Puglia or Apulia: Which one is correct?
When first visiting the heel of Italy you might come across a simple yet important question. Is the region called Puglia or Apulia? You might see both names used and it might get confusing. Let us help you figure it out once and for all.
Puglia and Apulia both refer to the same region of Italy. The difference is that Puglia is the Italian name and Apulia is the English name. You can use either one as both of them are correct.
This is the simple answer to Puglia or Apulia. It’s both. It totally depends on the publication you are reading or the person you are talking to, to decide which one to use. If you want to learn more about the usage of Puglia or Apulia read on.
How to pronounce Puglia?
Puglia is pronounced as [ˈpuÊŽÊŽa]. It sounds kind of like saying poo-lee-uh. It’s actually pretty close to the pronunciation of the English version without the ‘a’ at the beginning. If you want to practice before your travels we recommend trying to say it slowly at first. Remember, that ‘gli’ sound is the hardest part.
If you want to hear Italians say Puglia then head over to Forvo. They have multiple people from Italy who recorded themselves saying the name of the region. You’ll get a real feel for the pronunciation.
Is it okay to use Puglia instead of Apulia in English text?
It depends but in most cases it’s okay. What we imagine would be an incorrect use is a scientific paper or a university essay. In that case, we would stick to Apulia if the rest of the text is in English as well.
However, for example, we use Puglia throughout our website. We believe that in normal conversation or in some online publications (such as us) it’s totally fine to use Puglia instead of Apulia.
Wherever we travel we like to enjoy the feel and atmosphere of the locals. Using the local pronunciation adds to that feeling. For example, we will always use Firenze instead of Florence. Even though these places have English names we prefer the original. But this is all personal preference. Using both of them is fine.
Just a quick note: once you are actually in Puglia try not using Apulia. Use what the locals use. Remember the saying: ‘When in Rome do as the Romans do’? Something like that.
When I search should I use Puglia or Apulia?
Believe it or not, you can use both. Especially when searching on Google. The search engine knows which part of the world you are referring to and it will bring up results in your own language even if the actual article used the other version of the word. Isn’t that cool?
Even when you are booking a flight or trying to find hotels, the websites know that Puglia and Apulia are exactly the same. These two names are one and the same and you can use them interchangeably.
Some Italian places will see this duality as they have both an English and Italian name in use. The perfect example is of course Firenze; or Florence as the English say it.
