I'm watching Veep and everyone pronounces it "Ne-vaugh-da" (which is how I pronounce it) but Kent insists on correcting everyone with "Ne-VA-duh".

Who's correct? Is the show trying to correct a common mis-pronounciation or is Kent just full of shit?

for me it's the 2nd one.

vad part of nevada rhymes with mad or bad

it's the only way i've ever heard it said. i'm over 50

an internet search found this

It's important to note that the "vad" pronunciation in Nevada is a regional feature of Western U.S. English, particularly among residents of Nevada, and is not commonly mirrored in other words outside of place names or regional dialects.  The "vah" (long "a" as in "spa") pronunciation is more common in Eastern and Southern U.S. dialects and is ...

often considered incorrect by locals.

Locals pronounce it nə-VA-də.

Thanks!

Veep is, obviously, about D.C. and I'm from Maryland which is not far from there, so the eastern dialect "vah" is what everyone uses here. So I guess Kent is correct.

It's both. The original technically correct version is with Spanish pronunciation because it is a word from the Spanish language. Many people from Nevada, especially white folks, don't like the Spanish style pronunciation and insist it is wrong. I personally prefer the Spanish pronunciation because it's funny when Nevadans get annoyed over it, and I hate bigots.

Nev-uh-day. Just to fuck with people from Nevada. 😌

Lived in Nevada for 30 years. It's va like mad or bad or Dad.

I wouldn't put it past them doing it intentionally as a subtle "out of touch politicians who don't even pronounce the state name like normal people" joke. Especially if they're calling attention to it by having one character correct them (ie straight man).

are they from boston. the first part is nay va. DUH!

People from DC also tend to say Ore-GONE instead of Ore-GUN, as it should be pronounced.

On the east coast, I say "Ne-vaugh-da" and the other always sounds to my ear like a kind of old timey out west version. Like, I hear Sam Elliott saying it that way in my head.

Locals definitely laugh at the tourists who call it Ne-vaugh-da.

Nevuh not Nevuhday

I always saw Ken as just as out of touch as the rest of the characters, but I think you're right. Relatively speaking, he is the straight man character. TIL.

Grew up on the Great Lakes and everyone said VA as in rhymes with mad. Huh.

The character who plays the straight man role can swap around, particularly in something as long running as a sitcom. Though I'm not that familiar with this show.