Ask England…We Say Hurricane The Right Way in Utah

Not As Backward As We Thought 

People in Southern Utah get a lot of head shaking for how they pronounce the name of the city with an “H” on the bluff. Instead of Hurricane with a ‘cain’ sound it comes out more like ‘kun’. According to this linguist who wrote a book on the subject, it's just the way you would say it in England. 

Many of the early settlers were from the British Isles, so it may not be that surprising that you would find place names that reflect that accent. Even though language changes quickly, place names stay the same much longer. 

‘Utahisms’ May Not Be as Unique as We Think 

His name is David Eddington, and he says most of the words we think are said weird in Utah are actually said that way all over the United States. For instance, saying Spanish Fark is similar to how it would be said in Florida.  

Many words can be traced to who settled the area. Danish people settled parts of Utah and Minnesota, so we share the way we say “fer cute and fer cool”. Even the famous way of saying mountain with out a t, like ‘moun-en’, is not just in Utah. It is actually part of standard American. 

Read More: Ancient Quarry? Mysterious Site In The Corner Of Utah

The truth is language is changing all the time. It changes faster in urban areas than it does in rural areas. Many times, someone from a big city will make fun of a small-town accent when in truth, the rural area is just speaking an earlier correct form. 

So, quit hanging your head for the way you say Hurricane, it sounds perfect to the upper class of England.