Do You Say Missouri or Missou-rah? Both are Technically Wrong

I have learned something new. No matter how you're pronouncing Missouri these days is likely very wrong according to history.

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This topic came up after I got curious about how many people in Missouri say "Missour-ee" versus "Missou-rah". That began a rabbit trail that led me to a document from the University of Missouri that said both are technically wrong.

So how in the heck do you say Missouri then?

They shared insight from Charles Gilbert Youmans, professor emeritus in the College of Arts and Science’s department of English. He said that French explorers were the first people to use the word "Missouri". Then, the English took that French word and butchered it. Here's what he said it should sound like:

Based upon the French spelling, my guess is that the ‘original’ French pronunciation of the name would have been something like ‘Mi—ss—oo—ree.’”

Is it just me or does that sound like saying Missouri with a stutter?

I was always told it's "Missour-ee", but that came from my father who once told me he "was gonna learn me something".

The moral of the story is words that have an origin with the French are almost always gonna get messed up once us real Missourians say them.