How Do You Pronounce Washington’s Grande Ronde River?

I grew up as a foster kid in Asotin County. If you didn’t know, Asotin County is located in the lower right part of the state, and there’s a river that flows through those parts, whose name most people mispronounce its name.

Grande Ronde River: Are You Saying It Right?

I grew up there, and my wife swears I’ve been saying it wrong the whole time.

Grande Ronde River Pronunciation: Washington Locals Still Disagree

Of course, I don’t believe her, but she’s from Oregon, and I’m from Washington. There’s no way I’ve been saying it wrong all these years, so I had to deep dive and see if there’s some truth to what she’s saying.

The river I’m talking about is the Grande Ronde River. The river flows through Oregon, as well as near La Grande, and also in parts of Washington. I’ve always heard it as the Grand ROUND River, but my wife swears that it’s the Grand RON-DEE River.

How Do You Pronounce Grande Ronde River In Washington State?

I know the spelling is all weird, so I had to go searching to see if my wife is right. I went to the end-all be-all of information, Wikipedia, to see what Wiki had to say.

My wife, for the record, isn’t a fan of Wikipedia, so even showing her the entry on the Grande Ronde River might not convince her, but here is what Wikipedia is saying about the pronunciation of the Grande Ronde River.

Wikipedia says there are two ways to pronounce “Ronde”. One is “ROND,” and the other is “Round”. In the Wikipedia entry, it acknowledges that one English traveler called it the Grand ROUND River.

I’m posting a video of a tour of fishermen who also call it the Grand ROND River.

As you can tell, there are several ways to say Grande Ronde River, so it’s time to settle this argument below – How do you say Grande Ronde River? Take our poll and see the results below.

I will say it was an amazing experience growing up on the Grande Ronde River, and the river carries some of my favorite memories of childhood.

I know it’ll drive my wife nuts until the day I die, but me calling it the Grand ROUND River is going to be one of my quirks that she’ll have to just live with, and I’ll let you know how that works out for me in the future.