Diamond Head Luxury Homes

Coast's top 10 tongue twisters

Those who live in South Mississippi cringe when they hear someone mispronounce Biloxi as Ba-lox-ee.

And anyone who says “Kiln” as it is spelled, rather than “the Kill” as it is spoken locally, is instantly known to be a visitor or newcomer. Same with “The Pass,” the shortened name for Pass Christian, which often is referred to as Pass Chris-chen instead of Pass-chris-tee-ann.

Even locals pronounce Gautier in different ways. City officials say it’s Go-chay. Others say Go-shay. The GPS says Gau-tee-air and visitors talk about how they enjoyed going to Gator. French teachers say all those pronunciations are wrong.

Saucier ends in “ier” just like Gautier, but it’s not pronounced So-chay. It is called So-sher or So-shah, depending on whom you ask.

French pronunciations trip us up on other names, too. Beauvoir, the last home of Jefferson Davis, is called Bow-vwar and Bow-vwa. DeLisle you’d think would be De-Lyle, but it’s De-lil. Giving directions to the Kiln-DeLisle Road really could get someone lost.

Those who drive Graveline Road may expect to see tombstones. But it’s pronounced Grav-a-leen in Gautier.

We’ve also got Croatian, Vietnamese and other ethnic names to trip us up. Hawaiian is supposed to be one of the easiest languages, because it has only 12 letters in the alphabet. But Moanalua Way, Alii Place and many of the streets in Diamondhead can be head-scratchers.

I say “The Prom-a-naid,” you say “The Prom-a-nod.” D’Iberville Mayor Rusty Quave says either is OK with him, so long as people come shop and dine in his city.

The granddaddy of all South Mississippi words that few know how to say -- let alone spell -- is Tchoutacabouffa River.

The sign over the river on Interstate 10 no doubt has drivers traveling through the area wondering miles later how that Indian name is pronounced.

The T at the start is silent, the A at the end is forgotten and in between most call it the Chew-ta-ka-buff as it rolls off their tongue.

There is little hope we can agree how to pronounce Gautier and Saucier, but let’s all agree, and let TV announcers and visitors know -- it’s Ba-lux-ee!

Even Webster prefers that pronunciation.

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Diamond Head Luxury Beach Home For Sale – Ocean View Park-Like ...

(Diamond Head, Hawaii) Dream about this  Diamond Head gem that is just steps away from the Doris Duke Estate. This beachfront property located at 4111 Papu Cir on Oahu features a park-like setting and showcases sandy beaches that make picture-perfect settings for daily strolls. It is complete with a master suite located on the main level with guest rooms on the second tier. This Hawaiian wonder has a custom kitchen that opens to the vast Pacific Ocean.

With more than 5,000 square feet of interior and other areas, you are guaranteed to feel sand between your toes as you trek across Diamond Head and indulge in all that paradise has to offer. You can also hold your own movie premiere in your private theater, or throw an extravagant party at the pool, complete with waterfall and tropical landscaping.

Vintage it is, but hey, this is what old Hawaii was all about. This single family private estate ( MLS# 1000011 ) is offered at $5,988,000. Enjoy a tropical paradise lifestyle in this oceanfront oasis, with a huge backyard, pristine sandy beaches, and endless views of emerald waters.

Hawaii magazine

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Fodor's Hawaii 2011

House & garden

Pauline Frommer's Hawaii, Spend Less, See More