Why is Mackinaw City spelled with a “w” and Mackinac Island is spelled with a “c”?
In French, Mackinac sounds like Mackinaw, not Mackinack. English-speaking settlers spelled Mackinaw City with a “w” at the end to show how it was pronounced. Because the French were the first European explorers in the region, many of the communities and forts have French spellings. The island, straits, forts and famous bridge are all spelled in French … with a “c” at the end.
