A sign on a two-lane country road welcomes residents and visitors to North Carolina.

Posted: Aug 19, 2022 / 10:36 AM MDT

Updated: Aug 19, 2022 / 10:36 AM MDT

HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — The Tar Heel State is a vibrant and diverse place with a little slice of paradise for everyone to enjoy, whether you prefer the beauty of the mountains or the sandy shores of the coastline.

With that diversity, comes a wild variety of names, some of which may be pronounced differently than you expect.

Without further ado, let’s explore the oddest pronunciations North Carolina has to offer.

Alleghany County: al-i-GAINY

Bordering the Virginia state line, its county seat is the town of Sparta.

Thermopylae, GREECE: The statue of King Leonidas of ancient Sparta stands over the battlefield of Thermopylae, some 170 kilometers north of Athens in central Greece, at sunrise on 09 March 2007. The Battle of Thermopylae where 300 Spartans under Leonidas faced overwhelming Persian odds in 480 BCE is the topic of “300”, a new Hollywood epic that opens in the United States on Friday. AFP PHOTO / PARIS PAPAIOANNOU (Photo credit should read PARIS PAPAIOANNOU/AFP via Getty Images)

Bahama: ba-HAY-ma

An unincorporated community in Northern Durham County, it’s not pronounced like the island paradise.

Fun fact, NASCAR driver Scott Riggs was born there.

View of beach and ocean in Nassau, Bahamas. (Getty Images)

Beaufort: BO-furt

A town with a population of a little over 4,000 in Carteret County, not to be confused with Beaufort County, N.C. or Beaufort, South Carolina.

Although a bit confusing, Beaufort, N.C. can be distinguished from its sister state city by its pronunciation. Beaufort, South Carolina is pronounced BEW-fert.

Bertie County: ber-TEE

The eastern NC county doesn’t share a pronunciation with a guy who is friends with your grandpa. Emphasize that second syllable.

Bodie Island: BAH-dee Island

No, the long peninsula and former island in Eastern NC does not share a name with the iconic character from the hit HBO series “The Wire.”

NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 07: Actor J.D. Williams, who played Bodie Broadus on The Wire, arrives at the premiere of HBO’s “The Wire” on September 7, 2006, in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

Buies Creek: BOO-ees Creek

A census-designated place near Dunn, its name is pronounced like buoy, the floating navigation device.

Buoy in the open sea on the sunset background. 3d render

Buncombe County: BUNK-um

The Western North Carolina county’s name is not pronounced like a hair comb made out of a delicious wheat-based treat.

Cabarrus County: ka-BARE-us

The county just north of Charlotte is not pronounced with a southern twang, ka-BAR-us, a common misconception.

Cayjahs Mountain: KAY-JUH Mountain

The “s” is silent when pronouncing the name of the small Caldwell County town.

Chowan County: cho-WONN

Despite their similar suffixes, this coastal county in no way rhymes with Rowan County, whose pronunciation may also surprise you.

Concord: CON-CORD

Speaking of Cabarrus County, its county seat is not pronounced like the iconic Massachusetts town known for its iconic Civil War battle, CON-kerd.

The Concord Minute Man of 1775 by Daniel Chester French, erected in 1875 in Concord, Massachusetts, depicting a typical minuteman.

Conetoe: kuh-NEE-tuh

You may be disappointed to learn that this small Edgecombe County town is not a land of people with cone-shaped toes.

Edgecombe County: EDGE-cum

Much like Buncombe County, we do not pronounce it as “comb.”

Forsyth County: for-SYTH

Now, this is a tricky one, the emphasis when pronouncing Forsyth County is on the “syth” rather than the “for.”

A less common misconception is that Forsyth County is pronounced as if it is a county full of North Carolinians that support the main antagonists of the Star Wars franchise.

LAS VEGAS – MAY 29: Actor Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor Palpatine character from the Star Wars series of films is shown on screen while musicians perform during “Star Wars: In Concert” at the Orleans Arena May 29, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The traveling production features a full symphony orchestra and choir playing music from all six of John Williams’ Star Wars scores synchronized with footage from the films displayed on a three-story-tall, HD LED screen. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Fuquay-Varina: FEW-kway vuh-REE-nuh

If you have ever mispronounced the name of this Wake County town no one would blame you.

Graham: GRAY-um

This Alamance County town’s true pronunciation may come as a shock. Graham is not simply pronounced the way most people pronounce it as a human name.

Iredell County: IRE-dell

The home of the North Carolina Suto Racing Hall of Fame name is not pronounced i-RUH-dell.

Lenoir: le-NOR

The county seat of Caldwell County in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains name is not pronounced as if it’s a county full of 1950’s style detectives.

Pfafftown: POFF-town

An unincorporated community in Winston-Salem, Pfafftown was the home of Jim Drake, the inventor of windsurfing. Back to the pronunciation, the first “f” is silent and the “a” makes an “o” sound. No one will judge you for not knowing that.

Robeson County: ROBB-i-son

The Southern North Carolina county bordering South Carolina is not pronounced as ROBE-son, it’s named after Col. Thomas Robeson, of Tar Heel, a hero of the Revolutionary War.

Rowan County: roe-ANN

No, it’s not pronounced ROE-in. Also no, it does rhyme with Chowan County even though it looks like it should. It’s named after Matthew Rowan, a British colonial who was the acting governor of North Carolina from 1753 to 1754.