Tell Us: How Do You Say ‘Colorado?’

· Feb. 21, 2020, 4:00 am
The Colorado Trail near Kenosha Pass.
The Colorado Trail near Kenosha Pass.
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
The Colorado Trail near Kenosha Pass.

Update: We have the results!
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I've lived in Colorado — and pronounced it "Colo-ROD-o" for nearly 33 years. That's three-quarters of my life. And a little.

And yet some folks still tell me I'm doing it wrong. That real natives say "Colo-RAD-o."

The debate came to a head again with a tweet from New York Times Rocky Mountain correspondent Jack Healy:

But much like knowing how to pronounce "Buena Vista" and "Arriba" correctly (we have a guide to help transplants — and some natives), knowing how to pronounce "Colorado" correctly is seen by some as a necessity for acceptance in the Centennial State.

Channel 9's Kyle Clark weighed in on a similar discussion a couple of years back, too.

A discussion in the CPR newsroom revealed that while several natives say "Colo-RAD-o," a couple also say "Colo-ROD-o." And the transplants in the room overwhelmingly use the latter pronunciation.

So, tell us — how do you pronounce the name of our fair state?

And, while you're here learning about Colorado's quirkier history, take a look at the story of our state flag — the first version was an utter failure.

You care.

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