Oregon Pronunciation Guide | University of Portland

Oregon Pronunciation Guide

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)