Gretchen Carlson and Brian Kilmeade were holding a demotic discussion this AM on how to pronounce Long Island. Gretchhhen (from MN) insisted that you pronounce a hard G and run it together when saying Long Island — sort of Longisland. Brian (who lives on Long Island) insisted that it is 2 words and pronounced just as it reads — Long (rhymes with strong) Island.
I thought that Long Island natives called it lawnguyland, running it all together. If others say it that way, it’s because of how the natives said it.
An uninitiated normal speaker of English would say it as if it was two words.
It’s LawnGuy-Land, emphasis on “Guy” not Lawn.
I worked with a woman from Long Island once-a fellow military wife. She pronounced it “lawnguyland”, all run together. When she said “talk”, it sounded like “towk”, “do you want” was “dyawant”, etc.