‘Who wants to torment Americans with English place name pronunciations?’ 27 hard to say favourites
As an American living in the UK, Kate Burton is already well aware that a lot of place names over here aren’t pronounced remotely like they are spelled.
And she thought she’d find out just how many – and how difficult – some of these pronunciations are by asking Twitter this.
Who wants to torment some Americans with English place name pronunciations? Give me some ideas. I’ll start with Southwark, London.
— Kate Burton (@BeTheMagpie) May 3, 2021
Or my favourite – the two Wymondhams. Spelled the same, pronounced differently.
— Kate Burton (@BeTheMagpie) May 3, 2021
I feel I should mention in case this sounds cruel, that I myself am American and have lived in the UK over half a decade. Having made most of the mistakes, I enjoy watching others do it now.
— Kate Burton (@BeTheMagpie) May 3, 2021
And the suggestions came rolling in. Here are our favourites.
1.
this one is just down the road from my mum pic.twitter.com/epZObNHJFk
— @[email protected] (@aldroid) May 3, 2021
When the French place name on the sign is the easier one to pronounce
— Hubert Lamontagne (@MrMadbrain) May 3, 2021
2.
Loughborough. (Do you know the old joke about the delegates who tried to give instructions to the cab driver? Scots ‘Luffburuff’, Americans ‘Lowborow’, Aussies ‘Lugaburuga’.)
— John Appleby (@JohnApplebyLD) May 3, 2021
3.
Towcester? pic.twitter.com/Q5sJ7QjVi3
— Jonty writing (@JontyHart01) May 3, 2021
4.
Can i cheat and go over the border. pic.twitter.com/1ENK2W2EiG
— Atheist Experience UK (@AtheistExperie2) May 3, 2021
5.
I’ll raise you:
llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch— Karin (@groovyhair) May 3, 2021
6.
Where I live Wymondham (Wind-um) and various local Norfolk towns such as
Happisburgh (Hays-bruh)
Costessey (Cossey)
Tasburgh (Taysbur)
Reepham (Reffam)— The Hectic Teacher ♀️ (@HecticTeacher) May 3, 2021
7.
I’m also in Norfolk, so like this list, but my personal favourite has to be Hautbois, pronounced Hobbis. It’s a tiny place, but deserves a mention.
— Helen Ashdown (@ashdown_helen) May 3, 2021
8.
Slaithwaite in Yorkshire. I’m not giving the proper pronunciation because it’s how we weed out spies.
— From The Book Nook (@from_nook) May 3, 2021
9.
Harrogate, Slaithwaite, Cudworth, Elsecar, Dodworth, Dewsbury, Keighley, Masham, Meltham, Mytholmroyd, Sowerby Bridge, Todmorden, Wombwell…… https://t.co/oQDFqoESfc
— Yorkshire Slang (@YorkshireSlang) May 3, 2021
10.
The English can’t even pronounce simple Scottish place-names like Bearsden, Milngavie, Falkirk and Greenock.
— Alvin Ford (@AlvinFord14) May 3, 2021
11.
Not just Americans. Spanish rugby commentators can’t get their heads around the fact that Leicester has 2 syllables but Exeter has 3.
— ChrisP (@Wordsmithgetxo) May 3, 2021
12.
I once heard an American pronounce Wetherby (west Yorkshire) as Wet-herby.
— Jo Ingram NHS #RejoinEU #FBPE (@JosephineIngra1) May 3, 2021
13.
My fave is Fingringhoe don’t think it matters if you are English or American my juvenile sense of humour just finds this hilarious!!! pic.twitter.com/dNWYbwcoOu
— ❄️LiberalLou 3.5%❄️ (@mrslouiseharris) May 3, 2021
