Missouri
central state in the United States of America

Name: Missouri
Audio Pronunciation: (link)

Tags: US states   missouri   disputed pronunciation  

Notes: All authorities consulted prefer the pronunciation mih-ZUR-ee.

An alternate pronounciation preferred by some Missourians is mih-ZUR-uh.

In The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations (Elster), Charles Elster discusses in detail the ongoing debate about the correct pronunciation of the last syllable Missouri. Is it -ee or -uh? In June 1976 and again in 1989 the Midwest Motorist magazine conducted a poll of Missourians from all over the state for their preferred pronunciation of their state.

In 1976, 60 percent of Missourians chose -ee as preferred.

In 1989, 66 percent of Missourians chose -ee as preferred.

Web links:

• The Pronunciation of Missouri: Variation and Change in American English