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PRONUNCIATION OF PLACE NAMES

In the U.K. there are many towns and villages with strange sounding names and, in some cases, these names are not said as they are spelled, which causes a great deal of confusion for visitors.  Now I am sure this is not only a British phenomenon, there must be similar examples around the world, so if you know of any please send them to me so they can be added to this page.

There will obviously also be differences with pronunciation from area to area, as there are always many different dialects within any country.  

In the U.K. one of the most common differences is in words like "castle" and "grass".  Some areas say a short "a" sound (as in the word "as") whereas others say a long "aaarrr" sound (as in the word "chart").  This means that places like "Bath" can be said as spelled or "Barth".

An example of this can be found with "Chippenham", which one of my newsletter subscribers kindly sent to me as being pronounced as "Chipnam".  This, I feel, is the way it is said in the West of Britain whereas, in the South I think we are more likely to say it as it is spelled i.e., "Chip-en-ham".

The actual pronunciation is not going to be easy to explain but I will try to do it phonetically, it will, however, rely on visitors knowing a little about the English language.

As an added dimension to this page I have decided to include some links to other sites giving specific information on the places mentioned.

 

Spelling

 

Pronunciation

Albany, Western Australia  Al-bany NOT All-bany.

Eric

Alciston, East Sussex    Aston

Stuart Pennington

Aldinga, South Australia All-dinga (not Al-dinga!!!) - see comments below

Al-dinga (not All-dinga)

Belinda

Whoops, another difference of opinion!

Aldinga in South Australia is DEFINITELY pronounced ALL-dinga not AL-dinga (as in pronunciation of Alan). In fact it was a running joke in south aust because an interstate company were advertising land for sale there and pronounced it as 'AL-dinga' - people couldn't believe an interstate company that wanted to sell something to locals hadn't bothered to check the pronunciation of the place name.. Holly

Aldinga - its not a difference of opinion. All residents of Aldinga and South Australians generally pronounce it all-dinga. Only people outside SA who take a stab at it might pronounce al-dinga. As an ex-resident of the area, Aldinga was a regular holiday spot and indeed I visited there again last Christmas.

Martin Woods

 

Alfreton Olfreton (although some disagree)

Ellena Lyons

Alfriston, East Sussex  All-Friston

Stuart Pennington

Allerton, Bradford, West Yorkshire   Ollerton

Jeremy Double

 

Alnmouth Allenmouth

Martin Capps

Alnwick (Northumberland)   Anic

Martin Capps

Alresford Alls-fid

Peter 

Althorp (where Princess Diana is buried)    The village is pronounced Olthorpe but the House is pronounced Orltrop (notice the reversal of the O and the R!)

Martin Underwood

Amlwch - Anglesey  Am-look

Andrew Moore

Ansty, West Sussex    An-Sty

Stuart Pennington

Ardingly (Sussex) Ardingl-eye

Joan Hall

Arlesey    Arll-Zee

Andrew Moore

Aspatria Spi'atry (by some)

Richard Tosswill

Averham, Nottinghamshire   Air-rum

Phil

Bamburgh (Northumberland) Bambruff

Ben Vizard

Bambro

Martin Underwood

Barnoldswick (Lancashire)   Barlick

Mark Iliff

Barnoldswick (as spelled)

Martin Underwood

Barnoldswick is not pronounced Barlick. Barlick is just a contraction of Barnoldswick.

Ken Ranson

Barrow-in-Furness   'Furness' is pronounced to sound like 'furnace' not 'finesse'.

Gavin

Basket Range, South Australia   Basket Range 

(Bas - as in Cash not Barsket)

Belinda

Bawburgh, Norfolk

Bore-Bruh

Dominic

Beaconsfield 

 

  Bekonsfield
Bearsted Beerstid

Stephen Burgess

     
Beaulieu Bewley

Philip

Bedworth   Bedduth

Anna Bland

Belvoir Beever                   Sent in by Sheila Fox
Berwick on Tweed 

 

  Berik on Tweed
Bicester 

 

  Bister                         

Sent in By Brenda Young

Billesdon, Leicestershire     Billsdon

Phil

Blackley, Greater Manchester  Blakely

Peter Draggett

Blidworth (Nottinghamshire) Blidduth

John Stolarski

Blidworth, is NORMALLY pronounced (by the vast majority of locals) as Blid-worth.

