Locals Laugh When You Mispronounce These Colorado Towns

Have you ever heard someone try to pronounce the town of Fruita, Colorado, for the first time? For those who know how, it can be a laugh-out-loud moment to hear someone say it wrong.

Do some road signs look like a spelling bee to you? The Western Slope is packed with places that come from Ute, Spanish, and mining-era English, which can make pronunciation difficult. Keep scrolling to check out ten of Colorado’s linguistic speed bumps.

The Western Slope’s Unofficial Language Test

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When driving in Western Colorado, it does not take long for the place names to start showing up on the road signs. From Ouray to Saguache, these Western Slope towns have a history of language layers, local corrections, and a bunch of people trying to say these names the way they look instead of the way they are said. Linguists say many of Colorado’s names preserve older pronunciations, native roots, and Spanish forms, even when used with English spelling.

10 Western Colorado Towns That Trip Up Nearly Everyone

Ouray: YOOR-ay (rhymes with “hurray”)

• Tip: Locals rhyme it with “hurray.” Don’t say “OO-ray.”
• Origin: Named for Ute leader Chief Ouray; tiny, dramatic mountain town called “Switzerland of America.”
• Insider laugh: “Say YOOR-ay, and you’ll sound like you belong — say OO-ray and the ski patrol might correct you.”

Saguache: suh-WATCH

• Tip: Locals say “suh-WATCH” (not “sah-gwah-chee”). The spelling hides a Ute origin.
• Origin: From the Ute language. Spanish/English spelling preserved.
• Insider laugh: “If you can say Saguache without pausing, you automatically get local street cred.”

Paonia: pay-OH-nee-uh

• Tip: Emphasize the second syllable — “pay-OH-nee-uh.”
• Origin: Small Western Slope town with orchards and a big arts vibe.
• Insider laugh: “Perfect for asking where to find the best pie — and then ordering two.”

Mancos: Often heard as MAN-kus (locals sometimes say “MAYN-cuss”)

• Tip: There’s local variation; many say “MAN-kus” or “MAIN-cuss.”
• Origin: A small town gateway to Mesa Verde. Spanish-influenced
• Insider laugh: “Ask for directions to Mancos, and you might get a pronunciation lesson with your coffee.”

Kremmling: KREM-ling — double “m” is pronounced cleanly

• Tip: Pronounce the double-m cleanly: “KREM-ling.” Local audio samples confirm.
• Origin: Ranching/river town on the edge of the Headwaters — old railroad history.
• Insider laugh: Say KREM-ling right and you might score fishing tips.

Crested Butte: Crested “BEWT” butte pronounced like “beaut” not “but”

• Tip: The last word rhymes with “beaut” (French origin), not “but” — “Crested BEWT.”
• Origin: Mining town turned world-class mountain town for skiing and wildflowers.
• Insider laugh: “If you call it ‘Crested but,’ expect a playful glare from a mountain bike rider.”

Gunnison: GUN-nuh-sən (or “GUN-ni-sən”)

• Tip: Stress the first syllable; go with “GUN-nuh-sən.”
• Origin: Named after the Gunnison River/explorer John W. Gunnison
• Insider laugh: “Say the name wrong, and you’ll get a free geography lesson."

Dolores: DOH-lor-ez (Spanish origin)

• Tip: Spanish origin. Common English usage keeps the Spanish stress.
• Origin: Spanish for “sorrows”; old railroad town near the Dolores River.
• Insider laugh: “Ask a local to say Dolores slowly — you’ll get the story about the river and a pastry rec.”

Pagosa Springs: puh-GO-suh Springs (Ute-derived name)

• Tip: Emphasize the middle syllable: puh-GO-suh. Ute-derived origin.
• Origin: From the Ute language, famed for its geothermal hot springs.
• Insider laugh: “Pronounce it right, and you’ll be recommended a hot pool; pronounce it wrong, and you’ll still get recommended two.”

Telluride: TELL-yuh-ride / “TELL-you-ride” — more phonetic than spelled

• Tip: Generally straightforward, but locals will notice if you over-americanize the vowel — aim for “TELL-yuh-reid.”
• Origin: Silver mining boom town now famous for festivals and skiing.
• Insider laugh: “If you say it like a native, people will assume you went to the bluegrass festival last summer.”

Try Saying It Out Loud — and Bring A Buddy

If you are ready to sound like you have lived on the Western Slope your whole life, try loading up the car with a friend or two and hit the road out of Grand Junction to see a few of the places on the “most mispronounced” list, like Paonia, Gunnison, or the San Juans. What other mispronounced places should we include on the list? We’d love to hear what trips up your tongue in Western Colorado.

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