New Hampshire offers over 9,300 exquisite square miles to explore, including over 140 mountains and 1,300 waterways. A veritable wonderland for outdoors enthusiasts, the opportunities to hike, swim, bike, climb, walk, run, kayak, ski, and camp are almost endless.
The great Granite State hosts millions of visitors per year, and one of the primary reasons they flock here is to enjoy the great outdoors.
But as you’re traveling through the White Mountain National Forest, are you driving the Kancamangus? Kancamaygus? Kancamahgus?
And Lord help you if you want to paddle Monomonac, hike Chocorua, or visit Haverhill.
New Hampshire has countless towns, mountains, and waterways that will leave you scratching your head. As a resident (but non-native), I feel your pain! To avoid getting the side eye from locals, here’s a handy guide to the most mispronounced spots in the state.
Towns, Mountains & Waterways
Amoskeag – Am-uh-SKAYG
Ashuelot – Ash-WEE-lut
Berlin – BER-lynn
Boscawen – BOSS-kah-when
Canobie – CAN-oh-bee
Cardigan – CAR-digg-inn
Chocorua – techncially it’s sho-CORE-oh-uh, but most people tend to say shuh-CORE-‘uh
Concord – CON-kurd
Contoocook – Con-TOO-cook
Coos – COH-oss (rhymes with “boss”)
Crotched – CROTCH-edd
Groton – GRAH-ton (rhymes with “cotton”)
Haverhill – HAY-vrill
Kanasatka – Kan – uh – SAT – kah
Kancamagus – KANK-uh-MAH-gus
Lebanon – LEB-uh-nuhn
Milan – MY-linn
Monomonac – Muh-NOM-uh-nack (if it makes you think of this song from The Muppets, you’re doing it right)
Moosilauke – MOOSE-ill-lock
Nubanusit – Noo-buh-NOO-sit
Ossippee – AW-sup-pee
Pemigiwasset – PEMI-juh-WAH-seht
Piscataqua – Pih-SKAT-uh-kwa
Skatutakee – Skuh – TOO -tuh – kee
Sunapee – SUN-a-pee
Umbagog- Umm-BAY-gogg
Weare – sounds like “where”
Westmoreland – WEST-mur-land
Wickwas – WICK-was
Winnepasaukee – Wihn-nuh-puh-SOCK-ee
State Parks
Androscoggin – Ann-droh-SKOG-inn
Cardigan – CAR-digg-inn
Clough – Cloff
Ellacoya – Ell-uh-COY-uh
Odiorne – OH-dee-orn
Pawtuckaway – Paw-TUCK-away
Pisgah – PIZZ-gah
Umbagog – Umm-BAY-gog