Nevadans have a pronunciation quirk that sets them apart from the rest of the country: they say "Ne-văda" with a short "a," while Californians, visitors, and most Americans stick with the Spanish pronunciation "Ne-vahda," meaning snowfall.
According to UNLV history professor Michael Green, this regional pronunciation has persisted since Nevada achieved statehood under Abraham Lincoln. While it may seem like a minor linguistic difference, Green said it carries real political weight.
"It's a sign you haven't studied the local customs and culture," Green said, comparing mispronunciation to a candidate eating a tamale with the husk still on or cheering for the Cubs on Chicago's South Side.
The origins of Nevada's unique pronunciation remain unclear. Green noted there is no known record of territorial legislators mandating how the state name should be pronounced. "They were too busy arguing over whether Nevada should be the state's name at all. They considered Washoe after the Native American tribe and Esmeralda because the Spanish word for 'emerald' resonated with the miners and Victor Hugo's work The Hunchback of Notre Dame was immensely popular at the time," Green said.
The mispronunciation has become a political liability. Presidential candidate John Kerry faced ridicule in 2004 for saying the state name incorrectly, despite his opponent George W. Bush making the same mistake earlier in his career. "In Northern Nevada, the blowback can be especially severe," Green said, noting that Southern Nevada voters are more likely to hoot and criticize the error.
Nevada is not alone in its pronunciation debate. Americans have mispronounced place names for centuries, Green said. Californians incorrectly pronounce Los Angeles, San Pedro, and even California itself when using American accents rather than proper Spanish pronunciation.
Interestingly, Nevada, Missouri and Nevada, Iowa have introduced a third pronunciation variant: "Ne-VAY-dah," according to Green.
While Green acknowledged that mispronouncing Nevada is probably not a top factor in voters' ballot decisions, he emphasized it certainly does not help a candidate's case. "We as Americans have adapted the place names and parts of the language around us," he said of the broader pattern of Americanizing foreign place names.