New to Oregon and Portland?

Here is a guide to help you pronounce city, street, and park names from around the state. 

State

Oregon (ORE-uh-g’n) or (ORY-gun) like organ with an uh sound in the middle. It doesn’t rhyme with “gone”.

Local Portland Streets

• Chautauqua (Shuh-TAH-kwuh)
• Couch (Coo-tsch)
• Glisan (GLEE-sun)
• Macadam (ma-CAD-ahm)
• Nicolai (NICK-o-lye)
• Portsmouth (PORTS-muth)
• Willamette (will-LAMB-met)
• Yeon (YEE-on) 

Cities, Towns, and Parks

• Aloha (a-LOW-uh) not like the Hawaiian pronunciation
• Astoria (as-STORE-ee-a)
• Champoeg (sham-Poo-ee)
• Clackamas (CLACK-uh-mus)
• Coos Bay (coose bay) rhymes with goose
• Coquille (co-KEEL)
• The Dalles (the DALZ) rhymes with pals
• Deschutes (Duh-SHOOTS)
• Detroit (DEE-troyt) the stress is on the first syllable
• Estacada (ess-tuh-CAY-duh)
• Eugene (yoo-JEEN) the stress is on the second syllable
• Gervais (jer-VISS)
• Hubbard (hub-ERD)
• Klamath Falls (CLAM-ath falls)
• La Grande (la grand) the “e” is silent
• Madras (MAD-russ)
• Maupin (MOP-in)
• Molalla (moe-LAH-lah)
• Mulino (muh-LINE-oh)
• Multnomah (mult-NO-ma)
• Nehalem (nee-HAY-lem)
• Nyssa (NISS-uh)
• Philomath (fill-OH-math)
• Scio (SIGH-oh)
• Siletz (sill-ETZ)
• Siuslaw (sigh-YEW-slaw)
• Tigard (TIE-gurd) like tiger with a “d” at the end
• Tillamook (TILL-a-mook) rhymes with book
• Tualatin (too-AWL-a-tin)
• Umatilla (YOU-muh-TILL-uh)
• Umpqua (UMP-kwah)
• Wallowa (wuh-LOW-wah) second syllable rhymes with COW
• Willamina (will-uh-MY-nuh)
• Yachats (YAH-hots)
• Yaquina (ya-KWINN-ah)