How do you pronounce the French word "Chartres," as in Chartres Cathedral? Is it Chart, Shartray, or something else?

Americans tend to pronounce it "Shart" - which is why the French tend to look down on us! It's actually a two-syllable pronunciation - Shar (with a very soft "R" - not like the "R" in "Chair" - More like "Shah-r), then a "tre" - again with a soft " - again with a soft " - a "t" followed by a rolled " - a "). The single "S" followed by a rolled "Hey - I'm traveling to Chartres - How do you pronounce that anyway?" Or the French teacher at the local high school. Americans *really* need to hear the R sound to duplicate it. We just don't use that soft R in English.

That is pronounced as " shaahht-hhh~"

In New Orleans I have heard it a few ways: CHar-Trez, SHar-trez, and my new favorite: CHarT-Ess. That is how the public works folks call it. I just moved on to that street and wanted the correct pronunciation.

In New Orleans, the correct pronunciation in the local way is "Charters." It's not supposed to be the same as the French pronunciation.

Similarly, "New Orleans" is pronounced with the emphasis on the "or," as in "OR-lens." But "Orleans Parish" is prounounced "Or-LEANS." Like the English language itself, the New Orleans dialect takes some getting used to.