PRONUNCIATION OF |
Spelling | Pronunciation | |
Adelaide
| AD-laid Rachel | |
Albany, Western Australia | Al-bany NOT All-bany. Eric | |
Albany Creek (suburb of Brisbane, Queensland)
| All-bny [it’s pronounced Peter G Gleeson, BA (Macq) | |
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA | AL-buh-KER-kee (If you were in the habit of naming your domestic M. Johansson | |
Alciston, East Sussex | Aston Stuart | |
Aldinga, South Australia | All-dinga (not Al-dinga!!!) – see comments below Al-dinga (not All-dinga) Belinda Whoops, Aldinga Aldinga – its not a difference of opinion. All residents of Aldinga Martin Woods
| |
Alfreton | Olfreton (although some disagree) Ellena | |
Alfriston, East Sussex | All-Friston Stuart | |
Allerton, Bradford, West Yorkshire | Ollerton Jeremy
| |
Alnmouth | Allenmouth Martin | |
Alnwick (Northumberland) | Anic Martin | |
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 | |
Amlwch – Anglesey | Am-look Andrew | |
Ansty, West Sussex | An-Sty Stuart | |
Ardingly (Sussex) | Ardingl-eye Joan | |
Arlesey | Arll-Zee Andrew | |
Aspatria | Spi’atry (by some) Richard | |
Averham, Nottinghamshire | Air-rum Phil | |
Aslackby, Lincolnshire | Aze-ul-by Andrew Tooms | |
Barlestone, Leicestershire
| Belsun (may just be locals though) Sian Mitchell | |
Bamburgh (Northumberland) | Bambruff Ben Bambro Martin | |
Barnoldswick (Lancashire) | Barlick Mark Iliff Barnoldswick (as spelled) Martin Underwood Barnoldswick is not pronounced Barlick. Barlick Ken Ranson | |
Barrow-in-Furness | ‘Furness’ is pronounced to sound like ‘furnace’ not ‘finesse’. Gavin | |
Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire | Barreronsor Sian Mitchell | |
Barwell, Leicestershire
| Barrel Sian Mitchell | |
Basket Range, South Australia | Basket Range (Bas – as in Cash not Barsket) Belinda You’ve written that it should be In Australia, the eastern states I live near Basket Range and some Rachel | |
Bawburgh, Norfolk | Bore-Bruh Dominic | |
Beaconsfield
| Bekonsfield | |
Bearsted | Beerstid Stephen Burgess | |
Beaulieu | Bewley Philip | |
Bedworth | Bedduth Anna | |
Belvoir | Beever Sheila Fox | |
Berwick on Tweed
| Berik on Tweed | |
Bevere (village near Worcester)
| Bevvery Andrew Brooke | |
Bicester
| Bister Brenda Young | |
Billesdon, Leicestershire | Billsdon Phil | |
Biloxi, Mississippi | Bih-LUX-ee M. Johansson | |
Bisham near Marlow, Bucks
| Bis-Um (NOT Bish-am) Dave Bennett | |
Blackley, Greater Manchester | Blakely Peter | |
Blidworth (Nottinghamshire) | Blidduth John Blidworth, is Phil | |
Bolsover (Derbyshire) | Baa-zer John | |
Boughton, Lincolnshire | Bootun Jed Bland | |
Bovey Tracey, Devon | Buvvy Trasey | |
Bozeat, Northants. | BOHzhut Mark | |
Bradley near Wolverhampton | Braid-Lee Craig Wilson | |
Bradwell | Bradl Liza | |
Braughing (Hertfordshire) | Braff-ing Janet Horton | |
Brewood, South Staffs near Wolverhampton | Brood Keith | |
Brisbane (Australia)
| Brizz-bn Peter G Gleeson, BA (Macq) | |
Brough, East Yorkshire | Bruff | |
Burpham, Surrey or West Sussex | Ber-Fam Stuart | |
Burton Lazars, Leicestershire | Burton Lazzers not Laz-aars Sian Mitchell | |
Cairns (Queensland) | Cans Rozzie Chapman | |
Canberra, Australia
| CAN-bra Rachel | |
Canowindra (New South Wales) | Ca-NOWN-dra Rozzie Chapman | |
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia | Cassle-main Peter G Gleeson, BA (Macq) | |
Chedzoy in Somerset | Chedzee Derek Appleyard | |
Chichester | Chidistr Paul Haden I | |
Chiddingly, East Sussex | Chidding-Lie Stuart | |
Chili, N.Y. | Cheye-lye (both syllables rhyme.) Karen | |
Chippenham (see comments at top of page)
| Chipnam (locally) Sent by Ann Cook Chipenum | |
Chiswick, New South Wales, Australia | Chizzik Peter G | |
Chiswick, London | Chizzik | |
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
Ron Gosling | |
Cley (Norfolk) | Cly (as in fly) Philip | |
Cogenhoe | Cook-no Jacqueline | |
Congresbury | Congsbree Simon Coonsberry | |
Coober Pedy, South Australia
| Coo-buh pee-dee. It’s not Coober Peddy. Rachel | |
Costessey, Norfolk: | Coss-ee Dominic | |
Cowbit, Cambridgeshire. | Cubbit Phil | |
Cranbourne (suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) | Cranb’n Peter G Gleeson, BA (Macq) | |
