A town in Washington was recently highlighted in a list of places with the hardest names to pronounce in every state in the U.S., based on a study by Preply. According to this study, the Washington town with the hardest name to pronounce is Puyallup. Keep reading for the right way to say Puyallup, some fun facts about the town, and a few more places in Washington that you’re probably mispronouncing!
How to pronounce Puyallup
First, let’s get the most important fact out of the way. Puyallup, WA is pronounced with three syllables: pew-AL-up. According to the Puyallup Tribe, it is a Lushootseed word—puyaləpabš—with a literal translation of “people from the bend at the bottom of the river.” You may also see it translated as “the generous people,” an additional meaning that the word Puyallup has taken on over time.
About Puyallup
Puyallup is a small city in Pierce County, Washington. It is located less than an hour’s drive south of Seattle. Founded in 1890, it was named after the indigenous Puyallup Tribe.
Thanks to its close proximity to Mount Rainier, Puyallup holds the record for the world’s largest lahar drill, according to the USGS. Lahars are swift-moving rivers of volcanic rock, water, and debris that have the potential to devastate communities in Mount Rainier’s shadow, should the volcano erupt. In March 2024, 45,000 students from multiple school districts in Puyallup and surrounding area participated in the record-breaking lahar drill.
Puyallup is also known as the home of the state’s largest annual fair: the Washington State Fair. It takes place over the course of several weeks every September. If you mention the fair or Puyallup to a local, you’ll probably get to hear the jingle that originated in the ’70s when it was called the Puyallup Fair:
You can do it at a run.
You can do it at a gallop.
You can do it real slow so your heart won’t palpitate.
Just don’t be late.
Do the Puyallup!”
The Washington State Fair brought the jingle back in 2025 to celebrate the fair’s 125-year anniversary. Listen to it below (and check out the pronunciation of Puyallup):
Other WA places that hard to pronounce
Although Puyallup can certainly be easy to mispronounce, it’s hardly the only place in Washington with a tricky name. Did you know that Spokane is actually supposed to be pronounced spo-CAN? Leschi, a neighborhood in Seattle, is pronounced LESH-eye. Finally, if you can pronounce Sequim (skwim) properly then you truly belong in Washington.
If you’re interested in seeing the other top places with difficult-to-pronounce names in each U.S. state, you can see a map on Mental Floss.