Where exactly do I go to remove the directory from the URL?

Example:
testsite.com/~testsite/about-us

I've looked and tried several settings after reading several post in the forum. Maybe I missed something.

Thanks for your time in advance.

Hello,
this can be configured easily in:
JoomSEF / Manage Extensions / Component name, then in Common parameters tab locate item Use menu title and set it to No.