For those venturing into the heart of Tennessee, whether as new residents or curious travelers, navigating the pronunciation of its place names can be quite the challenge. The Volunteer State is home to a collection of towns and streets with names that can easily trip up the uninitiated.

Take, for instance, the town of Milan, pronounced “MY-lin,” or Ooltewah, which is said as “oo-ta-wah.” To help visitors and newcomers sound more like locals, News 2 has thoughtfully put together a guide complete with audio cues to demystify these tricky pronunciations.

Beersheba Springs

One such place is the quaint town of Beersheba Springs in Grundy County. Despite its spelling, locals affectionately refer to it as “BURSH-uh-ba Springs.” Meanwhile, over in Sumner County, you’ll find an unincorporated community known as Castalian Springs, which rolls off the tongue as “kuh-sta-lee-uhn Springs.”

Castalian Springs

In the realm of historic cities, Clay County offers Salina, a city founded in the 19th century, pronounced “suh-LY-nuh” by those who call it home. And in the bustling urban landscape of Nashville, there’s a particular roadway that many claim holds the title for the most mispronounced name in the area.

Celina

Founded in the 19th century and seated in Clay County, locals pronounce this city as suh-LY-nuh.

Demonbreun Street

Nestled between residential high-rises lies one roadway that Nashvillians claim to be the most mispronounced in the Music City area. 

Demonbreun Street is pronounced by locals as Dee-MUN-bree-yun Street. Oftentimes, tourists (and Siri) are heard pronouncing it as Demon-broo-en, which according to native Nashvillians, is incorrect. 

Giles County

The “G” is pronounced as a “J” when saying the name of this Middle Tennessee county: Juh-iles.

Lafayette Street

Lafayette Street is usually pronounced by many Nashvillians as Luh-FAY-it, instead of the French pronunciation Lah-fah-yet. 

Lebanon

Home of the Wilson County — Tennessee State Fair is Lebanon, Tennessee, or according to locals: Leb-NUN.

Maury County

Not to be confused with the hit tabloid show hosted by Maury Povich, Tennesseans pronounce the county as MURR-ee.

Milan

The city in Gibson County shares a spelling, but not the same pronunciation as the fashion capital in Italy. In fact, Tennesseans pronounce the city as MY-lin.

Ooltewah

Located just outside of Chattanooga, the spelling of this city is much different than how it’s pronounced by locals: oo-ta-wah.

Rhea County

The Tennessee county rhymes with pay, and is pronounced as RAY County.

Santa Fe

Unlike the New Mexico capital, Santa Fe, Tennessee, is pronounced to rhyme with see: SAN-tuh FEE.