How to Pronounce Everything Like a Real New Yorker

Let’s be real, more than saying “cawffee,” talking like a real New Yorker means being able to pronounce all the insanely hard-to-pronounce names belonging to our streets, restaurants, and people. Regardless of how long you’ve lived here, chances are you still don’t know how to say “Kosciuszko” or “Maialino” or even “Lundqvist” -- not to mention, every stop off the L sounds like a Hunger Games character (Livonia! Bushwick-Aberdeen!). So to help you get it right, for once, we’ve created this handy New York City pronunciation guide. Get out there and shout “Schermerhorn” to your heart’s content! Still confused about a pronunciation? Leave it in the comments.

Note: There are plenty of disputes about certain pronunciations (i.e., van-WICK, vs. van-WIKE), so in those cases, we went with the more popular pronunciation -- just keep in mind that people still say things differently. And that it’s totally van-WICK.

Conselyea St: con-SEHL-yuh
DeKalb Ave: dee-KALB
Desbrosses St: des-BROS-sez
Fteley Ave: fuh-TEL-ly
Gansevoort St: GANN-zuh-vohrt
Houston St: HOW-stuhn
Joralemon St: jer-AL-ah-men
Livonia Ave: liv-OWN-e-ya
Lorimer St: LOR-amer
Maujer Ave: MOY-jer
Middagh St: MID-daw
Montrose Ave: MAHNT-rose
Myrtle Ave: MUR-tel
New Utrecht Ave: YOO-trek
Nostrand Ave: NO-strand
Schenectady Ave: skuh-NECK-tah-dee
Schermerhorn St: SKER-mer-horn
Vermilyea Ave: ver-MIL-yuh
Vesey St: VEE-zee
Wyckoff Ave: WHY-kawf
Buhre Ave: BEE-yer
Cortelyou Rd: cor-TEL-you
Kosciuszko Bridge: ko-SHOOS-ko
Mosholu Parkway: MOSH-o-lu
Van Wyck Expressway: van-WICK

Xi'an Famous Foods: SHE-ahn
Le Bernardin: LUH-behr-nah-deh
Balthazar: BAL-thuh-zar
Momofuku: MO-mo-FOO-koo
Per Se: PEAR-say
Taverna Kyclades: KEEK-lathes
Maialino: maya-LENO
Rao's: RAY-ohs 
Batard: BAH-tahrd
Bouley: boo-LAY
L’Artusi: Lar-TOO-zee
Cosme: COZ-may
Levain: luh-VAHN
Shuko: SHOO-ko
Apotheke: AH-po-TEK-uh
Terrior: TARE-wah
Tørst: TUR-st
Radegast: RAH-de-gast
Le Bain: LUH-ban

Wylie Dufresne: WHY-lee DOO-frayn
Tom Colicchio: ko-LICK-e-oh
Jean-Georges Vongerichten: VON-gehr-ICK-ten
Mario Batali: bah-TAL-ee
Daniel Boulud: dan-YELL boo-LOO
Anthony Bourdain: BOOR-dain
Rudy Giuliani: JOO-lee-ah-nee
Andrew Cuomo: KWO-mo
Mariska Hargitay: mar-ISH-kah har-GUH-tay
Stephen Colbert: Cole-BEAR
Hoda Kotb: HO-duh kot-BEE
Henrik Lundqvist: HEHN-rihk LUHND-kvihst

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