Only SouthCoast Locals Know How To Pronounce These Town Names

Tourist season is well underway on the SouthCoast and there is one surefire way to know who is local and who is not: town name pronunciations.

Yes, there are lots of tricky town names, street names and even food names around here and only those who are truly from the SouthCoast seem to know how to say them all correctly.

Honestly, I am not one to talk. Having grown up just over the Seekonk border in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, one might think I lived close enough to know how to pronounce these local places properly. Think again.

Somehow, the Ocean State is a world away from the SouthCoast in this department and almost every day my Rhode Island roots give me away.

I honestly can't even tell you how many times Fun 107 morning host Michael Rock has corrected me on the words "Assonet" and "scallops" or how long I needed "Padanaram" spelled out phonetically to get it right.

Even the town names that seem simple can be deceiving. Like Swansea. There is no "Z" in the entire word and yet most people on the SouthCoast absolutely pronounce it with one. Or how about Wareham and Chatham? One is actually pronounced 'ham' while the other is more of an 'um.'

What's with that?

We've even learned lately that people struggle with Dartmouth. Really Dartmouth? And, of course, who could forget the Golden State Warriors trying to pronounce Massachusetts town names before the NBA Finals?

Luckily I have some great co-workers who have helped me get to know the SouthCoast over the years, though there are still plenty of town names that can trip up anyone who's not a local.

Take a look:

Toughest Town Names on the SouthCoast

Sometimes knowing who's local to the SouthCoast and who isn't is as easy as asking them to pronounce Padanaram. There are some seriously tricky town names in this area of Massachusetts and sometimes it seems you can only say them right if you were born and raised around them. From Zs where there are none to the 'ham' versus 'um' debacle, these are some of the trickiest SouthCoast town names out there.

Oldest SouthCoast Cities and Towns

There is a lot of history here on the SouthCoast -- from the native population growing over thousands of years, to the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock to the centuries-old whaling industry in New Bedford. SouthCoast cities and towns have been around since before America became an independent nation. But exactly which town in our corner of the world was settled first? We're listing our local places from newest to oldest. And the last city may surprise you.

If SouthCoast Towns Were 'Dad Jokes,' How Bad Would They Be?

Who doesn't love a good dad joke? Well these SouthCoast town-based dad jokes may not exactly fall into the "good" category, but they will be so cheesy you won't be able to stop yourself from sharing them with your friends.