With a number of names for streets and communities in the Austin area borrowed from other languages, there's bound to be confusion over their uniquely Central Texan pronunciations. Follow this guide to sound like a native.
Buda
The name of the Hays County town south of Austin doesn't sound like the religious figure Buddha. It's pronounced BYOO-duh. According to the Handbook of Texas Online, it is believed that the name comes from the Spanish word for widow (viuda), after a pair of widows who cooked for rail travelers back in the late 1800s.
Burnet Road
The major north-south road in North Austin carries the accent on the first syllable. It's pronounced BURN-it.
Del Valle
Despite the Spanish spelling, the name of the community and school district that lie southeast of Austin is said like the English term: valley. It's pronounced Del VAL-ee.
Guadalupe Street
© Ana Cantú
Don’t try to use the Spanish pronunciation for the street that runs north from Lady Bird Lake and along the University of Texas campus (where it’s known as The Drag). It's pronounced GWA-duh-loop.
Manchaca
Leave the final vowel off the major north-south road that runs through Southwest Austin to a community of the same name. And don’t forget to soften the “ch” into a “shh.” It's pronounced MAN-shack.
Manor
Neither the town just east of Austin nor the road that runs from Interstate 35 northeast to U.S. 183 are pronounced like the term “lady of the manor.” In Central Texas, it's pronounced MAY-ner.