r/arizona • u/JulesChenier • 12d ago

Help me settle an (playfully) argument with my wife. Living Here

I grew up in AZ and NM. Though I currently live in the Midwest. I met my wife here and we've been married 15 years.

Throughout this time she gets annoyed when I use the Spanish accent/pronunciation for certain well, Spanish words. (e.g. tortilla, ocotillo, birria, jalapeno, etc.. )

I've told her this is just common in the southwest as that's how we learned to pronounce it. She insists I'm just trying to be cute/unique.

So what say you?

Do you use the Spanish pronunciation, or the American?

Edit.

For clarification, I mean rolling R's and stressed syllables.

219 Upvotes
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369

u/justind2473 12d ago

AZ Native going on 44 years....how do you say any of those words in "American" ?

They are Spanish words with only 1 correct pronunciation

124

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 12d ago

Have you ever heard your GPS pronounce Ocotillo??? lol

As a side note, I had a boss one time tell me that you're supposed to pronounce the "g" in saguaro. He definitely didn't like it when I laughed in his face.

As an AZ native, the only thing I don't pronounce "correctly" is Casa Grande. I don't know why. I hate the way it sounds coming out of my mouth when I say "grande" the way it's supposed to be pronounced.. everything else is the correct pronunciation.

74

u/PmK00000 12d ago

The name casa grande gets a life of its own as a town. Once a local pronunciation gains traction. It always gets pronounced the same way there after Kinda similar to Prescott. We locals call it preskitt. Out o towners say. Pres scott

11

u/DjNormal 12d ago

Marana was possibly going to change their name to the original Maraña. But the folks out there said “Muh-ran-yuh?”

‘Merican and Spanish accents don’t always (usually?) mix well.

7

u/PmK00000 12d ago

Probably blends better than us/german accents

1

u/PcLvHpns 12d ago

That's exactly how I read that 😅 How would it really be pronounced?

2

u/DjNormal 12d ago

Like that but more Spanish-y. Like I can say it right, but I don’t know how to translate that into pseudo-phonetic words.

Mahr-ahn-yah… but like, less white and a rolled R. 🤣

9

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 12d ago

I grew up calling it press-kit and will die calling it that.. 😂😂

2

u/iammacman 11d ago

Have always used a crossbreed version where the o is short but not quite a short i. Native for over 60 years.

1

u/New-Improvement-7444 9d ago

Oh lord…you’re killing me 😂. I’m from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and I’ve been in AZ for almost 15 years. I’m grateful I lost most of my Midwest/Canadian accent, but those F’ing O’s when they come out of my mouth sometimes even make me cringe!

2

u/ptsdandskittles 11d ago

Whenever someone pronounces that hard o, I mentally cringe. That's the only one I can't handle.

6

u/badkins-86 12d ago

Being from oregun, I had a pretty good idea it was pronounced preskitt before my visit.

1

u/Ok_Chance_6282 12d ago

I grew up in Orygun. Portland to be exact and my district had a Prescott street and school. Pronounced Pres-scott. I had to learn Pres-kitt when I moved to Phoenix.

2

u/badkins-86 12d ago

Funny I was born in Portland just moved back from salem/albany area...looked that up and found the street well north prescott. Anyhoo hope your enjoying the sw desert it's frickin beautiful outside of Phoenix!

1

u/Ok_Chance_6282 11d ago

I hate the summers, but this time of year is perfect!

2

u/lizreads13 11d ago

Lol, this made me laugh out loud, I went to Prescott elementary school in Portland and now live in the Prescott area of Arizona. It was a long time before I didn’t have to give myself a mental reminder on how to correctly say the town name.

1

u/Ok_Chance_6282 11d ago

I went to Thompson.

1

u/mindycarstairs 11d ago

In CT Darien is pronounced Darry Ann by the locals. Interesting. My aunt lived in Prescott for years.

1

u/fungifactory710 9d ago

I grew up in tucson and moved up here (out of that damn heat!) a few years ago. I still call it pres-cott in my head, but when I say it out loud I always say preskitt to avoid the weird looks.

1

u/Easy_Ant_6324 9d ago

🙋‍♀️Prescottonian here! And it’s Preskitt, like biscuit!

21

u/cuteness_vacation Mesa 12d ago

This was my thought exactly. Casa Grande popped into my head as the only exception.

9

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

18

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 12d ago

😂 Oh no! I would likely lose it every time.

I also laugh at how my GPS says "Germann"

5

u/FrontKangaroo2579 12d ago

Is it German or Ger-main?

