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So you want to sound like a local? Well in order to do so you will have to know how the locals pronounce the names of the places they live.
Many names are obvious just from their spelling but some are very different sounding when spoken.
It isn't always easy to reproduce sounds when writing words down but we have done the best we can to reproduce what we have been told are the correct ways to pronounce some of the place names in Western Australia that are not said the way they are spelled.
There will always be some disagreement over how to pronounce some names but the following are about as close as we can get to the most common versions.
The names in brackets are names that are a local corruption of the proper name.
AJANA - Aj-an-a
ALBANY - Al-ban-ee
BADGINGARRA - Ba-jin-gArra
BALDIVIS - Bal-die-vis
BALINGUP - Bay-ling-up
BALLIDU - Bal-i-du
BEJORDING - Bidge-ju-ding
BENJORDING - Bidge-ju-ding
BORANUP - Bor-AN-up
CADOUX - Ca-doo
CALINGIRI - Cal-in-gary
CAIGUNA - Ky-goon-a
CAPE LEEUWIN - Cape Loo-win
CAPE RICHE - Cape Reesh
CERVANTES - Sir-van-tees
COCKBURN - Coh-burn
COWARAMUP - Cow-ar-a-mup (Cow Town)
CUBALLING - Coo-bAlling
DATJOIN - Dah-joing (How did they get the spelling so screwed up?)
DENHAM - Den-am
D'ENTRECASTEAUX - D-ontra-cast-o
DERBY - Der-bee
DONGARA - Dong-ra
ELACHBUTTING - Elak-butting.
EULIN - Yoo-lin
EYRE - Air
FREMANTlE - Free-mantle (Shortened to FREO - Free-o).
GEIKIE - Gee-kee
GERALDTON - Geral-ton
GILLINGARRA - Jill-in-garr-u
GINGIN - Jin-jin
GLOUCESTER - Gloss-ter
GNOWANGERUP - No-an-ger-up
GRENOUGH - Gren-uff
GUILDFORD - Gil-ford
GWALIA - G-waar-lee-a
HAMELIN - Ham-lin
HOPETOUN - Hope-town
KALGOORLIE - Kal-gool-ee (Kal)
KATRINE - Cat-rine (The 'i' makes a hard 'i' sound not an 'ee' sound).
KUKERIN - Cook-er-in
MALAGA - Mal-ar-ga
MANDJOOGOORDAP - Man-jew-gooer-dap
MANDURAH - Man-dew-ra
MELANGATA - Ma-Lang-Gada
MINGENEW - Min-en-ewe
MUCHEA - Mew-shay
MUKINBUDIN - Muck-in-boo-din (Mukka)
MULLEWA - Mull-e-war (Mully)
NABAWA - Nab-a-war
NANNINE - Nan-een
NEW NORCIA - New Nor-see-ah
NORTHAM - Nor-thum
NUNGARIN - Nun-garr-inne
RUDALL RIVER NATIONAL PARK - Roo-dal
TALLANALLA - Tulla-nulla.
TOODYAY - Too-jay
VIVEASH - We have no definitive answer for this one. It could be vive-ash or viv-eesh.
WARROORA STATION - Warra Station
WAGIN - Way-jin
XANTIPPE - Zan-tip-ee
Z Bend - Zed Bend. Not Zee bend, we aren't Americans :)
It is possible that we may not have all of these 100% correct so if you have a correction or if you have a new entry to add, please let us know on our Facebook page at :
WANT Facebook Page.
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