Mississippi Towns Spelled Out Phonetically in their Correct Pronunciations for the Media [View all]

A friend of mine started this list and would love any additions.

12. D'IBERVILLE - Dee-eye-burr-ville, NOT whatever your knowledge of English and/or French suggests.
11. TUPELO – “too-puh-low” NOT ”tuh-puh-low” (Come on, Elvis is from here. You should know how to pronounce Tupelo already. Come on. Really).
10. BELZONI – “bell-zone-uh” NOT “bell-zone-ee” (This is the World Famous Catfish Capital of the Whole World, people. It didn’t get built yesterday).
9. IUKA – “eye-you-kuh” NOT, well, just say it like the way I showed you
8. NANIH WAIYA – “na-nuh-wah-yuh” NOT “nanny-way-yuh” (You know an entire Native American people were born in Nanih Waiya. So be sure to practice this one out loud).
7. GAUTIER – “go-shay” NOT “go-tee-ay” (It’s a town. Not a fashion mogul).
6. SHUQUALAK – “shoo-ka-lock” OR “sugar-lock” NOT “shoo-kwuh-lock” (It’s best if you stick with the second pronunciation. Trust me).
5. LOUISVILLE – “lewis-vuhl” NOT “loo-vuhl” (Kentucky got fancy and named their city after a French king, but we’re more homegrown. Ours comes from a state senator named Louis Winston. And now you know).
4. NATCHEZ – “natch-uss” NOT “nat-chezz” (Can you believe that there are even any people around who actually say “nat-chezz”? That’s funny to me).
3. KOSCIUSKO – “kahz-ee-es-ko” NOT any other way you might ever try to say it (Let’s not upset Oprah further).
2. PASS CHRISTIAN – “pass-chris-chee-anne” NOT “pass-chris-chun” (The state has plenty of Christians already).
1. BILOXI – “buh-luh-ksee” NOT “bi-lox-see” (Though by water, there is no lox to be had. As long as this city has been on the map, it still can’t seem to assert itself enough to have its name spoken properly. Put on Destiny’s Child, “Say My Name,” and practice in front of a mirror awhile).

As an example of how not to pronounce several of these towns, I recommend Tom Waits' otherwise awesome song, "Pony", off the album Mule Variations.