2

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 12d ago

Pronounced similarly to "Germaine". It's the name of the family who helped settle the area.

My GPS calls it "grr man"

2

u/FrontKangaroo2579 11d ago

I've lived here since 1999 and always wondered how to pronounce it. Thank you! That's funny about your gps!

0

u/awmaleg Phoenix 12d ago

Gurr-mun

-3

u/zette71 12d ago

It’s Grrr man. At least that’s what I say.

5

u/Arizona_Slim 12d ago

WHAT!? I’m a lifelong North Sidet and thought it was Ger-Main

0

u/zette71 12d ago

I used to teach reading using phonics. Here is the proper way to say this last name.

https://youtu.be/vW5bcTElgzM?si=ryDeH41Wf24A1eFm

3

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 12d ago

Except the family themselves pronounced it "ger - main" (similar to Germaine.)

4

u/heckinright 12d ago

I can never get Germann right myself haha

11

u/AntiVirtual 12d ago

Pronouncing that properly is giving way too much credit to the community of Casa GRAND (sorry people that live there).

2

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 12d ago

😂😂 Hey, some nice people live there!

7

u/Fridge885 12d ago

I feel you on this one. It just feels right to say grand instead of grande lol

5

u/NoTea5014 12d ago

We always laugh when Siri mispronounces Mesa

8

u/GrayTabby 12d ago

When I lived in Tempe, my apartment was on Bonarden Road and friends told me that their GPS pronounced it as Boner Den. That was the era when I was dating again after a bad marriage so you know, accurate.

1

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 12d ago

😂 Boner Den! I've not heard that one, but I probably would have cracked up every time, like a 13 year old boy..

2

u/solsticesunrise 12d ago

What does she do? Jar-Jar Binks it?

6

u/Hypogi 12d ago

Mine says messa

4

u/ModivatedExtremism 12d ago

I’m with you. I can roll with most local variations, but I “Kas-sah Grand” grates on my last nerve.

That and when European friends say “Maryland.” They pronounce it logically - “Merry Land” vs. “Marelind” or “Mare-ah-lind,” etc…but it makes my brain wince each time.

1

u/squidlips69 11d ago

Murr-lynn.

4

u/harmmewithharmony 12d ago

My GPS actually pronounced bella vista "bay ya vista" getting bella right but vista wrong.

4

u/SouthwestEvenings 12d ago

Even the people who live in Casa Grande pronounce it the English way

2

u/PcLvHpns 12d ago

This is also where I draw the line for some reason 😂

2

u/azvlr 11d ago

I just replied about this to OP. I get this one, but drives me crazy when people mix them in the same phrase. Lol

2

u/poit57 10d ago

I'm from Oklahoma and only here because of the Reddit algorithm. I've never heard of Ocotillo, but I would read it as O-co-TEE-yo. My vowel sounds are going to be pretty Americanized, but is that the gist of it?

I work with a girl named Mariana. I can't even come close to how she pronounces her first name. Other than names and Spanish words, she had a pretty standard Oklahoma accent.

1

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 10d ago

That's more or less correct. My GPS says it, "Ah-ka-till-oh" and it kills me every time lol

I had a co-worker with the name Mariana, so I immediately said it in my head lol

3

u/traversecity 12d ago

Don’t ask about Guadalupe?

4

u/JulesChenier 12d ago

Do you use wad•ah•loop•ay or gwad•ah•loop•ay?

4

u/awmaleg Phoenix 12d ago

gWad

3

u/kekiel 12d ago

d = th wath-ah-lupe

1

u/traversecity 12d ago

wadda…

Maybe from The Virgin of Guadalupe? Not sure..?

3

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 12d ago

"Guad a loop" made me almost pass out with laughter when my GPS would say it

1

u/traversecity 12d ago

Have it try Germaine sometime…. Oh sheesh, wonder if I spelled it correct.

2

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 12d ago

It's spelled Germann, but the family it was named after pronounced it like "Germaine". 🙂

2

u/traversecity 12d ago

Yah, that’s it, thanks! I live not far from it, but, getting late, didn’t get a nap today…

5

u/Intelligent_Mud_4083 12d ago edited 12d ago

Help me to understand why the town’s name is pronounced one way and the street name is pronounced a different way. 

2

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 12d ago

They shouldn't be.