Phil

Bolsover (Derbyshire)   Baa-zer

John Stolarski

Boughton, Lincolnshire   Bootun

Jed Bland

Bozeat, Northants. BOHzhut

Mark Wheaver

Bradley near Wolverhampton   Braid-Lee

Craig Wilson

Bradwell Bradl                          

Liza Hicks

Braughing (Hertfordshire)   Braff-ing

Janet Horton

Brewood, South Staffs near Wolverhampton    Brood

Keith Sedgley

Brough, East Yorkshire   Bruff
Burpham, Surrey or West Sussex  Ber-Fam

Stuart Pennington

Cairns (Queensland)   Cans

Rozzie Chapman

Canowindra (New South Wales)   Ca-NOWN-dra

Rozzie Chapman

Chedzoy in Somerset  Chedzee 

Derek Appleyard

Chichester  Chidistr

Paul Haden

I personally think maybe a case of local dialect as opposed to actual pronunciation as I think many people would still say Chichester.

Chiddingly, East Sussex   Chidding-Lie

Stuart Pennington

Chili, N.Y. Cheye-lye (both syllables rhyme.)

Karen Zethmayr

Chippenham (see comments at top of page)

 

  Chipnam    (locally)   Sent by Ann Cook

Chipenum                      James Bruton

Cholmondeston, Cheshire   Chumston
Cholmondley  Chumly

Bob Moon

Chop Gate (North Yorkshire)   Chopyat

Steve Watson

Cirencester   As far as I know, this is the only "-cester" name to be pronounced as spelled: bearing in mind Gloucester, Leicester and Towcester), though I believe an obsolete pronunciation is Siss(i)ter (with or without the I in the centre)

Martin Underwood

Both my father and grandfather called it "Sissiter" as mentioned earlier, while my less "rural" mother refers to it as you spell it.

Ron Gosling

Cley (Norfolk) Cly (as in fly)

Philip

Cogenhoe   Cook-no

Jacqueline Olford & Tony White

Congresbury   

Congsbree

Simon

Coonsberry

Costessey, Norfolk:
 
   Coss-ee

Dominic

Cowbit, Cambridgeshire. Cubbit

Phil

Croughton, S. Northants.    Crowton (rhyming with cow)  OR

Crowton (rhyming with crow)

Robert J. Croton

Cuckfield, West Sussex Cook-field

Alex Browning

Cuck-field (rhymes with 'luck')

This is one is contested a lot locally.

Patricia Whiteside

Cuckfield is, in fact, local to me (my children went to school there) and we have always called it Cook-field - it seems like another one of those places where those born and bred in a place pronounce it differently to 'incomers'.

 

Culzean, Ayrshire, Scotland   Cul-ain

Lionel Bell

Daresbury (Cheshire) Darsberry

RS

Darwen, Lancs   Darren

Peter Draggett

Derby Darbie

Jörg Müller

Dewsbury, West Yorkshire   Jewsbry

Victor

Duchally (in Auchterarder,Scotland) Duck-ley

Gayle Jones

Dunwich (Suffolk)   Dunij

Jimbo

Eaglesfield Egglesfield

Richard Tosswill

Earley, Berkshire.    Erlee

Hamnet Quinn

Eltham, SE London El-tum

Peter Roberts

Erith, Kent     Eer-ith

C. Smith

Esher   Eesher

Philip

Etchilhampton  (near Devizes Wilts)    Eyeshalton

Keith Lewis

Ewell Yoo-all

Peter

Eyam (Peak District)

Eem

Martin Capps

Flitwick  

Flitick

Gary Ware

Forster, New South Wales   Foster

Belinda

Fowey (Cornwall)   Foy

Andrew Nott

Fwoy (Cornish pronunciation)

Keith Lewis

Fremantle, Western Australia    Fre-MANTel, NOT FREE-mantel

Eric

Frome

 

  Froom
Furneux Pelham (Hertfordshire)   Fir-nooks pellum

Janet Horton

Gallipolis, Ohio GAL-uh-puh-LEECE

Sounds like "Gal a police."

Gary Rector

Gamaliel, Missouri   Ga-mail-ya

Tyler Pruett

Gillingham, Kent Jillingham 

 

Gillingham, Norfolk & Dorset

Gillingham (hard sounding "g" as in girl)

Rebecca MacMillan

Glamis, Angus Glarms

John Butler

Gloucester 

 

  Gloster
Goatacre near Lyneham, Wilts   Goadoccur

Keith Lewis

Godmanchester (Cambs.) Gumster (old pronunciation)

Philip Robinson

Goonoo Goonoo (New South Wales)   Gunna Ga-NOO

Rozzie Chapman

Gorinchem (Netherlands) Horkem

Andrew Nott

Actually, it's CHorkem, with CH as in the Scottish pronunciation of "loch". There's no equivalent in English, but the Germans, Spanish and Arabs are among the people who can pronounce this.

