Places that are pronounced differently to spelling

[PC777]

Not my anecdote my my Welsh step Grandma had an American refer to Port Talbot as Portal-bot.

Also somewhat related place names that could be confusing such as Wye (Why) in Kent and Watchet (Watch it) in Somerset.

"Where do you live? "

"Wye"

"What's your hometown?"

"Watchet mate"


And other minorly amusing confusion.

 

[darael]

Bruv

 

[Tony Edwards]

London=Lunden.

 

[sigma]

pic

u wot brav?

 

[Lopéz]

Ll is pronounced in ystradfellte Same as in Llantrisant (as an example)?

Because yes, I can't write ll the way it's pronounced!

I love the Welsh language. I'm glad they've renamed Brecon and snowdonia officially

Easiest way to pronounce Ystradfellte is to drop the ad in the middle and pronounce it Ystr'fellte - if you hard pronounce the "ad" then it sounds awkward. Same for most Ystrad places actually, ie Ystradgynlais.

 

[Lopéz]

Most Americans think it’s pronounced as Dionne’s surname- War-wick. Its Wra-wrick

Eh? I've never heard Warwick pronounced "Wra-wrick"

Worrick.

 

[nst68]

Kind of similar but an early version of Google Maps sat nav used to pronounce Nuneaton as Nu-nee-et-on

 

[dave28]

I was brought up in Wales. All of the English people who moved there can neither spell, read, write or pronounce any of the places lol

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

No doubt already posted and I've missed them...

Salisbury
Sarisbury
Slough
Beaulieu

I was going to say Slough. Not sure if it's an accent but I have heard it as 'Sly'.

 

[413x]

Easiest way to pronounce Ystradfellte is to drop the ad in the middle and pronounce it Ystr'fellte - if you hard pronounce the "ad" then it sounds awkward. Same for most Ystrad places actually, ie Ystradgynlais.

That's how someone Welsh pronounced it. They dropped the ad.

 

[TheMightyTen]

An american once stopped a friend of mine, and asked for directions to "Looga Borooga", took quite a while before he realised they meant Loughborough..

That's an urban myth and in the original version of the story it's an Australian that asks for the directions, hence the Looga Borooga part working as it sounds vaguely like an Australian place name.

Back on topic.

One that always confused me was:

Bosham (in West Sussex) pronounced boz-am, yet just up the road and over the border in Hampshire Cosham is pronounced Kosh-am

Another one that springs to mind as it's been in the news today:

Alnwick pronounced Annick but a mile or so away Alnmouth is pronounced Olnmouth.

 

[SimonRigga]

That's an urban myth and in the original version of the story it's an Australian that asks for the directions, hence the Looga Borooga part working as it sounds vaguely like an Australian place name.

Then I was done.. as my friend said it happened to him.. I shall ask him next time we're out.. and there will be some p* taken!!

 

[ttaskmaster]

It's a dump I agree, but it suits the purpose of the thread

It's not even worth mentioning.

 

[Blackjack Davy]

Birmingham was originally Brummagem before a small village exploded to an industrial city hence its shortening to Brum

Beauchamp is a weird one. French origin it's actually pronounced "Beauchamp" but for a long time the English pronunciation is indeed "Beecham".

Its pronounced "beecham" here, its "beauchamp" in france

The "Cester" thing is well established, so really the pronunciation makes sense within our own rules.

What doesn't make sense is why Cirencester is pronounced Siren Sester. I forward a motion to officially burn it to the ground and rebuild, gloriously from the ashes, with the name Sirrenster ringing out through the smoke.

I vote to call it Corinium its original Roman name they founded it after all! Cester/chester/caistor/caster all from the anglo-saxon for a roman town orig. latin Castrum, a fort

TIL. I've always pronounced it "Bo-shamps".

Another one - Arkansas.

I am rather embarrassed to admit that I'm 38 years old and until very recently, whenever I watched an American film/TV show where someone said it out loud, I always thought to myself "Where the hell is the city of Arken-saw?"
Then, one day a few years ago, I twigged that that were talking about the state. I've always thought it was pronounced as written, "Arken-sas"

Arkansas is again french in origin...

Ask an american to say Worcestershire

Or Leicestershire, "Lie-ses-ter-shire" I heard once

I think its er-strad -vel-tay?
But may be wrong.
The d sound is very light
F usually = v unless ff right?

And a "w" is a vowel "oo" (not "oh")

 

[marinersfan]

Hawick in Scotland. We went a couple of years ago, from memory it is pronounced Hoyk.

 

[Absomalutely]

There's a lovely place in East Sussex called Cuckfield which is sadly pronounced cook-field.

The difference between the spelling of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells catches a surprising number of people out around here, too. They're both pronounced Tunbridge

 

[OldKitMan]

My local area - Garioch.

Pronounced gee-ree, and not with a kicking “g” if that makes any sense.

I'd always pronounced it as 'gay ray', guess I misheard.

In my local area - Culross - cooris

 

[Blackjack Davy]

There's a lovely place in East Sussex called Cuckfield which is sadly pronounced cook-field.

Neaby is Ansty which is an'sti not anne-sty

 

[SilverTongue]

Village in Somerset called Chedzoy which is pronounced Ched-Zee

Even more confusing is that there are 2 villages close by called Middlezoy and Westonzoyland, both of which are pronounced as spelled

 

[Blackjack Davy]

Beaulieu

French again, "beautiful place" named by a norman knight after he was granted the land

Marylebone.

Could never pronounce that as a kid and I lived in london

I find there are usually many local accepted pronunciations for various places..


E.g. Bicester is Bi-Sta around here, not Bi-ster, and have had a few people arguing the toss like it matters..

My brother lived in Rogiet in south wales for a couple of years, some called it 'Ro-get', some called it "Ro-sjay" trying to make it sound fancy..

Cornwall is funny, Tideford is either 'ti-di-fud', 'tide-ford' or just 'tide-fud' depending on who you are talking to..

I was told it was "bister", maybe I've been watching too much Escape to the Country...
Bideford in devon is "bi'-di-fud" not "bide ford"