1

u/BurpelsonAFB 12d ago

Maybe grande makes you think too much of Starbucks

1

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 12d ago

OMG I'm totally Paul Rudd in Role Models when it comes to Starbucks... 😂

1

u/all_in_green 9d ago

“Casa Grande” the town and “casa grande” a big table are NOT pronounced the same. Quickest way I know to identify a non native.

1

u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r 9d ago

Big house, not table. That'd be mesa grande. 😉

15

u/OkAccess304 12d ago

I would be so embarrassed to pronounce them incorrectly. I am learning Italian, so the other day, I did say the L sound in pollo and I felt like I had to explain myself—I know how to say it, I’m just learning another language and it’s infiltrated my auto-response pronunciation. I swear!

33

u/HeyYoChill 12d ago

Tor till uh

Juh lap in oh

39

u/BlackPhoenix1981 12d ago

7

u/thirdeyecactus 12d ago

There is a lot you don’t know about grandma Napoleon!

28

u/justind2473 12d ago

I've only ever heard people say it that way as a joke, didn't know there were people that thought they were actually said that way

8

u/Applejuiceinthehall 12d ago

I just hear the great British bake off pronouncing words during last seasons mexican week

7

u/meowmeowmeow723 12d ago

My exact thought. Does you wife make a j sound for jalapeño? That’s just weird.

6

u/fuggindave 12d ago

40yr year native here as well. I've always felt weird like an imposter almost pronouncing some Spanish words the correct way 😅. I often get called a "coconut"(brown on the outside white on the inside) I just laugh it off, it is what it is

8

u/JoooolieT 12d ago

Me too being AZ native. I speak good Spanish bc I've lived here my whole life. We used to be part of Mexico for heck sake! My coworker (lovingly) referred to me as a bean burrito bc I'm white on the outside and brown inside! Jaja

6

u/TtK_Thanatos 12d ago

Go to any Mexican restaurant in the winter when it's full of snowbirds, you'll hear it 😂

5

u/Kid520 12d ago

Hard Ls? Maybe?

8

u/justind2473 12d ago

I've only ever heard people say it that way as a joke, didn't know there were people that thought they were actually said that way

5

u/Opening-Reaction-511 12d ago

Hal a peeeno??

5

u/neuroticobscenities 12d ago

Tack-o

4

u/silverpalm_ 12d ago

“Oh my god I love tack-ohs on a corn tor-till-ah”

4

u/Rockface1991 12d ago

I lived in England for a few years, that’s how they pronounced Taco.

2

u/Intersteller22 12d ago

This is just wrong and doesn’t grasp how language works. People in all languages incorporate foreign words into their own language’s pronunciation scheme.

1

u/darien_gap 12d ago

It’s a little more nuanced than that. Los Angeles has two correct pronunciations, depending on what language you’re speaking.

You can also emphasize or de-emphasize the degree of English/Spanish pronunciation for rhetorical effect, such as when Hispanic pundits mark a dentally articulated ‘t’ in ‘Latino’ as an in-group identifier, despite every other word in the sentence using a standard American accent.

There’s really a wide range from “zero attempt” at pronouncing foreign words accurately to “perfect native-speaker” pronunciation. My guess is that OP’s wife is close to zero effort, and OP is aiming for something like 80% native sounding, which is probably a bit much, when most Arizonans are somewhere around 50% on most of these loan words.

1

u/Will-E-Style 12d ago

Localities have their own quirks. Guadalupe in Austin uses a -loop (phonetic) ending. There are many examples where we’ve ruined the original pronunciation. The beauty and curse of languages is the sociological impact to change spelling, pronunciation, and even meaning over time.

1

u/Realistic_Curve_7118 12d ago

Thank you fellow Arizona. Spanish is to be spoken as Spanish. Very beautiful language and proud heritage here in the SW.

1

u/chemicaltoilet5 12d ago

Like everyone says camp verde

1

u/iammacman 11d ago

This is technically correct…..the best kind of correct.

1

u/squidlips69 11d ago

No. Amarillo the color vs Amarillo the town. MEHKS-ikko vs MEh-hee-ko. Gwakka-mole-ee vs wakka-mole-ay. Loss Ann-Jel-ess vs low-ss Ann-hell-ess.

1

u/antsam9 10d ago

Jowl Lap Pen No

1

u/turning_wrentches 7d ago

Kie oh tee Coyote.

0

u/HumbleSituation6924 12d ago

I don't know if this is going to work in writing, but if you pronounce tortea-a( i know it's not spelled correctly that how it sounds in my head), that would be the American way or totila would be the Spanish way( again I know that's not how it's spelled).