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List of names in English with non-intuitive pronunciations
Note: For purposes of this page, "non-intuitive pronunciation" means a pronunciation that is not easily deducible from the spelling. Included are placenames in English-speaking countries, surnames of British origin, and first names widely encountered in the English-speaking world.
See International Phonetic Alphabet for English for a guide to the IPA symbols used.
- Arkansas — . Compare Kansas
- Buccleuch — [bəˈkluː]
- Caius (as in Caius College, Cambridge) — [kiːz]
- Cholmondeley — [ˈtʃʌmli]
- Cirencester, now usually spelling pronunciation [ˈsaɪrənˌsɛstə], but formerly and occasionally still pronounced [ˈsɪsɪtə] *
- Cockburn — [ˈkoʊbɜːn]
- Cosham , Hampshire — [ˈkɒsəm]
- Costessey, Norfolk — [ˈkɒsi]
- Dalziel (as in the UK television series Dalziel and Pascoe) — [diːˈɛl] or [diːˈjɛl]
- Des Moines, Iowa — [dəˈmɔɪn]
- Edinburgh, Scotland — [ˈɛdn̩b(ə)rə]
- Etobicoke, Ontario — [əˈtoʊbɪˌkoʊ]
- Featherstonehaugh — [ˈfænʃɔː], [ˈfɛstənhɔː], [ˈfiːsn̩heɪ], [ˈfɪəstənhɔː], or intuitively as [ˈfɛðəstənhɔː] *
- Frome, Somerset — [fruːm]
- Gloucester (English city and Massachusetts city), both [ˈglɒstə] (RP and Boston accent) or [ˈglɔstɚ] (General American)
- Greenwich, Greater London, also Greenwich, Connecticut and Greenwich Village in New York City — [ˈgrɛnɪtʃ]
- Happisburgh , Norfolk — [ˈheɪzb(ə)rə]
- Holborn, Greater London — [ˈhoʊbɜːn]
- Illinois — [ˌɪləˈnɔɪ]
- Islay (island of the Inner Hebrides, Scotland) — [ˈaɪlə]
- Keighley, West Yorkshire) — [ˈkiːθli]
- Kiribati (island nation in Pacific Ocean) — [ˈkɪribæs]
- Kirkby, Merseyside — [ˈkɜːbi]
- Kirkcudbright, Scotland — [kɪrˈkuːbri]
- Leicester, England and Leicester, Massachusetts — [ˈlɛstə]
- Leominster, Herefordshire — [ˈlɛmstə]. Compare Leominster, Massachusetts which is more intuitively pronounced [ˈlɛmənstə].
- Mackinac Island, Michigan — [ˈmækɪˌnɔː]
- Magdalen(e) (as in Magdalen College, Oxford and Magdalene College, Cambridge) — [ˈmɔːdlɪn]
- Manchaca, Texas — [ˈmæntʃæk]
- Marjoribanks — [ˈmɑːtʃbæŋks]
- Menzies (as in Menzies Campbell) — [ˈmɪŋɪs]
- Mousehole, Cornwall — [ˈmaʊzəl]
- Naas, County Kildare, Ireland — [neɪs]
- Natchitoches, Louisiana — [ˈnækətəʃ]
- Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland — [neɪ]
- Pedernales River, Texas — [ˌpɝdəˈnæləs]
- Sean (first name of Irish origin) — [ʃɔːn]
- Siobhan (first name of Irish origin) — [ʃəˈvɔːn]
- Sioux (e.g. Sioux Falls, South Dakota) — [suː]
- Slough, Berkshire — [slaʊ]
- Southwark, Greater London — [ˈsʌðək]
- Spokane, Washington — [spoʊˈkæn]
- Tal(l)iaferro (American place & family names) — [ˈtɑlɪvɚ]
- River Thames — [tɛmz]
- Towcester, Northamptonshire — [ˈtəʊstə]
- Warwick, UK — [ˈwɒrɪk]
- Worcester, England and Worcester, Massachusetts, both pronounced [ˈwʊstə]. Compare Wooster, Ohio
- Woolfardisworthy — [ˈwʊlzi] or [ˈwʊlzəri]
- Wymondham, Norfolk — [ˈwɪndəm] *
- Youghal, County Cork, Ireland — [jɔːl]
* Pronunciations from John C. Wells, Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, Longman 1990.
References
- G. M. Miller (editor), BBC pronouncing dictionary of British names. Oxford University Press, 1971. ISBN 0-19-431125-2
See also
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