I know we have our own accent, but some outsiders think we Michiganders have our own language.

I recently saw a TikTok accusing Michiganders of mispronouncing a lot of easy-to-pronounce words because of the "Michigan accent."  I don't personally mispronounce most of these words as presented below.  But I know people who do it regularly.  Are you guilty of saying these words wrong?

The Five Things Michigan People Say Incorrectly.

#5. Bagel

Photo by Vicky Ng on Unsplash
Photo by Vicky Ng on Unsplash
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Do you say "begel" or "bagel?"  Apparently, many of us call these "beg-als" in the Mitten State.


 

 

#4. Secretary of State

McConnell Adams, Townsquare Media Lansing
McConnell Adams, Townsquare Media Lansing
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Some people are out here saying, "Secer-terry-a-state."  The place where we get our license renewed.  Also known as the Secretary of State.


 

#3. Asphalt 

Photo by Donald Giannatti on Unsplash
Photo by Donald Giannatti on Unsplash
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Why do people say, "Ash-fault"? I rank this mispronounced word up there with "warsh" and "orl."  It is surprising how often I hear someone call asphalt "ashfault."


 

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#2. Meijer or Walmart

Meijer
Google Street View
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Why are we saying Meijers or Walmarts?  There is a theory about why Michiganders add the letter "s" at the end of words where it does not belong.  We can blame Meijer.  Back in the day, it used to be called 'Fred Meijer's Thrifty Acres.'  Now called Meijer, some just can't let go of the s.  This has led to people also saying they're "going to the Walmarts."


 

#1. These or Those

Photo by Houcine Ncib on Unsplash
Photo by Houcine Ncib on Unsplash
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What is it about living in Michigan that makes us say, "these ones" or "those ones"?  This is the most common word or phrase that I hear in Michigan that breaks grammar laws.  The two words "these ones" are redundant when used together.  You can just say, "these" or "those."


 

Did we miss a word or phrase that you only hear in Michigan said incorrectly?  Let us know in the comments.  Apparently, there are many words that outsiders think we're mispronouncing.

 

America's Most Misspelled Words in 2025: State-by-State

WordUnscrambler.pro did the homework, and we now know, thanks to Google Trends data, what word trips up residents the most in each of the 50 states. Here's a look at a state-by-state breakdown of the Most Misspelled Words in America.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

 

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