Can You Pronounce These Tricky Michigan Names?

Michigan is known for everything from great food and drinks to music, automobiles, and the great outdoors. But something else you'll find in The Great Lakes State are cities, counties, lakes, rivers, and landmarks with names that are hard to spell and even harder to pronounce. Even lifelong Michiganders struggle with some of them.

Michigan’s Native American Roots

Many of these unique and strange-sounding names can be traced back to Native Americans, specifically the tribes that make up the Council of Three Fires. The council is made up of the Ojibwe (Chippewa/Anishinaabe), Odawa (Ottawa), and Potawatomi tribes.

There are other Michigan cities with weird names, like Grand Blanc. But although the area was originally inhabited by the Chippewa, French settlers named it “Great White” in the early 1800s. Because of that, Grand Blanc doesn’t make this list. While names across Michigan come from all three tribes in the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe language appears most often. So, how good are you at pronouncing these unique names?

Michigan Towns with Names You Might Struggle With

If you’re from the Lower Peninsula, you may know of popular U.P. spots like Munising and Escanaba. But you might not be as familiar with villages like Ahmeek, Ishpeming, Naubinway, or Skanee. And there are some fascinating names in the Lower Peninsula too—places like Peshawbestown and Wahjamega—that many people, including myself, have never heard of.

Test Your Pronunciation Skills

Michigan also has rivers, lakes, and landmarks that can be tongue-twisters, including Kitch-iti-kipi, Zeba, and Ocqueoc. See how many of these Michigan names you know how to pronounce—you might surprise yourself!