Top 10 Michigan City Names Impossible for Outsiders to Pronounce

While I certainly feel more connected to the state of Michigan than my previous home state of 25 years in Alabama, there are some aspects to life in Michigan that are difficult to prepare for. And the longer I struggle with them, the more I feel like an outsider.

Whether it's the snow, the traffic, or what words to use to make sure someone knows what you're talking about, adjusting to life in the Mitten State can be a challenge for a long-time Southerner such as myself.

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One thing I didn't expect to struggle with so much, and possibly more than any other, was pronouncing city and town names in Michigan.

Alabama is full of native-named cities and towns, so I've had a great deal of experience saying those names properly. Of course, the natives in the south are starkly different from those in the north. But it isn't just the native names, there are plenty of other city names with foreign roots that are just as difficult to pronounce.

So, as an outsider of sorts on the inside, here's a top 10 list of the cities and town names I've consistently missed in the past to the ones I still struggle to get right to this day after two years in Michigan.