Mis -pronounced names

[Europa1]

gizlaroc said:

I was saying why the French pronounce it, not how it should be.

Let me ask you this, would you ask for 'A glass of Mo-ett?' at the bar?

Never; only buy by the bottle.

[Balmoral]

Moose, pronounced Lewis or Mush.

[knotweed]

I went to college in Southwell. The pronunciation debate happened at least once a week.

Gotham in Nottingham is a good one . And Rainworth.

[lockhart flawse]

I visited the Moet cellars in Epernay in August and I asked them for the correct pronounciation.

It's Mo-ette.

[Frimley111R]

I hate this one: Ely. I pronounce it 'Ee-lee' but everyone else down here says 'Ee-lie'. And yet if you mention the Cambridgeshire(?) town of the same name...

I gets worse as a large local pub is called The Ely and their answerphone says 'Ee-lie'.

[TooLateForAName]

Eric Mc said:

TIGA84 said:

TooLateForAName said:

Featherstonhaugh?

Go on, I'm usually good with these but that eludes me.

It translates as "Pretentious".

You say that, but it was the surname of a very down to earth teacher at my secondary school in east cleveland - which is not a top pretentious place. I can't imaging that she did it deliberately for effect.

[TooLateForAName]

I see we're doing places as well.

Chop Gate -> chop yat

[yellowjack]

Frimley111R said:

I hate this one: Ely. I pronounce it 'Ee-lee' but everyone else down here says 'Ee-lie'. And yet if you mention the Cambridgeshire(?) town of the same name...

I gets worse as a large local pub is called The Ely and their answerphone says 'Ee-lie'.

The newly refurbished pub on the A30? I've never heard Ely pronounced any way other than Ee-lee. Same as the natives pronounce the 'Island in the Fens' that I once rode a 100 mile round trip on a bicycle to, just to see the cathedral. Lovely little city but the last few miles on (I think) the A10 were horrendous on a bike. Got to be honest, the journeys there and back were the highlight, not the city itself.

[ATG]

The U.S. city, St Louis, is pronounced "lewis", not "luey". The latter incorrect pronunciation was a bit of artistic licence in a song in a film, but it seems to have stuck in the UK.

[Loyly]

wildcat45 said:

Cambois in Northumberland is pronounced Cammus

Stakeford in Northumberland is pronounced as two words. The Ford bit is pronounced like the car brand.

Annitsford in Northumberland is also split in two.

Uglham. In Northumberland is pronounced Uffam

Tynemouth is pronounced as it is spelt, and not Tynemuth as you pronounce Portsmouth Plymouth or Falmouth.

Newcastle is pronounced Nycassel

A suburb of Newcastle is Gosforth pronounced Gosfuth

Another Newcastle suburb is Elswick pronounced Elsic.

Further south Houghton Le Spring is pronounced Hoetun-Lee-Spring.

There is an area of Sunderland called Southwick. You pronounce the Wick bit, it isn't pronounced Suthic.



Redcar is pronounced as it is spelt not Redcu

I was going to say, Cambois is a funny one. I never understood how they came up with the pronunciation of 'cammis' with those letters.


Annitsford is pronounced Annits-fad though, much as Gosforth is goss-fath. I used to go out with a girl from Annitsford, and I can still remember her slating people who thought they were posh by accentuating the 'ford' in the same. Not seen the lass in years but K and L fisheries on the main road is as good as I remember.

[Johnnytheboy]

My home town of Sturminster Newton.

Pronounce "Stur" by everyone.

[Cliftonite]

Cogenhoe, Northants, is pronounced 'cook-no'

[thebraketester]

Theydon Bois

[droopsnoot]

I recall one of the first times I'd been sent out on my own to see a customer, driving around Wigan looking for Mesnes Road. And not getting any help from most people, when I asked if they could direct me to "Mes Nes Road". Apparently it's pronounced "Mains Road".

[Hugo a Gogo]

Demesne is a real word, old-timey land division thingmy, similar to Domain but different

[RichB]

thebraketester said:

Theydon Bois

Go on, why is that mispronounced? It's a place called Theydon and it was either in a wood or near a wood hence bois, French for woods. After the Norman conquest many places in the south gained French names but in the ensuing 1,000 years they have become anglicised. Hence if everyone calls the place Theydon Boys it is pronounced Theydon Boys. Or... are you suggesting some pretentious tts say 'Theydon Bwuh'

[N8CYL]

Vipers said:

Have we had Everest yet? its should be pronounced EVV-uh-rest, not Ev-uh-rest.

This is how Sir George Everest (1799-1866), the Welsh born Surveyor General of India, after whom it is named, pronounced his surname.

George Everest's surname was actually pronounced Eve-rest, with the emphasis on 'Eve,' like the woman's name. (says Google)

[N8CYL]

courvoisier....only looked at it but never needed to pronounce it until someone said it the other day.

Holborn, London, again on the tube heard it .... never knew.

[kowalski655]

RichB said:

thebraketester said:

Theydon Bois

Go on, why is that mispronounced? It's a place called Theydon and it was either in a wood or near a wood hence bois, French for woods. After the Norman conquest many places in the south gained French names but in the ensuing 1,000 years they have become anglicised. Hence if everyone calls the place Theydon Boys it is pronounced Theydon Boys. Or... are you suggesting some pretentious tts say 'Theydon Bwuh'

I grew up in Chigwell , just down the road,& it was "Boyce" more than "Boys", certainly not "Bwuh"

[motco]

kowalski655 said:

RichB said:

thebraketester said:

Theydon Bois

Go on, why is that mispronounced? It's a place called Theydon and it was either in a wood or near a wood hence bois, French for woods. After the Norman conquest many places in the south gained French names but in the ensuing 1,000 years they have become anglicised. Hence if everyone calls the place Theydon Boys it is pronounced Theydon Boys. Or... are you suggesting some pretentious tts say 'Theydon Bwuh'

I grew up in Chigwell , just down the road,& it was "Boyce" more than "Boys", certainly not "Bwuh"

Chesham Bois is also 'boyz' preceded by 'chesh-am' not 'chessam'. Bisham, however, is 'Biss-am'

Oh, and 'Wooburn' is not 'woebun' it's Woo-burn' just as it's written.