Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Pronunciation

Most long-time residents pronounce the city's name as {{IPA|}} (IPA)—often this degrades further into {{IPA|}}. The name is often pronounced far back in the mouth, in the top of the throat. The standard English pronunciation, however, is {{IPA|}} (referring to King Louis XVI), which is often utilized by political leaders and the media. No matter how Louisville is pronounced, the 's' is always silent. (This contrasts with name of the city Louisville, Colorado, which, although spelled the same, is pronounced {{IPA|}}.)

Related Topics:
IPA - English - Louisville, Colorado

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The variability of the local pronunciation of Louisville's name can perhaps be laid at the feet of the city's location on the border between the North and South of the United States. Louisville's diverse population has traditionally represented elements of both Northern and Southern culture.

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Regional migration patterns and the homogenization of dialect due to electronic media also may be responsible for the incidence of native-born Louisvillians adopting or affecting the standard English pronunciation. Nevertheless, the {{IPA|}} pronunciation is most popular among residents and is, with little exception, used by news and sports reporters.

Related Topics:
Migration - Dialect

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