also PROMPT Bridge Trained, Lidcombe Trained, and Lee Silverman Voice Therapy Certified. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queens College and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Brooklyn College.
There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Do you think that you know how to pronounce the name of the state of Nevada? It's possible you're pronouncing it wrong! There are two popular pronunciations, but one of them will cause native Nevadans to cringe. Here's how to say "Nevada" the way they do.
Steps
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![Step 1 Say "Neh-VA-duh".]()
Say "Neh-VA-duh".[1] That is the correct way to pronounce the state name. Put emphasis on the second syllable. Pronounce it so that the middle part rhymes with the “ad” sound in the words "sad" or "mad." Compare "Nevada" and "Nebraska." The corresponding vowels in the two names are pronounced the same. [2] -
![Step 2 Don't say “Ne-VAW-duh.”]()
Don't say “Ne-VAW-duh.” Some people pronounce the second syllable with an "AW" sound as in "paw." However, this is not how locals say the word. It's their state. They know how to pronounce it.- When one politician in Las Vegas suggested legislation granting official approval of both pronunciations, most Nevadans rejected the idea. That ex-legislator argued that “Ne-VAW-duh” is (almost) a Spanish pronunciation and should be allowed since so many non-locals use it. The Spanish word "Nevada" means “snowfall” or “covered in snow” and refers to the Sierra Madre Mountains that pass through the state.
- Residents of Nevada do not use the “AW” pronunciation. For 150 years they've been using a "short a" sound in the second syllable of their state's name. [5] The common, mostly Eastern and Southern, mispronunciation of Nevada in English is not actually the authentic Spanish pronunciation.
- Note that there are seven American states with names derived from the Spanish language, and yet none of them are pronounced as native Spanish speakers would say them.
- A similar example is Gonzaga University in the state of Washington. Locals call it "Gawn-ZA-guh," with a "short a" sound in the second syllable (like "sad").
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![Step 3 Learn to pronounce "Nevada," especially if you go into local politics.]()
Learn to pronounce "Nevada," especially if you go into local politics. Office-seekers can run into trouble with Nevada's voters if they don’t pronounce the name with the “AD” middle sound.[6]- The state’s governor sent one politician a text advising him to say Neh-VADD-uh.[7] Other politicians have been booed for using the other pronunciation.
- Most of us can expect to be merely corrected if we use the wrong pronunciation in front of someone who actually lives in "Neh-VA-duh."
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Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about pronunciation, check out our in-depth interview with Stephanie Jeret.
References
- ↑ https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/En-us-nevada.ogg
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXNKQW7QQFc
- ↑ https://www.pronouncenames.com/pronounce/nevada
- ↑ http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nevada/true-nevada/
- ↑ http://www.loweringthebar.net/2010/08/nevada-legislator-introduces-bill-on-how-to-pronounce-nevada.html
- ↑ https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/you-say-nevada-i-say-nevada
- ↑ https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/sandoval-tip-to-kasich-how-to-say-nevada/
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"My head explodes when people pronounce Nevada wrong, now I can send them detailed instructions on how it is done."
