Talk:Raleigh, North Carolina/Pronunciation

WP gives the pron as Rawley, but possibly aw & ah have merged in N Carolina...? Ro Thorpe 16:29, 24 November 2010 (UTC)

That certainly depends on whether your are a native of the south. I can't say that I've heard a true southerner use the aw sound in any part of speech. It's all "ah". D. Matt Innis 16:33, 24 November 2010 (UTC)

I recall that the announcers at WPTF, the big AM broadcasting station in Raleigh, pronounced it Rawley, but they also had this fetish of enunciation that made the name of the state sound almost like "North Kev-rolina." I recall Rahley as being the most prevalent pronunciation but also recall hearing Rawley not infrequently. I hadn't thought about a native vs. carpetbagger distinction. I bet there's a linguistics prof at NCSU or UNC who studies local accents who could tell us more. I'll try poking around on JSTOR or something at the library to see if there are any articles on this, or at least articles on similar questions that could point us to the appropriate expert to ask.

But first, let's settle an easier question: Lexington or Kinston barbecue? <duck><cover> Bruce M. Tindall 16:49, 24 November 2010 (UTC)