PRONUNCIATION OF
PLACE NAMES

Page 2 – L to Z

The names of many
towns and villages are pronounced differently to the way they are
spelled / spelt. The following chart shows just a few: if
you know of any others please send them in so they can be added for
others to enjoy.

More information on
pronunciation can be found on the other page on site which lists
villages and town beginning with the letter A to K.

Spelling		Pronunciation
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
Lafayette, Georgia: USA		luh-FAY-et M. Johansson
Launceston (UK)		Lawnston Lanson or Lawnson Andrew Nott
Launceston (Tasmania)		Lon-ces-ton Mark Addison
Leadenham, Lincolnshire.		Led’nam Phil
Leicester		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
Lobethal, South Australia		low-be-thool, lobeth-all. NOT Lobeth-al or Lobe-taal. This really bothers us locals. Rachel
Lodi, Wisconsin		LOW-dye Karen Zethmayr
Loose		Looz Cathi
Loughborough		Luff-br Sally Pomfrey
Louisiana		loo-EEZ-ee-AN-a (like “easy”), but most locals say loozy-anna. Mel Johansson
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
Mallala, South Australia		MAL-uh-lar Rachel
Malmesbury		Marmsberry Thanks to Ann Cook
Malvern (suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)		in Adelaide it’s pronounced Mulven but in Melbourne it’s pronounced Mallven Peter G Gleeson, BA (Macq)
Malvern, Worcestershire		Mulven Contributed by Gary Lewis.
Manangatang, Victoria, Australia		ma-NANG-ga-tang NOT manang-atang Rachel and Mum
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
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia		Mel-bn Peter G Gleeson, BA (Macq)
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		Milton Keens
Mobile, Alabama, USA		MO-beel M. Johansson
Moe, Victoria, Australia		mow-ee Rachel
Moggil Moggil (New South Wales)		MOE-gill ma-GILL Rozzie Chapman
Moggil, Queensland, Australia		Mog-il (short o). Eric
Montgomery, Alabama USA		locally pronounced mun-GUM-ry M. Johansson
Mousehole		Mowzel Ben Vizard Massal Philip
Munno Para, South Australia		MUNna parra Rachel
Minot, North Dakota USA		MY-not (rhymes with “why not”) M. Johansson
Nailstone, Leicestershire		Nelsun (may just be locals) Sian Mitchell
Nechells, Birmingham		Nee-chells Janet Horton
Newcastle		New-carsel or New-cassel Peter Draggett
New Norfolk (Tasmania)		New Nor-foke or Norfick Rozzie Chapman
New Orleans		New OR-lee-unz but most locals say nawlins Mel Johansson
Noarlunga, South Australia		NOR-lung-ga NOT no-are-lunga Rachel
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
Plaistow (village in West Sussex) Plaistow, Derbyshire Plaistow, London Plaistow, Kent		Plass-toe Andrew Brooke PLAY-stow PLAA-stow or PLASS-tow PLAA-stow or PLAY-stow,
Pooraka, South Australia		p’RAK-uh Rachel
Potter Heigham (Norfolk)		Potter Ham Derek Appleyard
Poughkeepsie (NY) (information)		PerKIPPsy Michael Murphy Poo-kipp-see Thanks to Ian for this gem Nobody says poo-kip-see. I get that it’s funny because of the “poo,” but, as the first commenter says, it’s per-KIPP-see. (Or, if you were phoneticizing for AE speakers, puh-KIPP-see. Mel Johansson
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 MÃ¼ller
Reigate		Ryegate
Reynella, South Australia		ruh-NELL-uh Rachel
Robeson County, NC		Robbeson There’s no “robe” in it. M. Johansson
Rolleston, Nottinghamshire. Rolleston, Canterbury, New Zealand		Rollston Phil We also have a Rolleston in Canterbury, New Zealand which I believe should pronounced as Rolls Tun but most of the locals say Rol Less Tun. Colin Dunn
Rothwell (Northamptonshire) Sometimes written Rowell		Roll John Stolarski
Rotherham, South Yorkshire		Rotherum
Ruislip		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, England Salisbury, South Australia		Sawlsbry Rachel
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
Sioux, in any place name (e.g., Sioux City, Iowa)		sue M. Johansson
Skaneateles, New York		Skinny-ATTerlees Michael Murphy OR Skinny-AT-less Robin Smith
Slaithwaite (near Huddersfield)		“Slawit” (short ‘a’ of course) Philip Robinson There are three ways the locals pronounce Slaithwaite near Huddersfield “Slay-thwait”, “Slath-wait” and “Slawit” as in “Slough-it”!! (Slough sounding like ‘cow’.) David Union
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
South Croxton, Leicestershire		South Crow Sun (Crow like the bird not a group of people) Sian Mitchell
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. Leonards, Sussex		Snt Lenards
St. Neots		Saint Near-ts Andrew Moore
St. Osyth		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
Teigh (Rutland)		Tee Sian Mitchell
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
Tobaccoville, USA		tuh-BAK-uh-vl The vowel in the final syllable of Southern towns ending in -ville is neutral, and barely pronounced at all. M. Johansson
Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia		Twoom-bah Peter G Gleeson, BA (Macq)
Tottenham, London		Tottnam
Tucson, Arizona		TOO-sahn M. Johansson
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” https://h2g2.com/approved_entry/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
Tucson, Arizona		TOO-sahn M. Johansson
Tupelo, Mississippi:, USA		TOOple-oh Mel Johansson
Ulgham (Northumberland) …		uffam Peter Neale
Upper Peover (Cheshire)		Upper Peever Philip
Urchfont (Nr. Devizes, Wilts)		Ushant Keith Lewis
Uttoxeter, Staffordshire		Uttoxeter in Staffordshire is pronounced Oot-oxeter where the first syllable rhymes with “foot”, not Yew-toxeter. In fact it’s traditionally pronounced “oot-cheter”. This is how my dad says it and the following website says Geoffrey Manners Cavendish, former owner of Crakemarsh Hall, says a posher version “Axeter” http://staffordshirebred.com/2013/07/26/other-peoples-houses/ (towards the bottom of the page). Nathaniel Boden
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
Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia		War-na-bool Peter G Gleeson, BA (Macq)
Warwick		Warrick Anna Bland
Wednesbury, West Midlands		Wensbury Robert J. Croton
Welwyn		Wellin Andrew Moore
Weymouth, Dorset		Waymuth
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		Wooster (as in Wood and Good)
Worle		Wurl James Bruton
Wrotham		Rootam Sent in by Cathi Rootm We locals in north Kent pronounce it root’m (there is no “a” sound). Derek Ash
Wudinna, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia		wood-na NOT “woo-dinner” or variations thereupon. Rachel and Mum
Wybunbury (Cheshire)		wimberry RS
Wymondham, Norwich		Windam Philip
Wymondham, Leicestershire		Why-mund-ham Phil
Yachats, Oregon, USA.		Ya-hots Paul Marshall
Yatala, South Australia		YAT-la Rachel

A
BIT OF FUN AND OTHER INTERESTING SNIPPETS

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

“Menzies” (a Scottish clan and castle) – pronounced “MING-iss”

“Pitjantjatjara“,
which is actually a tribe – pronounced “pigeon-jar-uh”

Rachel and Mum

PRONUNCIATION OF PLACE NAMES

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Examples of language differences between countries and states

More examples of language differences between American and U.K English

Cockney rhyming slang – Cockney expressions and meanings

PRONUNCIATION OF
PLACE NAMES