New Hampshire Lawmaker Proposes Official Pronunciations for State Capital and Name

The bill aims to standardize the pronunciation of 'Concord' and 'New Hampshire,' emphasizing the importance of state symbols and branding.

Democratic Rep. Eric Gallager introduces a bill to officially pronounce 'Concord' and 'New Hampshire' according to the international phonetic alphabet.
The proposal seeks to align pronunciations across various states, with 'Concord' to sound like 'conquered' and 'shire' in 'New Hampshire' to rhyme with 'fur'.
Gallager emphasizes the significance of state symbols and branding, likening the initiative to organizational branding efforts.
Concerns arise over potential offense to traditional pronunciations, but Gallager assures the bill is not a mandate.
The lawmaker believes this minor legislative effort could unite people and facilitate the passage of legislation.