Moving to Fort Collins | A Pronunciation Guide

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When you’re moving across the country, there are some quick and easy things you can do to fit in with the locals, such as changing your phone number or license plate. But above all, you’ve got to learn your local slang! Today we’re talking about the most commonly misspoken Fort Collins words by out-of-towners.

The 7 Most Commonly Mispronounced Words in Fort Collins

Here are the 7 words that will make you stick out like a sore thumb!

Warren Lake (Wore-In Lake)

Let’s start with an easy one! The first commonly mispronounced word is Warren Lake. Right in the middle of town, Warren Lake is one of our two lakes in the middle of Fort Collins.

Lindenmeier Lake (Lin-Din-Myer Lake)

Another lake on the North side of town whose name that is commonly mispronounced by out-of-towners is Lindenmeier Lake. It’s located up North by Long Pond with easy access to Downtown and Old Town.

Promenade Shops at Centerra (Sen-Ter-Ah)

Not a difficult word to say, but it’s good to learn how to say it correctly. The Promenade Shops at Centerra is a great place to shop and spend quality time outdoors and it is just outside of Fort Collins. This is just one of the great areas to shop in Fort Collins.

Edora Park (Ee-Door-Ah)

Located in the middle of town, Edora Park also has a pool and ice center (EPIC) and it’s commonly mispronounced. You’ll want to come and visit Edora Park and explore all that it has to offer.

Timnath (Tim-Neth)

I could see why Timnath is often mispronounced, but you should pay attention when talking about this town if you want to fit in. Timnath is growing like crazy, and it’s a great place to live in. Located just East of Fort Collins, Timnath is our GROWING little brother!

Berthoud (Bur-Thud)

Berthoud is another small yet growing community located South of Fort Collins and even South of Loveland. It’s the home of the gorgeous TPC Colorado, the tournament players club golf course, and it offers some fantastic views and scenes. Watch out for Berthoud but don’t be caught calling it Burthood.

Cache La Poudre (Cash La Poo-Dur)

The most heavily mispronounced word is by far Cache La Poudre. Fun Fact: This is a French term for ‘where the powder was hidden, and its origin comes from what happened in a snowstorm when French trappers hid their powder along the river in Northern Fort Collins. 

This word is particularly important to learn to pronounce because there are so many different terms with the word Poudre in them, such as Poudre School District, Poudre River, Poudre High School etc.

Final Thoughts

If you happen to mispronounce some of these in Fort Collins, the locals will probably immediately guess that you’re an out-of-towner. But don’t worry! This isn’t necessarily bad, as people in Fort Collins are predominantly friendly. But if you want to fit in better and learn some new words, this pronunciation guide will come in handy.

If you want to hear how these words are pronounced, watch the full video on YouTube below and consider subscribing to my channel:

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