Travel anywhere in the state of Minnesota and you'll likely run into some places whose name's don't exactly roll off the tongue. If you're not from the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, you might have a tough time pronouncing these spots on the Minnesota map.

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Mahtowa

Located around 30 minutes southwest of Duluth, the "T" is silent in this one. It's pronounced MAD-UH-WUH.

Minneopa State Park

This beautiful state park is home to two waterfalls and a herd of bison. It's located right by Mankato and it's pronounced MINN-E-OH-PA.

Owatonna

Located around 45 minutes south of the twin cities on I-35, this town might be most famous for its giant Cabelas. It's pronounced OH-WUH-TAA-NUH

Faribault

Located just north of Owatonna is the town of Faribault. This one could go a few different ways, but the most common pronunciation is FAIR-BOW.

Ely

This town consistently ranks as one of the best small towns in the United States and is the gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area. It's pronounced E-LEE.

Waseca

This town of around 9,000 residents is located in between Mankato and Owatonna and just off Highway 14. It's pronounced WUH-SEE-KUH.

Bde Maka Ska

This lake is the largest body of water in the city of Minneapolis. In the early 1800s it was named after U.S. Secretary John Calhoun and stayed that way for over 200 years. However, the name was changed to honor its indigenous ancestors just recently. It's pronounced Buh-DAY’ Muh-KAH’-Skah.

Onamia

This small town is in Mille Lacs Lake County just off U.S. Highway 169 and is pronounced OH-NAME-E-UH.

Nisswa

Nisswa is located near Brainerd and has strong tourism numbers in both the winter and summer seasons. It is pronounced NI-SWUH.

Biwabik

Biwabik is located in St. Louis County and its name is derived from the Ojibwe word for iron. It is pronounced BUH-WAH-BIK.

 

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