By Jo Wade

Ever caught yourself second-guessing how to say a local name around here? You’re not alone! Whether you’re a lifelong resident or new to the Lafayette–West Lafayette area, there are plenty of local words that can stump even the best of us. From historic landmarks to family names and street signs, our local lingo has stories to tell — and pronunciations to learn.

So, let’s have a little fun with it! Here’s your crash course in talking like a local.

Lafayette & West Lafayette

Our city’s founder, William Digby, named Lafayette after the French general Marquis de Lafayette—and he spelled it as one word, not La-Fayette. So please, don’t say Lay-Fayette or Laugh-Fayette.
The correct pronunciation is LAH-fuh-et — and that goes for West Lafayette too.

Tippecanoe

Most people get this one right, but every now and then, someone pauses and asks, “How do you say that again?”
It’s TIP-ee-kuh-NOO (/ˌtɪpəkəˈnuː/). Think of it as four beats: TIP – uh – kuh – NOO. Easy once you’ve got the rhythm.

Ouiatenon & Wea

Here’s where it gets interesting.
Ouiatenon (as in Fort Ouiatenon) is pronounced WEE-ah-teh-non, or phonetically WEE-ot-uh-non, with the stress on the second syllable. Many people see the “O–u–i” and think it’s Quiatenon—but remember, Oui is French for “yes.”
And the Wea tribe? That’s Wey-ah, not Wee-ah.

Schuyler Avenue

A local favorite to correct! Schuyler is pronounced SKY-ler, not SHOO-ler.
I love that even the GPS voices have finally caught on!

Kossuth Street

Another one the car maps still struggle with.
Kossuth is said kuh-SOOTH, with sooth rhyming with truth. (If that helps you remember, you’re already sounding more local.)

Riehle

As in former Mayor James Riehle or Riehle Plaza, it’s pronounced REE-lee or sometimes REE-uhl. Either is fine—just steer clear of Rye-hull.

Reifers

Not as common, but still a well-known name in the area—and I happen to be related to a few!
It’s a German name pronounced RYE-furs, not Ree-fers. The “Rye” rhymes with “high.”

Roswarski

Since we mentioned Mayor Riehle, let’s cover Mayor Tony Roswarski too.
It’s pronounced rose-WAR-ski.
Mayor Roswarski does not stress if you don’t say it quite right, it happens way too often for him to be bothered by it!

Thieme & Wagner

The same family that once ran Lafayette’s historic Thieme & Wagner Brewery still brews today.
The tricky part isn’t Wagner—it’s Thieme, pronounced simply THEEM.

Cairo, Indiana

Just northwest of West Lafayette sits Cairo—and no, it’s not like Egypt!
Here, we say KAI-row (rhymes with eye-row). The area is best known for the old Cairo Skywatch Tower, built during the Korean War for civilian aircraft spotting.

Jischke

As in Martin Jischke, Purdue’s former president and the namesake of Martin Jischke Drive.
It’s pronounced JESH-kee, short and crisp.

Otterbein

A charming little town that straddles Benton and Tippecanoe counties—earning it the nickname “The Town Between Two Counties.”
Say it OT-er-ben (like the name Ben), not otter-bean nor otter-bine.

Monticello

Up in White County, just north of us, lies Monticello—said MON-tiss-EL-oh.
Remember: it’s an s sound in the middle, not a ch like Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Virginia.

Your Turn!

Now that you’ve had your crash course in local pronunciation, what names or places do you hear people say wrong?

Which ones make you cringe when you hear them on the radio or TV?

The top offender people tell me about is Schuyler Avenue — but I’d love to know which ones are on your list!