Pronunciation of British place names

[Hagar]

This was inspired by Fozzer's American "city names" topic. Pronunciation of place names has always fascinated me. We have many examples of regional pronunciation in my part of the world which must confuse visitors.

For example;
In my local area the village of Ardingly in Sussex is pronounced Arding-lie.
Ansty is An-sty (as in pig sty)
Chiddingly is Chidding-lie
Leigh in Surrey is pronounced Lie.

I'm sure you get the picture.

The river Adur near here is pronounced Ayder which always confuses BBC news presenters.

Further afield Alnwick in Northumberland is pronounced Annick.
Then there's the more common examples of
Gloucester = Gloster
Leominster = Lemster
Leicester = Lester
Warwick = Worrick

I'm sure there's plenty more.

[machineman9]

Crewe - S***hole

Or atleast, that's what we refer to it as

[Fozzer]

...apart from Leominster, pronounced "Lempster"....

We also have Gloucester; "Gloster".
Worcester; "Woouhster".
Norfolk; "Norfuk".... :o..
Suffolk; "Suffuk"

(Essex and Kent are OK)... ;D...!

Paul...thinking of some more... ::)...!

....and on the comical side, we have; "Pratt's Bottom"...>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt%27s_Bottom
I used to live near there.
Petts Wood. Kent:....>>> http://www.pettswoodvillage.co.uk/

[Hagar]

Worcester; "Woouhster".

I find some attempts at phonetic pronunciation difficult to understand. It's much clearer if you can hear someone saying it.
For a pretty good idea of how I would pronounce it click on the speaker icon here --> Worcestershire

[Fozzer]

Worcester; "Woouhster".

I find some attempts at phonetic pronunciation difficult to understand. It's much clearer if you can hear someone saying it.
For a pretty good idea of how I would pronounce it click on the speaker icon here --> Worcestershire

Even that saying, doesn't actually sound like the phonetic spelling. "Woo"...is pronounced "Wuh"...

Wuhster-shire.

"Woo"; is "Jeeves and Wooster"!... ...

Paul...A West Country Cockney!.. ...!

[H]

I just presented Worcester in the other thread. Usually referencing to "woo" in wood or as the woo for courtship, Woo-stur. Although pronounced Glosstur, Gloucester is sometimes pronounced Gl-ow-stur.
'New' England often pronounces the names quite similarly as in England; after all, that's where we stole them from.

8-)

[Fozzer]

I just presented Worcester in the other thread. Usually referencing to "woo" in wood or as the woo for courtship, Woo-stur. Although pronounced Glosstur, Gloucester is sometimes pronounced Gl-ow-stur.
'New' England often pronounces the names quite similarly as in England; after all, that's where we stole them from.

8-)

@H: I must spend more (Sim) time in; New England... ...

..it sounds like; "Home-from-Home", to me!... ...!

Paul... ...!

[Hagar]

I just presented Worcester in the other thread. Usually referencing to "woo" in wood

That's the best example I've seen.

[H]

@H: I must spend more (Sim) time in; New England...
..it sounds like; "Home-from-Home", to me!

As more and more immigrate from places where English is unknown, it's very slowly being changed. My cousins pronounce half as haff while I still pronounce half almost as if the "l" is actually there (without actually pronouncing it). They also pronounce aunt as ant; I responded with, "My aunts are with my uncles -- but ants are occasionally around their ankles."

8-)

[Hagar]

Of course, there are many different regional accents & dialects in Britain. Some are almost unintelligible to me so foreigners must find it very difficult. Pronunciation varies depending on where you come from.

I've just remembered another local town that always confuses the BBC news & traffic presenters. Steyning is pronounced Stenning. That letter Y again.

The county town of East Sussex is Lewes - pronounced Lewis.

[jetprop]

well,here they pernounce aunt as ant,the half/haff one depends on a the person in question.
i just remember how someone says this centence:
born in a barn.
he pernounces it like:
baorn in a b

[Fozzer]

[quote]well,here they pernounce aunt as ant,the half/haff one depends on a the person in question.
i just remember how someone says this centence:
born in a barn.
he pernounces it like:
baorn in a b

[Ang2dogs]

Worcester; "Woouhster".

I find some attempts at phonetic pronunciation difficult to understand. It's much clearer if you can hear someone saying it.
For a pretty good idea of how I would pronounce it click on the speaker icon here --> Worcestershire

A fella picked-up a bottle in a resturant and said,

whatsthisheresauce?

[Fozzer]

Worcester; "Woouhster".

I find some attempts at phonetic pronunciation difficult to understand. It's much clearer if you can hear someone saying it.
For a pretty good idea of how I would pronounce it click on the speaker icon here --> Worcestershire

A fella picked-up a bottle in a resturant and said,

whatsthisheresauce?

.... ... ...10/10....!

Worcestershire Sauce.... ...!

Cheeky!... ...!

Paul... ...!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcestershire_sauce

P.S. Worcestershire Sauce, like Gravy Browning, http://www.britsuperstore.com/acatalog/ ... kwell.html are two condiments that will last you a lifetime in your larder!
(I am still using my dear departed Mum's Gravy Browning from 40 years ago!...one drop at a time!)

[Bud Greene]

After reading all that my head hurts, my eyes are crossed and my tongue is tied into a slipknot.  I feel like I'm learning to read all over again