In 1881, the Arkansas state legislature ruled on that matter, noting the "confusion" about the state's pronunciation. Lawmakers formally endorsed the "saw" ending, discouraging any "innovation" to pronounce the state similarly to Kansas. read more
Pronunciation: Near Wichita, Kansas, the word is pronounced as "Are Kansas" in the case of the Arkansas River, the Little Arkansas River, and the nearby town of Arkansas City. The state of Arkansas, however, is still pronounced in the standard way. read more