How to Pronounce Nevada Correctly (And Why It Matters)

Today is Nevada Day, the anniversary of when Nevada became a state — and every Nevadan worth their salt knows it’s Nevada and not “Neh-vah-duh” (the chosen pronunciation of East Coast interlopers and political pretenders). So in honor of the holiday, we’re bringing back a conversation that host Dayvid Figler had last year with UNR linguist Valerie Fridland, author of “Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English.” She explains how our state’s pronunciation is connected to Biblical-era beheadings, the Western gold rush, and modern campaign trail gaffes.

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