Con-cord or Con-kerd? Here are 10 commonly mispronounced places around Charlotte

Charlotte is a unique place with a rich history and one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation.

As the city has evolved as a home to people from all over the world, so have the ways residents pronounce common sites, places and even streets in the area.

Some transplants might even have the wrong idea about the names of some of the most iconic spots in and around the Queen City.

Here are the top mispronounced places around Charlotte.

Brookshire Boulevard: This is one that’s commonly still up for debate, whether you’re new to the area or a Charlotte native. A lot of locals say Brook-sure, but the GPS pronounces it Brook-shy-er.

Concord: In Massachusetts, it’s Con-kerd, but it’s not that way in North Carolina. Locals pronounce it Con-kord.

Huntersville and Mooresville: There’s several North Carolina towns that end in “ville” that are commonly mispronounced. While you may think it’s Hunters-vill or Moores-vill, locals actually pronounce them as Hunters-vull and Moores-vull.

Lancaster: It’s not Lan-cast-er, it’s Lan-kuh-ster. This South Carolina city was established in the 1700s and named by Scots-Irish and English settlers who were mostly from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Levine: Several buildings around Charlotte have “Levine” in their titles, like Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital and the Levine Museum of the New South. They’re named after the Levine family, who owned and operated Family Dollar chain stores. It’s correctly pronounced Luh-veen, not Lee-vine or Lay-vine.

Monroe: This city is pronounced Mun-row. Locals from that area put the emphasis on the first syllable of the word, while others often put the emphasis on the “roe” in Monroe.

Rama Road: Drivers in east Charlotte have probably run into this road. It’s pronounced Rame-uh Road, not Ram-uh or Rom-uh.

Rea Road: Some GPS apps pronounce it Ree-uh Road, but it’s actually pronounced “Ray” Road after a family who lived in that area in the county, according to local history professors.

Rowan County: As a name, it’s usually pronounced Row-en, but the local county is actually pronounced Row-an.

Wingate: This is a common one up for debate, whether talking about the town or the university. While some catch themselves wanting to say Win-gate, it’s actually pronounced Win-get.

This story was originally published January 31, 2023 at 6:00 AM.