Welcome to UU Ar.ukulele! I’m not in Arkansas I’m afraid, I’m not even in the US, but I’m sure there are members on here who are in your neck of the woods
I wonder if @Ar.ukulele found anyone else in Arkansas? Moreover, I wonder why Arkansas is pronounced Ar-Ken-saw, while Kansas is pronounced, er, Kansas rather than Ken-saw? Or should Arkansas be pronounced Ar-Kansas? These things keep me awake at night…..
I wonder why Arkansas is pronounced Ar-Ken-saw, while Kansas is pronounced, er, Kansas rather than Ken-saw? Or should Arkansas be pronounced Ar-Kansas? These things keep me awake at night…..
I wonder if @Ar.ukulele found anyone else in Arkansas? Moreover, I wonder why Arkansas is pronounced Ar-Ken-saw, while Kansas is pronounced, er, Kansas rather than Ken-saw? Or should Arkansas be pronounced Ar-Kansas? These things keep me awake at night…..
The answer probably has to do with syllabification. The “kan” in “Arkansas” is in the second syllable, which is unaccented, but the one in “Kansas” is in the first syllable, which is accented. The pronunciation of a vowel is often affected by the stress on the syllable in which it appears.