Meaning & use
Pittsburgh
Last updated
UK/ˈpɪtsbɜːɡ/
US/ˈpɪtsbɜːrɡ/
Meaning
proper nounproper
A city in western Pennsylvania, USA, known for its rivers, bridges, and steel industry history.
Grammar: Used without 'the' as a place name: I live in Pittsburgh.
Patterns
- in Pittsburgh
- to Pittsburgh
- from Pittsburgh
She moved to Pittsburgh for a new job.
Pittsburgh is famous for its many bridges.
We flew from Pittsburgh to Chicago.
Common combinations
- downtown Pittsburgh
- We spent the afternoon in downtown Pittsburgh.
- the University of Pittsburgh
- He studies at the University of Pittsburgh.
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- The Pittsburgh Steelers are a well-known American football team.
- Pittsburgh pronunciation
- The Pittsburgh pronunciation of some words is different from other American accents.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Steel City
- A nickname for Pittsburgh, referring to its steel-making past; it is not used in formal writing.
Word family
- Pittsburgher noun
- A person who lives in or comes from Pittsburgh.
Commonly confused: Pittsburgh or Pittsburg?
Pittsburgh vs Pittsburg
Pittsburg without the final 'h' is a different, smaller city in California or Kansas; Pittsburgh with 'h' is the large Pennsylvania city.
Practice
Choose the correct pronunciation of 'Pittsburgh'.
Choose one answer.
The 'gh' is silent, so the word ends with a 'burg' sound. The other options add sounds that are not pronounced or drop the 's'.
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