Pronounce the “Chi” as “Shi. ” In other words, the “Ch” is not the “ch” sound in English words like “cheese” or “chips. ” The “i” is pronounced as the “i” in “it. " Rather, the “Ch” in Chicago is pronounced like the “sh” in the words “shut” and “shirt. ” [1] X Research source The stronger emphasis should be on the middle syllable of the word though.
George Wendt, in the iconic Saturday Night Live skit on Chicago super fans, pronounced it “Shic-aw-go. ” He is from Chicago. Former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is another notable local who pronounces it as “aw. ” The “go” at the end of the word is always pronounced the same as the word “go. “[3] X Research source
Sometimes this becomes “Shic-aaaaahhhh-go” and sometimes it’s said as “Shic-ah-go. ” You will often find the “ah” version on dictionary and pronunciation sites online. [4] X Research source .
For example, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel uses the “ah” pronunciation. [5] X Research source There is some evidence that the most distinct Chicago accents come from older generations and that the accent is disappearing in the young. African-American and Latino Chicagoans may also add their own pronunciation to words. If, however, you are an actor who is trying to play a Chicago character from the past or trying to capture a distinctly local neighborhood feel, the “aw” might be the better way to go. Traditional Chicagoans elongate the “a” vowel in all of their words, not just “Chicago. ” For example, they may say basketball as “beasketball. ” So, to summarize, both “Shic-aw-go” and “Shic-ah-go” are considered authentic pronunciations.
The word derives from the Native American Algonquian language. It was first seen, though, on a map created by French explorers in the 17th century. The soft “ch” sound is likely also attributed to the French language influence on the word. [6] X Research source The Indian word “Checagow” meant “place of the smelly onions” and was a reference to an onion field. French explorers wrote it down as they heard it, changing the spelling. Others think it was a reference to the Chacaqua River.
You Tube is filled with such videos, where you can hear native speakers pronounce the word “Chicago. ”[7] X Research source [8] X Research source Record yourself saying the word for comparative purposes, and listen to the audio side-by-side. This should help you improve the pronunciation.
