If there’s one thing New Yorkers have, its confidence. And although you may think you’re pronouncing everything correctly, odds are you’re probably butchering a few words that you didn’t even realize.
From the streets to subway stations and neighborhoods across the five boroughs, here are the hardest names to pronounce, even if you’re from here.
Hardest places to pronounce in NYC
Here’s the ultimate list of NYC’s hardest to pronounce places. P.S. don’t peek at the phonetic answers below until you’ve tried to say them all!
🛣️ Streets
- Houston Street
- Schermerhorn Street
- Kosciuszko Street
- Gansevoort Street
- Dey Street
- Joralemon Street
- Fteley Avenue
🚇 Subways
- Kosciuszko Station
- DeKalb Avenue Station
- Nereid Avenue
- Schermerhorn Street Station
🏡 Neighborhoods
- Spuyten Duyvil
- Todt Hill
- Fort Schuyler
- Van Wyck
How to pronounce them
Think you got them all right? Let’s just say you’re a real New Yorker if you got 10 or more correct. *Capitalization means an emphasis on the syllable.
🛣️ Streets
- Houston Street: “HOW-sten”
- Schermerhorn Street: “SKER-mer-horn”
- Kosciuszko Street: “KAH-see-aw-sko,” “kuh-SHOO-skoh,” or “kos-skee-OSS-koh”
- Gansevoort Street: “gan-suh-vort” or “GANN-zuh-vohrt”
- Dey Street: “Die”
- Joralemon Street: “jer-ALL-ah-men”
- Fteley Avenue: “fuh-tel-lee”
🚇 Subway Stations
- Kosciuszko Station: “KAH-see-aw-sko,” “kuh-SHOO-skoh,” or “kos-skee-OSS-koh”
- DeKalb Avenue Station: “DEE-Kalb,” “Dee-KALB,” “Deh-KALB”
- Nereid Avenue: “neer-REE-id”
- Schermerhorn Street Station: “SKER-mer-horn”
🏡 Neighborhoods
- Spuyten Duyvil: “SPY-tin DIE-vuhl”
- Todt Hill: “TOAD Hill”
- Fort Schuyler: “Skyler”
- Van Wyck: “Van Wik”
Think you’re a pro? Can you guess what the “hardest town to pronounce” in New York is? Hint: it’s also known as “The Electric City”