A Guide to pronouncing some tricky Baltimore Street names

Can You Tell Me How To Get to...?

Next time you're out and about Baltimore, a sure way to get a "What the heck planet are you from?" look from a fellow Baltimorean is to stop and ask in your most proper and articulate voice, "Pardon me, Could you tell me how to get to BELL AIR ROAD and FRANK FOORD AVENUE?"
Like any major city, Baltimore has it's uniquely pronounced street names that have been hammered into a unique part of the Baltimore lexicon for many generations. Name one of these streets without using the accepted pronunciation, and you're instantly discovered as an outsider. But fear not! B-More Ghosts, your usual source for visual artifacts, is here to start a pronunciation list of some of the many streets that vary in phonics from what would seem to be logical. You might consider these pronunciations "Audial artifacts!" Enjoy!

STREET HOW YOU SAY IT: OTHER TIPS:

BAY-yard STREET While many Baltimore Street names are deliberately run together to save syllables, Bayard Street is actually stretched out from what it could be as "BAIRD"

Buh-LAIR ROAD or BLAIR ROAD Please, dont dare say BELL AIR road as in "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air." The E is very much minimized, if pronounced at all.

BENT-low STREET Though it suggests a pronunciation of BEN-TA-LOO, it's never said that way. You can get away with slipping a very discreet "uh" between the syllables, but you HAVE to end it with LOW!

cath-uh-REEN STREET As much as this seems cut and dry to be pronounced with standard English, it never is. Locals place particular stress on the REEN as well.

YOO-taw STREET This one is basically pronounced just like the state, though I still get a laugh to hear out of towners struggle to squeeze the silent E into the pronunciation.

.........-furd AVENUE Though this one is pretty easy, you might still hear someone talking about GILL-FOARD or MONT-FOARD. Big no-nos!

GAWFF STREET Just like Cough but with a G leading. The most typical mistake is to think of the U,G, and H are silent and pronounce it GO street, like Vincent VanGogh.

GUS REYE-an STREET Being that this street was named for a man named Augustus Ryan, it's only natural that you sound like you're saying his name when mentioning the street. Transit riders get a laugh from the "Talking buses" that sound like their calling this street Lesbian Street.

mick-MEEK-en STREET Though alternatives on this one are generally accepted, it seems that the most common way to say is indicated here.

MOW-sher STREET the "sher" is very soft, while the O is very long, as opposed to a short O and a hard SH that would resemble it being called MASHER street.

old-HAM STREET While one would think of this as being sped up to be said OLD-hym street, it is in fact said much like it's spelled.

PACK-a STREET While early poems suggest that William Paca pronounced his name PAY-ca, NO ONE local ever calls his namesake street in this manner.

THIS IS ONLY A SAMPLING - LAY YOUR OTHERS ON US!!!

STREET	HOW YOU SAY IT:	OTHER TIPS:
	BAY-yard STREET	While many Baltimore Street names are deliberately run together to save syllables, Bayard Street is actually stretched out from what it could be as "BAIRD"
	Buh-LAIR ROAD or BLAIR ROAD	Please, dont dare say BELL AIR road as in "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air." The E is very much minimized, if pronounced at all.
	BENT-low STREET	Though it suggests a pronunciation of BEN-TA-LOO, it's never said that way. You can get away with slipping a very discreet "uh" between the syllables, but you HAVE to end it with LOW!
	cath-uh-REEN STREET	As much as this seems cut and dry to be pronounced with standard English, it never is. Locals place particular stress on the REEN as well.
	YOO-taw STREET	This one is basically pronounced just like the state, though I still get a laugh to hear out of towners struggle to squeeze the silent E into the pronunciation.
	.........-furd AVENUE	Though this one is pretty easy, you might still hear someone talking about GILL-FOARD or MONT-FOARD. Big no-nos!
	GAWFF STREET	Just like Cough but with a G leading. The most typical mistake is to think of the U,G, and H are silent and pronounce it GO street, like Vincent VanGogh.
	GUS REYE-an STREET	Being that this street was named for a man named Augustus Ryan, it's only natural that you sound like you're saying his name when mentioning the street. Transit riders get a laugh from the "Talking buses" that sound like their calling this street Lesbian Street.
	mick-MEEK-en STREET	Though alternatives on this one are generally accepted, it seems that the most common way to say is indicated here.
	MOW-sher STREET	the "sher" is very soft, while the O is very long, as opposed to a short O and a hard SH that would resemble it being called MASHER street.
	old-HAM STREET	While one would think of this as being sped up to be said OLD-hym street, it is in fact said much like it's spelled.
	PACK-a STREET	While early poems suggest that William Paca pronounced his name PAY-ca, NO ONE local ever calls his namesake street in this manner.