As the second biggest state in the country, Texas is home to scores of cities you may never have heard of but may not even be able to pronounce. A new study by the Austin American-Statesman recently revealed the most commonly mispronounced city names in the Lone Star state. Here are the top 10 you may discover you’ve been saying wrong your entire life.
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| Amarillo: AM-uh-RIL-oh — Often mispronounced as Ah-mah-REE-yo, the name means “yellow” in Spanish and was most likely chosen because of the color of the sub-soil in nearby Amarillo Creek. |
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| Bexar: Bear — Commonly mispronounced as BEX-ar, the name sounds just like the animal…..bear. The city was named after San Antonio de Béxar, one of the 23 Mexican municipalities of Texas at the time of its independence. |
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| Boerne: BER-nee — Many people are tripped up by the look of the name, mispronouncing it BORN. The city was named after German author and publicist, Kark Ludwig Börne. |
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| Humble: UM-bull — Despite the spelling, it’s not HUM-bull. Pleasant Smith Humble arrived in what would later be the city of Humble before the Civil War. |
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| Iraan: Eye-ruh-ANN — In 1926 an oil gusher blew in on Ira and Ann Yates’ remote Pecos County ranch. Oilfield workers flooded into the new town born overnight and named it Iraan after the couple. |
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| Nacogdoches: Na-kuh-DOH-chuhs — One of the oldest towns in Texas, Nacogdoches derives its name from the Caddo word “Nacogdoche,” meaning “the place where the prickly pear grows.” |
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| Palestine: PAHL-uh-steen — Unlike its Middle Eastern counterpart, this Texas city is not pronounced PAL-uh-stine. Named by settlers who admired its fertile land, Palestine drew inspiration from the biblical land of Palestine. |
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| Waco: WAY-ko — Waco’s name is derived from the Waco Native American tribe that inhabited the area. It is believed to mean “chosen.” |
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| Waxahachie: Waak-suh-HA-chee — Waxahachie’s name originates from the Native American word “Waksahe,” which means “cow” or “buffalo.” The town’s name reflects its early days as a trading post for cattle and buffalo hides. |
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| Quitaque: KIT-a-kway — The name Quitaque is believed to have come from the Comanche word “Kwihnai Kwihnai,” meaning “end of the trail.” |
