pronounciation of "topsail" (2014, station, island)

[Richard Martin]

It doesn't really matter to me how you mangle up American english. I don't have a chip on my should for the south at all. I just want to be able to understand what you people are saying and when you slur your words it makes it difficult. Sorry, that's just me. I have never had to say "Excuse me, can you repeat that" so many times in my whole life.

[cape_fisherman]

Originally Posted by Foyle

I have always heard and pronounced the NC version of this town as Bow-Furt (not ford).

You are absolutely correct. I've never heard anyone pronounce Beaufort with a "d" at the end. The word ends with a "t" and that is how it's pronounced.

NC - Bow/furt
SC - Bew/furt

And Bill is right...what most folks know as "develpopers" along the coast seem to go by vastly different pronunciations when speaking with the native inhabitants.

[Dusty Rhodes]

Yeah well, I live in Mebane, it isn't pronounced " Me BANE " but rather, "MEH-bin".

[Not_liking_FL]

Originally Posted by Foyle

I have always heard and pronounced the NC version of this town as Bow-Furt (not ford).

I lived in Beaufort for several years and most people say Bow-Furt, but I've heard it pronounced furd sometimes.

[Bill Hitchcock]

Downeast Carteret County the word tourist is pronounced "dit-dot".

[bande1102]

Just to confuse myself even more...hahaha, when you write "bow-furt", is the bow pronounced like a bow on a gift or bow on a ship?

[LRoyal10900]

Originally Posted by bande1102

Just to confuse myself even more...hahaha, when you write "bow-furt", is the bow pronounced like a bow on a gift or bow on a ship?

Like on a gift...

[Francois]

Originally Posted by bande1102

Just to confuse myself even more...hahaha, when you write "bow-furt", is the bow pronounced like a bow on a gift or bow on a ship?

BOH-f'rt is NC
BYOO-f'rt is SC.

Whether it's -t or -d on the end is kind of academic, as that consonant is pretty much swallowed, anyway, so whether it's voiced or voiceless is a matter of acoustics, as nobody really "finishes" the alveolar stop (to scrape the rust off my Linguistics degree) t/d. The important part is the first vowel.

Beaufort county (which does not contain the town of Beaufort, like so many county/town pairings in NC for some reason--Lenoir, Henderson, Hertford, Rockingham, Washington, Cherokee, Greene, Ashe...) is pronounced just like Beaufort, NC.

[SunnyKayak]

When I passed thru Rodanthe I made mistake and pronounced it as two syllables, this was before the movie
But its prounounced roe-DAN-the

Another OBX town I just found out I been mispronouncing is Corolla, I thought it was like the car but its ka-RAH-la
Im so use to other pronunciation.

[Bill Hitchcock]

For all of you OBX'ers give this one a whirl: Chicamacomico