Creswick, Victoria, Australia | Crezzick Peter G | |
Croughton, S. Northants. | Crowton (rhyming with cow) OR Crowton (rhyming with crow) Robert J. | |
Croxton Kerrial. Leicestershire | Crow Sun Kerry ull (bird not people) Sian Mitchelll | |
Cuckfield, West Sussex | Cook-field Alex Browning Cuck-field (rhymes with This is one is contested a Patricia Whiteside Cuckfield is, in fact, local to | |
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 | |
Doncaster, Victoria, Australia | Doncassta Peter G | |
Duchally (in Auchterarder,Scotland) | Duck-ley Gayle Jones | |
Dulwich (South London and South Australia) | Dullitch Rachel | |
Dun Laoghaire (Nr. Dublin, Ireland)
| Dunn Leery (when speaking English) Doon Lair-uh (Irish Rhoda Draper | |
Dunwich (Suffolk) | Dunij Jimbo | |
Eaglesfield | Egglesfield Richard Tosswill | |
Earley, Berkshire. | Erlee Hamnet | |
Easebourne near Midhurst in West Sussex
| ‘Ezbun’ ‘Ezborn’, or ‘Ezbourne’ Penny Bell | |
Edinburgh, Scotland | Edinbruuh or Edinburruh | |
Edinburgh, (suburb of Adelaide, Australia) | Eddin-burruh Peter G eddin-bra Rachel | |
Eltham, SE London | El-tum Peter | |
Erith, Kent | Eer-ith C. Smith | |
Esher | Eesher Philip | |
Etchilhampton (near Devizes Wilts) | Eyeshalton Keith | |
Ewell | Yoo-all Peter | |
Eyam (Peak District) | Eem Martin | |
Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
| Air Peninsula Rachel | |
Flitwick | Flitick Gary Ware | |
Forster, New South Wales | Foster Belinda | |
Fowey (Cornwall) | Foy Andrew Fwoy (Cornish pronunciation) Keith | |
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 | |
Gamaliel, Missouri | Ga-mail-ya Tyler | |
Gillingham, Kent | Jillingham
| |
Gillingham, Norfolk & Dorset | Gillingham (hard sounding “g” as in Rebecca | |
Glamis, Angus | Glarms John Butler | |
Gloucester
| Gloster | |
Goatacre near Lyneham, Wilts | Goadoccur Keith | |
Godmanchester (Cambs.) | Gumster (old pronunciation) Philip | |
Goonoo Goonoo (New South Wales) | Gunna Ga-NOO Rozzie Chapman | |
Gorinchem (Netherlands) | Horkem Andrew Nott Actually, it’s CHorkem, with CH as Ivo Bouwmans | |
Gotham, Nottinghamshire | Goat’am Phil | |
Goudhurst, Kent
| Gowdhurst Stephen Burgess | |
Greenwich | Grenich Grinnitch | |
Greenwith, South Australia | Grenith Belinda | |
Greysouthen | Graysoon Richard Tosswill | |
Groby | Grooby Sent in by Sheila Fox | |
Grosmont, North Yorkshire | Grow-mont Peter | |
Grosvenor, Adelaide, South Australia | Grove-ner Rachel | |
Guisborough | Gizbrur or geezbrur | |
Happisburgh (Norfolk) | Hazeborough Moray | |
Harewood (between Leeds and Harrogate) | Harewood Har-wood (upper class/gentry) Martin | |
Harrogate | Ha-rughget – locals Rod Bell | |
Hastings, Sussex | Haystings | |
Hawick (Scottish Borders) | Hoyk Peter | |
Herstmonceux | Hurst-mon-soo Ken Dryden | |
Hertford (Hertfordshire) | Har-fud (by some) Janet Horton | |
Heather | Heether Sent in by Sheila Fox | |
Hele Bay, Devon | Heel Bay | |
Hellingly | Hellingl-eye Joan Hall | |
Hessle | Hezzle Philip | |
Heysham, Nr. Morecambe | Hee-Shum or Hee-Sham Andrew | |
Highams Park (NE London)
| Himes PAHk Gary Taylor | |
Hoddesdon (Hertfordshire) | Hods-dun Janet Horton | |
Holborn, Central London | Hoe-burn Claire | |
Holme, Nottinghamshire | Home Phil | |
Horsted Keynes | Horsted Canes Faye | |
| Hoe-t’n although
| |
Houghton, Leicestershire | Hoeton Jed Bland | |
Hunstanton (Norfolk) | Hunston Keith | |
Idridgehay, Derbyshire | Eye-drij-hay
Les Kirk | |
Ightham | I-tem (Eye-tem) Ken Dryden | |
Keadby | Kidbee | |
Kedleston, Derbyshire
| Ked-less-tun Jed Bland | |
Keighley (Yorkshire) | Keethley Jimbo | |
Keswick, Cumbria, England | Kezik
Rachel | |
Kettering (Northamptonshire) | Ke’-rin Apostrophe indicated glottal stop* John | |
Keynsham | Kaneshum | |
Kirdford | Curd-FORD Paul Haden I feel that the spelling used
|
* 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 AND OTHER INTERESTING SNIPPETS
The name “Devon” for the river in Nottinghamshire is not synonymous
in pronunciation with the county in Western England. The Nottinghamshire
river’s name is pronounced “Deevon”. Candida Lycett Green says so in her
book “Unwrecked
England“.
William Sitwell