A person from Toronto is called a Torontonian, a form recorded by the Language Portal of Canada, and the city’s best-documented nicknames are Hogtown, T-dot, and the 6ix. Torontonians usually say the name of the city in a shortened way, closer to “Tronno” or “Chronno” than to a full three-syllable reading, and linguists treat this as ordinary wear from frequent repetition. This article covers terms that a dictionary or a government language resource has recorded. Origin stories for the nicknames “the 6ix” and “Toronto” itself are told in separate articles on this site.
What to call a person from Toronto
The Language Portal of Canada, run by the federal government, gives Torontonian as the term for a native or resident of Toronto. Its advice for formal writing is that the longer phrase “resident of Toronto” often reads better than a demonym in official text. No dictionary or government source consulted for this article supports the variants “Torontoite” or “Torontoan”, which appear on some websites. Torontonian is the form to use.
Hogtown: the oldest of the nicknames
The Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles (DCHP-3), compiled at the University of British Columbia, lists Hogtown, also written Hog Town, as an informal and now rare nickname for Toronto, originally meant as an insult. The earliest quotation the dictionary gives is from 1895, when an Ontario newspaper called Toronto “well named Hogtown” for seeking more than its share of resources. The dictionary notes that Toronto’s nineteenth-century pork-processing industry is part of the background, but that outsiders coined the insult to accuse Torontonians of grabbing everything for themselves. The popular story that the name comes only from the large meatpacking plants is therefore the less supported version. Residents now sometimes use the word jokingly or with affection.
T-dot and the 6ix
The Dictionary of Canadian Hip Hop Slang, also published by the University of British Columbia, records “T-dot” as a nickname for Toronto created by the Canadian hip hop community. Its entry for “the 6ix” describes the same origin: the name was first made and embraced by Toronto hip hop artists and later spread to basketball, fashion, and social media. Rapper Drake brought the name to a world audience but did not coin it. The dictionary gives two reasons attached to the name: the digit 6 in the area codes 416 and 647, and the six municipalities that the city was once divided into. In 2019 the Canadian trademark office ruled that Drake’s company did not own the trademark, which went to a Toronto disc jockey and producer who had applied for it in 2000. The full story is in the article on the 6ix.
Canadian money words used in Toronto
Two everyday Canadian terms are documented by the Royal Canadian Mint. The one-dollar coin, introduced in 1987, was nicknamed the loonie after the loon on its reverse, and the Mint says it is not known who first used the name. The two-dollar coin, introduced on February 19, 1996, was soon called the toonie, a blend of two and loonie. The Mint’s own coin pages describe both coins and are the right place to check current designs. These words are used across Canada, not only in Toronto, and the Bank of Canada dates the replacement of the one-dollar and two-dollar notes by coins to 1989 and 1996. The Mint gives 1987 as the launch year of the loonie, so the sources differ on the date the one-dollar coin took over.
| Term | Meaning | Documented by |
|---|---|---|
| Torontonian | A native or resident of Toronto | Language Portal of Canada |
| Hogtown | Informal, now rare nickname for Toronto, first quoted in 1895 | DCHP-3, University of British Columbia |
| T-dot | Nickname created by the Canadian hip hop community | Dictionary of Canadian Hip Hop Slang |
| The 6ix | Nickname tied to the digit 6 in area codes 416 and 647 | Dictionary of Canadian Hip Hop Slang |
| Loonie, toonie | One-dollar and two-dollar coins | Royal Canadian Mint |
How Torontonians say the name
The spelling Toronto has three syllables, but local speech often reduces it. Linguist Jack Chambers of the University of Toronto, quoted on the Language Log website, attributes the reduced forms to repetition: residents say the name so often that it wears down, and the final t is often dropped. The middle t may become a flap, and the group “tr” can be pronounced like “chr”, which produces forms such as “Tronno” and “Chronno”. Speakers also pronounce the name with a second t, and both versions occur among natives. Because no single spoken form is official, there is no wrong pronunciation for a resident to correct.
Slang that is hard to verify
Many websites publish long lists of Toronto slang, with words drawn from Jamaican Patois, Somali, and other languages spoken in the city. Dictionaries have not recorded most of these words, so their meanings and origins vary from site to site. Only terms with an entry in a dictionary or a government language resource are given above. The wide range of languages in the city is covered in the article on the census and languages.
Frequently asked questions
What do you call a person from Toronto?
The Language Portal of Canada gives Torontonian as the term. Formal writing can use “resident of Toronto” instead.
Why is Toronto called Hogtown?
The Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles (DCHP-3) says the name began as an insult from outsiders who accused the city of keeping resources for itself, with the pork industry as background. Its earliest quotation dates from 1895.
What does T-dot mean?
T-dot is a nickname for Toronto that the Dictionary of Canadian Hip Hop Slang says was created by Canada’s hip hop community.
How do you pronounce Toronto?
Locals commonly say a shortened form such as “Tronno”, often with a flapped middle sound. Linguist Jack Chambers explains this as wear from frequent use, and no single form is official.
Is “the 6ix” an official name?
No. It is an informal nickname that came from Toronto’s hip hop community, and Drake popularized it without inventing it.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- Dictionary of Canadian Hip Hop Slang and the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles (DCHP-3), University of British Columbia: entries “the 6ix” and “Hogtown”
- Language Portal of Canada, “Toronto, Torontonian, Greater Toronto Area, GTA, Hogtown, Metro” (seen through a search summary only)
- Royal Canadian Mint, pages on the one-dollar and two-dollar circulation coins (seen through a search summary)
- Bank of Canada, “About legal tender”
- Language Log, “Chranna and Fluffya”, for the comments of Jack Chambers
Related reading
- Why Toronto is called the 6ix
- Why the city is called Toronto
- Languages spoken in Toronto according to the census
- Where Toronto is and what the city includes
- Toronto culture, sports and language
Cite this page
APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 23). Toronto Slang, Nicknames, Demonym and Pronunciation. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-toronto-slang-terms-and-phrases-every-visitor-should-know
MLA: “Toronto Slang, Nicknames, Demonym and Pronunciation.” History of Toronto, 23 Oct. 2026, https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-toronto-slang-terms-and-phrases-every-visitor-should-know. Accessed .
Chicago: History of Toronto. “Toronto Slang, Nicknames, Demonym and Pronunciation.” Last modified October 23, 2026. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-toronto-slang-terms-and-phrases-every-visitor-should-know.
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