Illinois Town Among the ‘Most Difficult to Pronounce’ in America

Even if you've been a lifelong resident, you might find the pronunciation of this town's name a mystery.

However, its unique name sets this town apart.

As a matter of use, you probably don't know where this town is located.

That is if you don't live there.

If you're a resident of Benld, you're not just in the Land of Lincoln; you're also part of a select group who can proudly pronounce the town's name correctly.

According to Reader's Digest, Benld presents a unique challenge as Illinois's most difficult-to-pronounce town name.

Illinois Town Among the 'Most Difficult to Pronounce' in America

So, how do you correctly pronounce This town's name?

It's Ben-ELd.

This pronunciation is easy to remember because the town is named after its founder, Benjamin L. Dorsey.

He combined his first name and his middle and last initials to name the village.

According to the City Directory, Benld is in Macoupin County, about 50 miles northeast of St. Louis and 40 miles south of Springfield.

As of today, there are just over 1500 residents in Benld, and just about every one of them can say the town name correctly without screwing it up.

As for the rest of the state, we need help pronouncing these five other Illinois towns correctly, too.

1. Loogootee- (LOH-guh-TEE)
2. Ipava- (eye-PAY-vuh)
3. Cairo (KAIR-oh)
4. Shabbona- (SHAB-buh-nuh)
5. Vergennes- (ver-JENZ)