Ivo Bouwmans

Gotham, Nottinghamshire   Goat'am

Phil

     
Goudhurst, Kent

 

Gowdhurst

Stephen Burgess

Greenwich

(information)

  Grenich

Grinnitch                              JD

Greenwith, South Australia   Grenith

Belinda

Greysouthen Graysoon

Richard Tosswill

Groby Grooby                   Sent in by Sheila Fox
Grosmont, North Yorkshire   Grow-mont

Peter Draggett

Guisborough Gizbrur or geezbrur
Happisburgh (Norfolk)   Hazeborough

Moray Smith

Harewood (between Leeds and Harrogate) 
Harewood - locals

Har-wood  (upper class/gentry)

Martin Underwood

Harrogate   Ha-rughget - locals

Rod Bell

Hawick (Scottish Borders) Hoyk

Peter Neale

Herstmonceux    Hurst-mon-soo

Ken Dryden

Hertford (Hertfordshire)   Har-fud (by some)

Janet Horton

Heather Heether                   

Sent in by Sheila Fox

Hellingly    Hellingl-eye

Joan Hall

Hessle Hezzle

Philip

Heysham, Nr. Morecambe   Hee-Shum or Hee-Sham

Andrew Moore

Hoddesdon (Hertfordshire) Hods-dun

Janet Horton

Holborn, Central London Hoe-burn

Claire Wright

Holme, Nottinghamshire   Home

Phil

Horsted Keynes   Horsted Canes

Faye Davies

Houghton, Cambridgeshire

Tony points out there are several Houghtons in the UK, and several pronunciations.
  Hoe-t’n

although to outsider ears the locals seem to pronounce it more as “Hoot’n”

Tony Chabot

Houghton, Leicestershire Hoeton

Jed Bland

Hunstanton (Norfolk)    Hunston

Keith Lewis

Ightham I-tem (Eye-tem)

Ken Dryden

Keadby  

Kidbee                               

   Contributed by Eric Bishop

Kedleston, Derbyshire

 

Ked-less-tun

Jed Bland

Keighley (Yorkshire)   Keethley

Jimbo

Keswick

(information)

Kezik
Kettering (Northamptonshire) Ke'-rin

Apostrophe indicated glottal stop*

John Stolarski

Keynsham

(information)

Kaneshum
Kirdford   Curd-ford

Paul Haden

La Jolla, Southern California   La Hoy-er

John Harris

La Jolla, CA is pronounced more like La Hoya or La Hoy-yah, not La Hoy-er.

M. C. Potter

Lachlan (Tasmania) Lack-lan

Rozzie Chapman

or Lock-lan - certainly the river in New South Wales is the latter.

Eric

Launceston (UK)

(information)

Lawnston

Lanson or Lawnson

Andrew Nott

Launceston (Tasmania)   Lon-ces-ton

Mark Addison

Leadenham, Lincolnshire.  Led'nam

Phil

Leicester

(information)

 

Lester

Leigh (Kent) Lie

Faye Davies

Leigh (Surrey)  

Lie

Stuart Pennington

Leigh (Lancs) Lee

John Brookes

     
Leominster

(information)

Lemster
Lewes, East Sussex Loowis

Jon Bold

Lincoln Lincon

Anna Bland

Linthwaite (near Huddersfield)   Linfit

Francis Taylor

Little Weighton   Little Weeton

Philip

Lodi, Wisconsin   LOW-dye

Karen Zethmayr

Loose Looz   

Cathi

Loughborough   Luff-br

Sally Pomfrey

Lower Peover (Cheshire) Lower Peever

Philip

Lowestoft  Lowstuff

Robert Johnson

I think this could be an example of local dialect as here in the South of England it is usually pronounced as written i.e. Lo-es-toft

Malvern

 

  Mulven                      

 Contributed by Gary Lewis.

Malmesbury 

(information)

  Marmsberry                            

 Thanks to Ann  Cook

Manea (Cambridgeshire)  May-nee

Sheila Jones

Market Weighton   Market Weeton

Philip

Marlborough    Town is pronounced as spelled (first syllable to rhyme with market) but public school is pronounced Morlbro or Mawlbro

Martin Underwood

Marske by the Sea, N.Yorkshire    Mask (with a short 'a' as in apple)

Stuart Pennington

Mazomanie, Wisconsin   MAZE-oh-MAY-knee

Karen Zethmayr

Meols, Wirral (Cheshire) Mels                                Chris Lynch
Meols Cop, Southport   Meels Cop                         Chris Lynch
Meopham Mepam                     

Sent in by Peter Holman

Mepp-em

Andrew Moore

Midhurst   Middust

Paul Haden

I personally think maybe a case of local dialect as opposed to actual pronunciation as I think many people would still say Midhurst.

