10 Texas Towns: How To Pronounce Their Names Correctly

Proper pronunciation is key when it comes to pronouncing some complex Texas town names correctly. I kid, I kid. Trust me when I say a few of these names I would definitely have to look up to learn how to pronounce them the right way. I had family that lived in Boerne and asked 'what's the name of the city you live in?' That one is quite interesting, let's take a look at some others.

10 TEXAS TOWN NAMES YOU MAY HAVE A HARD TIME KNOWING HOW TO PRONOUNCE:

MEXIA

This is actually the birthplace of Anna Nicole Smith, she of course, never wanted anyone to know about the little Texas town she was from but don't call it "MEX-ee-uh."

(Pronunciation - "muh-HAY-uh")

BOERNE

Founded in 1849 as "Tusculum," the name was changed to Boerne in 1852.  Boerne is a part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan area. Oh and don't call it "born" or "burn" if you know what's good for you.

(Pronunciation - "BURN-ee') 

BEXAR

Bexar County was created on December 20, 1836, and took up the entire western portion of the Republic of Texas meaning from present-day New Mexico north to Wyoming. After Texas became a state 128 counties were created from the original Bexar County.

(Pronunciation - "BEAR")

MARATHON

Marathon is known as the "Gateway to Big Bend" and also the small town my father grew up in, so I am quite familiar.  Marathon is located in a basin between the Glass Mountains to the north, and the Del Norte-Santiago range to the south. Don't pronounce it like a race or something you run in.

(Pronounced - "MARA-thun")

AMARILLO

This one drives people who know Spanish crazy but those that are from Texas have lived with it all their lives so they are used to it. The correct Spanish pronunciation is "ah-muh-REE-yoh" because Amarillo is Spanish for "yellow." Amarillo's original name was Oneida, but was re-named the Spanish word for yellow probably because of the plentiful amount of yellow wildflowers in the spring and summer.

(Pronounced - "am-uh-RILL-oh")

LLANO

Llano County was established on February 1, 1856. The town was named after the Llano River which runs through the town. This is another one that I think drives Spanish-speaking people in Texas crazy because the correct Spanish pronunciation is "YAH-no."

(Pronounced - "LAN-oh")

GRUENE

Named after a German surname by the early German settlers of central Texas. It was once a cotton-producing community along the Guadalupe River, but now it is a district within the city limits of New Braunfels

(Pronounced - "GREEN")

BURNET

You may think it was named after one of the most well-known comediennes from Texas, Carol Burnett, but it was not. Carol Burnett is actually from San Antonio, also her name has two "T"s in it and the town does not. It was originally named Hamilton after John Hamilton who owned land nearby, but the name was changed in 1857 when several residents petitioned the state legislature to name the town after the county it is in. The name was changed the next year in 1858.

(Pronounced - "BURN-it")

WAXAHACHIE

Waxahachie was founded in 1850 as the county seat of the newly formed Ellis County. It was incorporated on April 28, 1871. Yes I know, you feel like you want to pronounce it like the stuff candles are made from, but it is not pronounced that way in Texas.

(Pronounced - "woks-uh-HATCH-ee")

HUMBLE

Humble became an oil boomtown in the early 1900s when oil was first produced there. It became the home of the Humble Oil & Refining Company, founded in 1911 and is now known as Exxon. I know some Texans who still pronounce the "h" in this town's name, but Texans like to make some letters silent in the names of our places.

(Pronounced - "um-BULL") 

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