These New Mexico Cities Have Some of the Most Difficult Names to Say

Have you ever had trouble pronouncing a city name in New Mexico? If yes, don't worry, you're not alone!

It turns out that several cities in the state are often mispronounced. Who knows, you may have been saying them one way for years, just to read this and find out you've been wrong. It's likely that if you've lived in New Mexico for a long time, then you've learned how to say these particularly difficult names, but many probably haven't. Especially if they're outsiders.

Why do people have to create city names that are hard to say?

There often is meaning behind the names of places. So while they may be hard to say, there is likely a reason that name was given.

Several cities in the Land of Enchantment are derived from Spanish, so if you don't know anything about the language some of these places probably are confusing not just to say but to spell.

City names in the state also come from Native American influence, family names, land features, and yes even some misspellings that were kept, according to the Roosevelt Review. 

So in the grand scheme of things, if you come across a city in New Mexico where the name makes you look twice and REALLY think, know that it's happened to others as well.

Get our free mobile app

So what NM cities are the hardest to pronounce?

Only in Your State compiled a list of 9 places that people have difficulty saying. When I was going through the list, I don't think I said any right on my first try -- so it seems I need to brush up on some pronunciations too.

One of these city names was reported by Reader's Digest as one of the most difficult to say in America, so don't feel bad if you're way off on it like I was.

Here are the 9 most difficult cities to pronounce in NM and how you actually say them. How many can you say right?