Maybe it’s because I’m a native New Englander, a region of the U.S. rife with quirky pronunciations, but I get a kick over British place name pronunciation. For example, I was born in New London, Connecticut, (“kinneddakit” not “connect-ti-cut”) in a hospital on the banks of the Thames (rhymes with flames) River overlooking the city of Groton (“grah-in”). Other fun New England examples:
- Worcester – “wister”
- Barre – “berry”
- Greenwich – “grennich”
- New Britain – “new brih-en” (New Englanders love glottal stops)
- Leominster – “lemminstir”
- Woburn – “woo-burn” if you’re way out in the Boston burbs, “woo-bin” if you’re a longtime Woburn resident.
- Scituate – “sitch-ew-it”
- Billerica – “bill-RIK-uh”
- Gloucester – “glosster”
- Leicester – “lester”
- Peabody – “pee-b’dee”
- Concord – “kon-kerd” or if from Boston, “kon-ked”
When I was a child I thought it was amusing that the British pronounced their Thames like “tems” and Groton like “grow-tin.” Nevertheless, the place names I encountered on first trips to the motherland were blissfully familiar since colonists borrowed place names from England when they settled New England in the 1600s. Gloucester Road and Leicester Square tripped merrily off the tongue. (These two places are probably the most butchered names by tourists since they’re hotel and theatre centers in London.) Grosvenor Square was easy because of my appreciation of the Grateful Dead, and because there happens to be a Grosvenor Dale, Connecticut (pronounced “grovenor”) not 20 miles away from my parents’ home. And I knew Derby was “darby” because my English relatives live in Derbyshire.
Others, though, continually tangle my tongue. I hesitate with Holborn, although now that I live near Woburn, Massachusetts, it has become easier to remember. (It’s pronounced “ho-burn” or “ho-bin.”) Another one that got me for the longest time was Marylebone. I’ve finally taught myself to pronounce something like “Mar-lee-bun,” which seems to get me where I need to go especially if I say it very fast. (I refuse to argue about this: even Emma Clarke, the voice of the Underground, struggled with Marylebone.) I still haven’t gotten the Pall Mall pronunciation down — is it Pell Mell? Paul Maul? Pal MaI? I don’t want to sound like a native, but I do like to be understood.
Other English place names that can be a pronunciation minefields:
- Beauchamp Place – “beecham”
- Southwark – “sutherk”
- Magdalen College – “modlin”
- Althorp House – for many years pronounced “awl-trop” but the current Earl Spencer has changed it to “awl-thorp”
- Berkeley – “bark-lee”
- and my personal favorite, Cholmondeley – “chum-lee”
What are the English place names that trip you up? Add them to the comments section below.
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The link to your site was sent to me by an old school friend who emigrated to the States many years ago. We both hail from Birmingham, England.
I have lived in the North West of England in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria (both pronounced as spelt) since 1965, and discovered a number of towns and villages in this area with strange pronunciations. Take a look at http://users.tinyworld.co.uk/peterostle/friends.html to get an idea!
I have a whole load in my book – my personal favourites are Alnwick (in Northumberland) which is pronounced Annik, and Berwick (same area) pronounced Berrik. A bit like Warwick, which is pronounced Warrik.
Mike, thanks for commenting and thanks to your friend, too. Oh dear, I just went through that list and got maybe three right. Ooof!
Expat Mum, I got one right there — Warwick — just because of Warwick, RI. p.s. I love your blog.
We say “Lester” in the UK, too. I nearly went to university there. One thing I find is Americans often say “York-shy-er”. Up here we say “York-shur” x
I’m having trouble finding the correct pronunciation of “Didcot”, in Oxfordshire. It looks French, so I’m guessing “did-ko” but would like to know how residents say it.
Didcot is pronounced did-kot (the t is not silent) .
It’s perhaps the ugliest town in Britain so I wouldn’t recommed a vist
Marylebone is a corruption of Mary le Bonne (Mary the Good) and is the name of the church that used to be there in the Middle Ages. It can be pronounced as you say but it is usually pronounced Marry le Bonn or Marry le Bone depending on who you talk to.
As for Magdalen College it’s actually Mawd-lin not modlin – no idea why.
HTH
I am Canadian and would like to know how the town of Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, is pronounced there. Thanks.
Noni, here’s how a Brit pronounces it:
http://www.forvo.com/word/cowes/
Just like plural cow.
Happisburgh in Norfolk. Pronounced Hayesbruh
or Wymondham pronounced Windum
…and don’t forget that Magdalene College Cambridge is pronounced the same as the Oxford one (Mawdlin), but has an e on the end