The English language can be tricky sometimes. Words that would appear one way are somehow pronounced differently. In the great state of Texas, we have many words that could easily trip one up in a tongue twister. If you're not from the area or you're new to the state, you may need a quick tutorial. Before long, you'll be talking like a true Texan.

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Only In Your State has selected a few words that can sometimes be a challenge to pronounce correctly. Their list is made mostly of Texas town and city names, along with a couple of other words you may have seen before. See how many of these you're pronouncing correctly.

LOOK: 8 WORDS ONLY TEXANS KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE CORRECTLY

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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Bexar County

Right out of the gate, this county in Texas can be a tough one to figure out. It's like the animal, pronounced: "bear". Whatever you do, don't say "bex-are".


 

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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Boerne

I've heard folks say everything from "burn" to "born", but it's neither. This city in Kendall County is actually pronounced "burn-knee".


 

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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Bowie

It might seem simple, but are you saying it correctly? This Texas town gets its name from Jim Bowie, a soldier in the Battle of the Alamo. Don't get it confused with "bow-wee" - it's "boo-wee".


 

Photo: Google Maps
Photo: Google Maps
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Gruene

I've heard this one butchered pretty badly, especially by those out of state. It's another word where the spelling can throw you off. It's pronounced just like the color, "green".


 

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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Guadalupe

It's one of the longest, most powerful rivers in the state. You would never go tubing on the "Guada-loopy". Absolutely not. The "Guada-loop-ay" on the other hand is a different story.


 

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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New Braunfels

Many folks pronounce this Texas city like there's an S in the middle of Braunfels. However, it's simply "Braun-fels".


 

Photo: Google Maps
Photo: Google Maps
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Waxahachie

I know even some Texans who can't say this one correctly. It can be a stumper. Although you might think it's "wax-uh-hatch-ee" by the way it's spelled, it's actually pronounced "walks-uh-hatch-ee".


 

Photo: Whataburger/Facebook
Photo: Whataburger/Facebook
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Whataburger

Let's go ahead and settle the debate. Texans love their Whataburger so this one is important. It's never been pronounced "water-burger" or "what-a-burger". Try "watt-ah-burger." Now that sounds tasty.

It's true, Texans are pretty picky when it comes to saying things the right way. Making a slip in front of a die-hard native will likely get you corrected, but only in a friendly Texas kind of way.

Town names and restaurants are just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to street names, things can get crazy. Abilene has some of the trickiest ones out there. Look below to see how many you say correctly.

10 Abilene Street Names That Are Hard To Say

Abilene has a lot of street names that are simple numbers. However, there are some streets that are hard to pronounce. Here's how to say them.

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