Mildenhall (Wilthsire) Minal  (to rhyme with spinal)  

David James Jones sent in this one

Milngavie

(information)

  Milgi  (as in guy)  

Sent by Bernard Friar & Sandy Henry

Milton Keynes

(information)

Milton Keens
Moggil Moggil  (New South Wales)   MOE-gill ma-GILL

Rozzie Chapman

Moggil, Queensland, Australia  Mog-il (short o).

Eric

Mousehole   Mowzel

Ben Vizard

Massal                                                   Philip

Nechells, Birmingham  Nee-chells

Janet Horton

Newcastle New-carsel or New-cassel

Peter Draggett

New Norfolk (Tasmania)   New Nor-foke or Norfick

Rozzie Chapman

Norwich   NORRich

Maggie Butler

   
Nottingham (Notts)

 

  Nott'num

John Brookes

(I think this is more a case of local diction than actual pronunciation)

Old Marston (Oxford) Old Marsden

Jimbo

Olney, Bucks.   OHnee

Mark Wheaver

   
Oswaldtwistle   Ozzul-twizzle

Anthony Draper

Owston, Leicestershire  Ooston

Phil

Paignton   Painton
Paoli, Wisconsin 2 real live residents: one says pay-OH-lee, the other PEE-oh-lye.

Karen Zethmayr

Penicuik near Edinburgh, Scotland    PennyCook

It comes from the Welsh Pen-y-cok, meaning Cuckoo's Hill.

Kate Palmer

Penistone   Penny -stun

Peter

Potter Heigham (Norfolk) Potter Ham

Derek Appleyard

Poughkeepsie (NY)

(information)

Poo-kipp-see

Thanks to Ian for this gem

PerKIPPsy

Michael Murphy

Pumpkin Center Punkin Center

Tyler Pruett

Rainworth (Nottinghamshire) Rennuth

John Stolarski

Rainworth, is NORMALLY pronounced (by the vast majority of locals) as Rain-worth.

Phil

Ratlinghope, Shropshire

 

  Ratchup

C. Smith

   
Rawtenstall   Rottenstorl

Peter Draggett

Redcar, N. Yorkshire Red Car & Red C' (as in the child pronunciation of C for Cat) depending on where exactly in the local area you are from.

Stuart Pennington

Reading Redding

Jan Müller

Reigate Ryegate
Rolleston, Nottinghamshire.   Rollston

Phil

Rothwell (Northamptonshire)

Sometimes written Rowell

  Roll

John Stolarski

Ruislip

(information)

  Ryeslip                     

 Sent in by David laver

Rushden (Northamptonshire)   Ruzh-dun

John Stolarski

Rushton (Northamptonshire) Rush-Tonn (emphasis on 2nd syllable)

John Stolarski

Ruthvoes (Cornwall)   Ruthers

Andrew Nott

Salford (Gtr Mcr)

 

  SOLLf'd

John Brookes

(I think this is more a case of local diction than actual pronunciation)

   
Salisbury

 

Sawlsbry
Sandwith,  Cumbria  sannuth

Foggy

Scalford, Leicestershire Skawlford

Phil

Schenectady, New York SkinEKTerdy

Michael Murphy

Scone, Perth, Scotland   Skoon
Sedlescombe, East Sussex Sellzkm

by the people who lived there but that seems to be dying out with the influx of non-Sellzkmites.

Derek Ash

Shrewsbury   Shrowsberry                    

From Ann Cook

OR

Shroosbury

Mike Lea-Wilson

Although as Mike Lea-Wilson has kindly pointed out even the locals cannot agree on how it should be pronounced - more information.

Skaneateles, New York   Skinny-ATTerlees

Michael Murphy

Slaithwaite (near Huddersfield)   "Slawit" (short 'a' of course)

Philip Robinson

Slaugham   Slofam
Slough    Slow (to rhyme with how/now)

Janet Horton

Smethwick (West Midlands)  Smeth-ick (most commonly)

Sme-rick amongst older Black Country speakers.

Janet Horton

Somerby Summerby

Phil

Southwark

(information)

  Suthuk
Southwell   Suthall                          Ellena Lyons

although there is much local debate with some people still saying Southwell.

The pronunciation of Southwell has been bastardised over the past 30 years.  My wife was born there; her family go back donkeys years in Southwell [In fact the original "Bramley" apple tree still stands in the garden of what was originally one or her relatives] and until I was about  25, neither her nor I had ever heard it called "Suthell".    Whilst this IS now a common used pronunciation of Southwell, (mainly due to radio & TV media), a lot of old South-wellians will spit in your face if you say "Suthell" to them!  I fear that thanks to the media, this is one town that will lose its original pronunciation.

