Do you think you know how to pronounce the name of the state of Nevada? You may be mispronouncing it! There are two popular pronunciations, but one of them will put Nevadans to shame. Here's how to say "Nevada" the way they do.
Steps
Step 1. Say "Neh-VA-duh."
This is the correct way to pronounce the name of the state. By emphasis on the second syllable. Pronounce it so that the middle part rhymes with the "ad" sound in the words "sad" or "mad." Compare "Nevada" and "Nebraska." The corresponding vowels in the two names are pronounced the same.
- Divide "Nevada" into syllables. There are three different syllables in the word "Nevada". Thinking that the word has three parts will help you pronounce it correctly.
- The "e" should be pronounced as in the words "pet" or "met". The "a" at the end of the name is pronounced like the "u" in "up.
Step 2. Don't say "Ne-VAW-duh."
Some people pronounce the second syllable with the sound "AW" as in "paw". However, that is not how the locals say the word. It is your state. They know how to pronounce it.
- When a politician in Las Vegas suggested legislation allowing the official approval of both pronouncements, a majority of Nevada locals rejected the idea. That former legislator argued that "Ne-VAW-duh" is pronounced (almost) like in Spanish and that it should be allowed since many non-locals used it. The Spanish word "Nevada" comes from "nevar" and means "covered with snow" and refers to the Sierra Madr mountain range that runs through the state.
- Nevada residents do not use the pronunciation "AW". For 150 years they have used a "a short" sound on the second syllable of their state name. The most common mispronunciation of Nevada in English, especially in the east and south, is not actually the authentic pronunciation in Spanish.
- Keep in mind that there are seven American states whose names derive from the Spanish language, and that none of them are pronounced the way Spanish speakers do.
- A similar example is from Gonzaga University in Washington state. Locals call it "Gawn-ZA-guh" with a "a short" sound on the second syllable (as in "sad").
Step 3. Learn to pronounce "Nevada", especially in case you are participating in local politics
Candidates may get in trouble with Nevada voters if they don't pronounce the name with the "AD" sound in the center of the word.
- The state governor sent a politician a letter advising him to say "Neh-VADD-uh." Other politicians have been booed for using the other pronunciation.
- Most people will expect to be simply corrected in case you use the wrong pronunciation in front of someone who lives in "Neh-VA-duh".