How to Pronounce Oregon

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posted on 14 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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If you haven't heard a native Oregonian say "Oregon" out loud, you might not know how to pronounce it. Just remember that it's OR-eg-in, not "OR-e-gawn." Place the stress on the first syllable, and keep the "g" hard, as in "gun". You can say "OR-ih-g-in" or "OR-eh-g-in". Try putting the word "aura" and "g-in" together. Say "OR-eh" and then "g-in."

Steps

Listen to someone from the West Coast say "Oregon". Visit the state, if possible, or speak with someone who has spent time there. Listen to an audio pronunciation sample: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtAPSR6KNT4

Emphasize the first syllable. The correct pronunciation uses three syllables: "OR", "ih" and "gun". The first syllable is long but the last two syllables are very short. Remember: it's "OReGin", not "orEgon" or "oreGON" and not "orEgun" and not "oreGUN". The pronunciation of "or" is straightforward: say it as in the word "for". Pronounce the middle syllable (the "e") the way you would pronounce the "i" in "it". You can also pronounce it like the "e" in "egg". Pronounce the last syllable ("gon") with a hard g and the word "in" ("g-in") (or even "gehn"). Make sure to pronounce the hard "g" not a "j" sound. Whatever you do, avoid pronouncing the "gon" like the last syllable in the words "decagon" or "polygon". Native Oregonians will be quick to tell you that it isn't "Or-e-gawn". The ON sound in the French word "Oregon" is the same as the last syllable of "dragon" (pronounced "drag-in") and also the name of Oregon's northern neighbor, Washington.

Say "Oregon" quickly. Don't pronounce each syllable as distinctly separate; they should blend together smoothly, but keep the hard sounds coherent. Some Oregonians slur the middle syllable and pronounce "Oregon" as "Organ," but this is not the traditional pronunciation. By the way, "Oregonian" is pronounced "Ohr-eh-GOH-nee-in," and "Washingtonian" is pronounced "Waw-shih-TOH-nee-in."

Practice pronouncing "Oregon". Practice in front of a mirror until you get it right. Make sure that you get the pronunciation mostly right before you talk about the state in front of people, but don't worry too much: as long as people know which state you're talking about, you'll be okay. Just don't say "Or-e-gawn" and don't say "Or-E-gun".