There’s a moment early in the new Matt Damon drama “Stillwater” that made me both proud and a little disappointed. Damon’s character, Bill, is an unemployed Oklahoma oil-rig worker interviewing for a new job when he mentions my little-known hometown, Shawnee. It’s a subtle difference that perhaps only an Oklahoman would take issue with. He puts the emphasis on the first syllable (SHAW-nee), but we put the emphasis on both syllables. It’s a whole thing how various towns in the state are pronounced in ways you might not expect: Miami, Okla., sounds like the Florida city until you get to the last syllable, which isn’t “mee” but “muh.” The town of Prague rhymes with Craig.

Source: New York Times August 04, 2021 18:11 UTC