DETROIT (WXYZ) — Have you ever wondered how to truly pronounce a popular city or state's name?
Some say 'Neh-vah-duh' versus 'Neh-vaa-duh', or 'Looey-ville' versus 'Loo-uh-vul' among others.
So that got us thinking, how do locals and visitors pronounce Michigan's largest city?
"Why do you say 'DEE-troit'?" I asked Crystal, who is visiting Detroit from Tampa Bay, Florida.
"I watched a popular show growing up called Martin," Crystal said. "And, it’s 'DEE-troit'."
"When I see the word, the first thing that comes upon is 'Duh-troit'," said Paul, who is visiting from Hong Kong, China.
"Growing up with my parents, that’s what they’ve called it," said a Lake Orion resident who didn't give us his name. "That’s what I call it. So, that’s why I call it, 'Duh-troit'. Does it have another sound I don’t know about?"
Yes! Hip-Hop legend Eminem wants you to know how to pronounce his hometown. Eminem says 'Dee-troit' instead of 'Duh-troit', and that's not the only high-profile example of that pronunciation.
Legendary Pistons Public address announcer John Mason is famously known for his iconic voice and unique calls, including 'DEE-troit BASKET-ball'!
Another word some people say differently is the name of a local street.
"That's a big thing around Detroit, 'Lahser' or 'Lasher'," said King Jermaine Jones, a Detroit native who now lives in Las Vegas. "I think that's a whole, that might be a whole episode in and of itself."
Detroit residents seem to agree on that one.
"If you were around your boys from the city?" I asked Detroit resident Jerome.
"I'm going to Lasher," Jerome said with a chuckle.
"That's Lasher all Day," said Detroit resident Devin Draughn.
"You're from Florida, and you're pronouncing it 'Lasher'," I pointed out to Crystal.
"Lah-huh-sher…she," Crystal said with a chuckle. "Uh, I mean…my hooked on phonics tells me L-A-H-S-E-R. La-huh-sher. Well, ok hold on. No, no, no. Lah...no cause the S would have to be in the front. Lah-huh-ser. Lahser. Lahser. Lahser is it. That’s the word. Lahser."
"I'm the type of person where I like to focus on the things that unifies us versus separates us," Jones said. "So, however they say it, I say…yeah you’re right okay. I just go with the flow."
