North Carolina place names
From the mountains to the coast, place names in North Carolina can be confusing. (Why don’t Rowan and Chowan rhyme?) Click on the map below to hear North Carolina county names pronounced by local authors Bland Simpson and Michael McFee. The list that follows it includes cities, towns, mountains, lakes, and more.*
The North Carolina Collection welcomes your questions, comments, and suggestions of other North Carolina names you would like to hear pronounced. Email wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.
Counties and more
Read by Bland Simpson and Michael McFee
| Ahoskie | uh-HAHS-kee |
| Alamance | aL-a-mance |
| Alexander | al-x-ANDER |
| Alleghany | al-i-GAINY |
| Anson | AN-sun |
| Arapahoe | uh-RAP-uh-hoe |
| Ashe | |
| Aulander | AW-lan-der |
| Avery | A-vur-ee |
| Bahama | ba-HAY-ma |
| Beaufort | BO-furt |
| Bertie | ber-TEE |
| Bladen | BLA-den |
| Bodie Island | BAH-dee Island |
| Brunswick | BRUNS-wick |
| Buies Creek | BOO-ees Creek |
| Buncombe | BUNK-um |
| Burgaw | BURR-gaw |
| Burke | |
| Cabarrus | ka-BARE-us |
| Cajahs Mountain | KAY-JUH Mountain |
| Caldwell | CAH’LD-well |
| Camden | KAM-den |
| Carteret | KAR-ter-et |
| Cashie River | kuh-SHY |
| Caswell | KAS-well |
| Catawba | ka-TAW-ba |
| Cerro Gordo | SAIR-uh GORE-duh |
| Chalybeate Springs | ka-LIB-e-ate |
| Chatham | CHAT-um |
| Cherokee | CHER-o-kee |
| Chicamacomico | chick-uh-muh-CAH-mih-co |
| Chinquapin | CHINK-uh-pen |
| Chowan | cho-WONN |
| Clay | |
| Cleveland | KLEVE-land |
| Columbus | ko-LUM-bus |
| Concord | CON-CORD |
| Conetoe | kuh-NEE-tuh |
| Contentnea | kun-TENT-nea |
| Cooleemee | COOL-uh-mee |
| Cornatzer | KOR-natz-er |
| Corolla | kuh-RAHL-uh |
| Craven | KRA-ven |
| Creswell | KRESS-well |
| Croatan | CROW-uh-tan |
| Cullasaja | cool-uh-SAY-juh |
| Cullowhee | CULL-uh-whee |
| Cumberland | KUM-bur-lund |
| Currituck | KURR-i-tuck |
| Dare | |
| Davidson | DAVE-id-sun |
| Davie | DA-vee |
| Duplin | DOO-plen |
| Durham | DERR-um |
| Edgecombe | EDGE-cum |
| Etowah | EH-tuh-wuh |
| Faro | FAY-roe |
| Forsyth | for-SYTH |
| Franklin | FRANK-lin |
| Fuquay-Varina | FEW-kway vuh-REE-nuh |
| Gaston | GASS-ton |
| Gastonia | gas-TONE-ee-uh |
| Gates | |
| Graham | GRAY-um |
| Granville | GRAN-vill |
| Greene | |
| Guilford | GILL-furd |
| Halifax | HAL-i-fax |
| Harnett | HAR-nit |
| Haywood | HAY-wood |
| Henderson | |
| Hertford | HERT-furd |
| Hoke | HOAK |
| Hyde | HIDE |
| Icard | EYE-kurd |
| Ijames | IMES |
| Iredell | IRE-dell |
| Jackson | JACK-sun |
| Johnston | JOHN-stun |
| Jones | |
| Lake Junaluska | joon-uh-LUSK-uh |
| Kannapolis | kuh-NAP-uh-lis |
| Kerr Lake | CAR |
| Lee | |
| Lenoir | le-NOR |
| Lincoln | LINK-un |
| Lucama | loo-CAH-muh |
| Macon | MA-kon |
| Madison | MAD-i-sun |
| Martin | MAR-tin |
| Mayodan | MAY-uh-dan |
| McDowell | mc-DOW-well |
| Mebane | MEB-in |
| Mecklenburg | MECK-len-burg |
| Meherrin River | muh-HERR-in |
| Mitchell | MIT-chull |
| Montgomery | mont-GOM-er-ee |
| Moore | MORE |
| Nantahala | nan-tuh-HAY-luh |
| Nash | |
| New Hanover | new HAN-o-ver |
| Norlina | nor-LINE-uh |
| Northampton | nor-THAMP-ton |
| Ocracoke | OH-kruh-coke |
| Onslow | ONNS-lo |
| Orange | |
| Pamlico | PAM-li-co |
| Pasquotank | PAS-quo-tank |
| Pender | PEN-der |
| Perquimans | per-QUIM-ans |
| Person | PER-sun |
| Pfafftown | POFF-town |
| Pisgah Nat’l Forest | PIZ-gah |
| Pitt | |
| Polk | |
| Potecasi | POE-tuh KAY-see |
| Qualla Boundary | KWALL-uh |
| Randolph | RAN-dolf |
| Richmond | RICH-mund |
| Robeson | ROBB-i-son |
| Rockingham | ROCK-ing-ham |
| Rodanthe | row-DAN-thee |
| Rowan | roe-ANN |
| Rutherford | RUTH-er-furd |
| Sampson | SAMP-sun |
| Saxapahaw | SAX-uh-pa-haw |
| Scotland | SCOT-lund |
| Stanly | STAN-lee |
| Stokes | STOAKS |
| Surry | SURR-ee |
| Swain | SWANE |
| Swannanoa | swan-uh-NO-uh |
| Toxaway | TOX-uh-way |
| Transylvania | tran-syl-VANE-i-a |
| Tuckasegee | tuck-uh-SEE-jee |
| Tuscarora | tusk-uh-ROAR-uh |
| Tusquitee | tus-QUIT-ee |
| Tyrrell | TERR-il |
| Union | |
| Uwharrie | you-WHAR-ee |
| Valle Crucis | VALL-ee CRU-sis |
| Vance | |
| Lake Waccamaw | WOK-uh-maw |
| Wake | |
| Wanchese | WAN-cheese |
| Warren | WAR-en |
| Washington | |
| Watauga | wa-TAW-ga |
| Wayne | WAIN |
| Wendell | win-DELL |
| Wilkes | WILX |
| Wilson | WILL-sun |
| Wingate | WIN-get |
| Winnabow | WINN-uh-boe |
| Yadkin | YAD-kin |
| Yancey | YANT-see |
| Yeopim | YOE-pim |
| Zebulon | ZEB-you-lun |
*Note: We recognize the existence of local pronunciation variations — e.g. some Iredell County residents call their home “ARE-dell.” We have not attempted to list all variations here.
Source: John L. Sanders. “Guide to Pronouncing County Names,” Popular Government, Vol. 63, no.3, Spring 1998: pg. 38, published by the UNC-Chapel Hill Institute of Government.
