Mispronounced British Place Names: Guide to Correct Pronunciation
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Britain has been a playground for various invaders, including Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Scandinavians, and Normans. Consequently, the country is home to a macabre mix of counties, cities, and castles that bear strange place names.
With changing times and cultures, these names have evolved, adopting unique quirks and at times becoming utterly unpredictable. Places like Happisburgh are "Haze-bur-ruh," Cholmondeley is "Chum-lee," and Leominster is "Lem-stuh."
A land of rule-breakers, it sometimes is best to memorize names on their own peculiar terms. Even popular locations can trip up the unwary. Here's a guide to some of these tricky spots:
London
London isn't tame when it comes to confusing travelers. The multicolored spaghetti of the Tube system isn't the only thing that'll befuddle you - it's the pronunciation of place names, especially these:
Leicester Square
Less-stuh, mispronounced as "Lie-cess-ter" by the American stereotype. I'm talking about Fodor-wielding tourists, my friend. It stems from "St Mary at the Bourne," a church built on the banks of the old Tyburn river.
Marylebone
Mar-luh-bon, but beware the "Tyburn:" it's long been buried underground.
Holborn
Ho-bun, meaning "hollow spring." Don't be fooled by the underground river, though. The viaduct that bridges it was built long after the viaduct opened.
Pall Mall
No, it isn't a shopping mall. Instead, it's a strip of high-end embassies and gentlemen's clubs, with a name derived from a 17th-century Italian croquet game called pallamaglio. The English version of the game was aptly named "pell mell," not "pall mall," despite its presence on the Monopoly board.
Southwark
Suth-uk, meaning "southern defensive work." It's the well-known area south of London Bridge, once used to guard the city proper.
Bicester and Cirencester
Bicester
Bis-tuh, a name derived from "Fort of the Warriors" or "Two Forts." The suffix "cester" is found in several British place names. Similar to Leicester.
Cirencester
Pronounced just as it looks - Siren-cess-ter. And why not?
Edinburgh
The origins of "Edin" predate the 6th century. Ed-in, similar to other European cities with "burg" suffix, apart from London and the - utterly puzzling - soft "bruh."
Alnwick
Thanks to "Harry Potter" and "Downton Abbey," nearly a million tourists visit Alnwick Castle, Northumberland each year. "An-ick" is the correct pronunciation, but watch out: a one-hour drive to the southwest brings you to another Northumberland village with the same name, pronounced exactly the same.
Frome
Picturesque winding cobbled streets await travelers in the Somerset town of "Froom," despite local frustration with outsiders saying it incorrectly. The name derives from an adjective "fine, fair, or brisk" used to describe the flow of the River Frome, which passes through the town.
Hunstanton
The "Stanton" in Hunstanton, North Norfolk, reinforces that England isn't playing by the rules. It's instead pronounced "Hun-stn."
Beaulieu and Belvoir Castle
Beaulieu
As a French influence, the name of this Hampshire village - home to a 13th-century abbey and the National Motor Museum - means "beautiful place." But it's not pronounced the way the French would say it - Byoo-lee it is.
Belvoir Castle
Spelled like a beaver, but pronounced Beaver Castle.
Mousehole
Quirky name demands a quirky pronunciation - "Mow-zul." Don't forget, they even have a reviving Cornish language these days!
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
Wales' 58-letter name is as real as Cardiff, Swansea, or Wrexham. Though castles, sweeping valleys, and Ryan Reynolds-owned soccer teams steal the spotlight, tourist hordes also visit this small North Wales town each year. And if you're looking to impress the locals, here's how to pronounce this tongue twister - KHLAHN-vire-poothl-GWIN-githl-go-ger-uh-KHWIRN-droh-boothl-KHLAN-tee-sil-yo-go-go-GOKH. At least the meaning is clearer than most - "St Mary's Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel Near to the Rapid Whirlpool of Llantysilio of the Red Cave."
In the diverse mix of British locations, places like Bicester (Bis-tuh) and Cirencester (Siren-cess-ter) bear names similar to Leicester. However, unsuspecting travelers might mispronounce them as "Lie-cess-ter" and "Siren-ces-ter," respectively, due to their confusing Anglo-Saxon roots. Even in aviation and entertainment, idiosyncrasies abound, as seen in Beaulieu, a French-influenced village in Hampshire, which is pronounced Byoo-lee instead of the expected Byoo-lee. Furthermore, the quirky name of the village Mousehole (Mow-zul) reflects its unique lifestyle, much like the idiosyncratic, 58-letter name Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, a tiny town in North Wales, which means "St Mary's Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel Near to the Rapid Whirlpool of Llantysilio of the Red Cave."