Phil

South Witham South With-ham

Phil

St Neots  Saint Near-ts

Andrew Moore

St. Osyth  

 (information)

Toosee

(This could be a nickname rather than actual pronunciation and was sent in by Liza Hicks.)

Staithes, Yorkshire  Stayths

Mandy Gsell

Steers (by locals)

Stuart Pennington

Stawell (Somerset)   Stall

Derek Appleyard

Steyning   Stening
Stiffkey (Norfolk)

 

Stewkey

Philip

     
Stoughton, Leicestershire Stoeton

Jed Bland

Strathaven   Straven

Contributed by Sandy Henry

Sydenham, South London Sidnum or Sidnaam

Will Millinship

Tchesinkut Lake, NW British Columbia   Te-sink-ut

N.B. A native Indian name which I am sure I have never heard pronounced in the years I spent in Northern BC. Us Caucasian people pronounced it as "Te-sink-ut"

Bev

Teston (Kent ) Tees'n

Andrew Smith

Tettenhall  (near Wolverhampton    Teknor

Mike

I disagree with the above: Tettenhall is correctly pronounced as written.

Keith Sedgley

I grew up there and it's pronounced 'Tetnul'.

Dave

Thebarton, South Australia   Thebarton (NOT The Barton)

Belinda

Towcester

(information)

  Toaster

Sometimes pronounced with the first syllable rhyming with "now", probably in an attempt to make the place sound less like a kitchen appliance!

Martin Underwood

Tow Law, County Durham Tow Lah

Peter Draggett

Traquair House, Scotland   Trah-kerr
Trottiscliffe (Kent) Trosley

Andrew Smith

Your site states Trottiscliffe in Kent is pronounced "trosley", it is not trosley is a contraction not a pronunciation (and the name of the local park area)

Aaron

After receiving the above comment I did a little more research and according to the BBC it is pronounced "Tross-lee"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A19773499  

Further comments from Aaron -

I think the problem here is a technical difference, the BBC do not state that the word is pronounced Tross-lee, only that that is what it is called locally. I have lived in the village for over 50 years and this contraction only started to come into common usage about 25 years ago when the park was open, until then it was pronounced as it was written.

As I said it is just a technical difference between pronunciation and contraction, It is similar to saying that young people pronounce McDonalds as Maccy d's, it is just a contraction not a change in the actual pronunciation of the word.

 

Truro   Tru-row

Peter Draggett

Ulgham (Northumberland) ...  uffam

Peter Neale

Upper Peover (Cheshire)   Upper Peever

Philip  

Urchfont (Nr. Devizes, Wilts) Ushant

Keith Lewis

Wagga Wagga 
(New South Wales)
  Wogga (second Wagga is normally omitted)

Rozzie Chapman

If the second Wagga is not omitted, it is pronounced the same as the first.

Eric

Walcha (New South Wales) Wol-ka

Rozzie Champan

Warwick   Warrick

Anna Bland

Wednesbury, West Midlands   Wensbury

Robert J. Croton

Welwyn Wellin

Andrew Moore

Whitwick Wittik                    Sent in by Sheila Fox
Wickhambreaux Wickem-brew

Ken Dryden

Wigan, Lancs.   Wiggin

John Brookes

(I think this is more a case of local diction than actual pronunciation)

   
Wildboarclough, Cheshire   Wilbercluff (local pronunciation)
Woolfardisworthy (Devon) 

(information)

Woolsery

Philip Robinson

Worcester

(information)

  Wooster (as in Wood and Good)
Worle Wurl

James Bruton

Wrotham

(information)

Rootam                      

Sent in by Cathi

Rootm

We locals in north Kent pronounce it root’m (there is no “a” sound).

Derek Ash

Wybunbury (Cheshire)   wimberry

RS

Wymondham, Norwich   Windam

Philip

Wymondham, Leicestershire Why-mund-ham

Phil

Yachats, Oregon, USA.   Ya-hots

Paul Marshall

 

* A glottal stop is a speech sound articulated by a momentary, complete closing of the glottis in the back of the throat. Glottal stops occur in many languages and usually pattern as consonants.

A BIT OF FUN

How 'bout Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. It's named after a 1950s TV game show. Its former name was Hot Springs*

Curtis Croulet

 


Another US place name that's pronounced as spelled, but it's the why that's colorful: Plum Nelly Georgia, near the Tennessee border is so named because it's Plum out of Tennessee and "nelly" out of Georgia     Karen Zethmayr

 

 

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