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Trivia: Place names that you're not sure how to pronounce

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snowball

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Call me thick; but I can't reconcile the above two statements. Could some kind person clarify? (Or is this an example of that Earthling thing called "humour", with which my kind often have problems?)

I was about to post the same but then it dawned on me. When tsr says "the measure of weight" he expects us to guess that he is referring not to "ton" but to "tonne", which some people pronounce to rhyme with "on".
 
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urbophile

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Barnoldswick on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border (now in the former but previously in the latter) is often pronounced by outsiders with the accent on the first syllable. Whereas if you are local, and trying to speak proper, it's Barn-olds-wick. If you're not, it's Barlick, or even, in the local micro-accent, Borlick.

As in "'t Barlick spud', the famous push-and-pull loco+ couple of carriages, that used to shuttle back and forth from Earby in days long gone.
 

Calthrop

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Call me thick; but I can't reconcile the above two statements. Could some kind person clarify? (Or is this an example of that Earthling thing called "humour", with which my kind often have problems?)

I was about to post the same but then it dawned on me. When tsr says "the measure of weight" he expects us to guess that he is referring not to "ton" but to "tonne", which some people pronounce to rhyme with "on".

Damn that Napoleon bloke and his new-fangled foreign measurements system -- throughout, it's caused nothing but confusion and misery...
 

AY1975

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Can you name any place names in the UK that:

(a) you're not sure how to pronounce
(b) you struggle to pronounce correctly
(c) are often mispronounced
(d) you've heard being pronounced in more than one way
(e) are pronounced differently from how they are written

Two places on the Cambrian line spring to mind here. Machynlleth is "Ma-hunc-leth" but to an English person it looks as if it is "Ma-chin-leth", and Pwllheli is "Pwathelly" but a lot of English people think it's Pwelly or Pfwelly.

Another place on the Cambrian line: Caersws = kurzooce.
 

tsr

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I was about to post the same but then it dawned on me. When tsr says "the measure of weight" he expects us to guess that he is referring not to "ton" but to "tonne", which some people pronounce to rhyme with "on".

Having seen the thread crop up, and re-read it, I've just realised that I posted absolute drivel in a moment of tiredness anyway.

But you have come up with a rational explanation, for which I am most appreciative!

"Tonbridge" is meant to be pronounced with the "on" in the place name rhyming with "un", not the standalone word "on".

Is that better? ;)
 

Calthrop

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Earlier in this thread, I've been naughty and written of spelling-versus-pronunciation of places in the Irish Republic -- which strictly should belong in the "International" sub-forum. Having not got into trouble for that, I will -- being just back from a short visit to the Republic -- risk doing a little more.

The place concerned, is 20-ish km. west of Dublin, with a station on the Dublin -- Sligo line: Maynooth. (Location of Ireland's chief seminary for training for the Catholic priesthood -- plus nowadays, I gather, a flourishing secular university too.) Until a few days ago, I had seen the the name only in written / printed form -- never heard it said; and had mentally transliterated it as rhyming with "Pay Ruth". However -- hearing it over the public-address system at Dublin (Connolly) station -- I found the proper pronunciation, Irish and English forms alike, to be approximately "MUHN-noo".
 
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Taunton

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Meols, on the West Kirby electric line, used to challenge the porters at the old Liverpool Central terminus when they would shout out the station stops (no PA, just shout).

It's "Mellz".
 

6Gman

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Meols, on the West Kirby electric line, used to challenge the porters at the old Liverpool Central terminus when they would shout out the station stops (no PA, just shout).

It's "Mellz".

But Meols Cop (Southport) is - I believe - Mee-olz.
 

ChiefPlanner

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Cwmtwrch Isaf , Cwmllynfell - both on the ex (closed) Swansea Vale Midland lines...

Anyone brave enough ?
 

Y Ddraig Coch

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Cwmtwrch Isaf , Cwmllynfell - both on the ex (closed) Swansea Vale Midland lines...

Anyone brave enough ?

Cwm - tour-Ll ( LL as you would attempt in anything with Llan in)

Cwm-lyn-fell (again the ll as you would attempt for Llandudno or llanrwst etc)
 

delt1c

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If you think the Uk has some difficult one's try visiting Australia. Buy a ticket to Helensburgh.
 

ChiefPlanner

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Cwm - tour-Ll ( LL as you would attempt in anything with Llan in)

Cwm-lyn-fell (again the ll as you would attempt for Llandudno or llanrwst etc)

Pretend you are Dutch .....

"Cwm twrch ch ch" (translates to valley of the boars)

"Cwm - llll-yn fellch....." translates to Valley of the lake , associated with a local river.."

Really hard ones ..
 

delt1c

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Pretend you are Dutch .....

"Cwm twrch ch ch" (translates to valley of the boars)

"Cwm - llll-yn fellch....." translates to Valley of the lake , associated with a local river.."

Really hard ones ..
does it get any easier with half a dozen beers inside :D
 

Liam

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Earlier in this thread, I've been naughty and written of spelling-versus-pronunciation of places in the Irish Republic -- which strictly should belong in the "International" sub-forum. Having not got into trouble for that, I will -- being just back from a short visit to the Republic -- risk doing a little more.

The place concerned, is 20-ish km. west of Dublin, with a station on the Dublin -- Sligo line: Maynooth. (Location of Ireland's chief seminary for training for the Catholic priesthood -- plus nowadays, I gather, a flourishing secular university too.) Until a few days ago, I had seen the the name only in written / printed form -- never heard it said; and had mentally transliterated it as rhyming with "Pay Ruth". However -- hearing it over the public-address system at Dublin (Connolly) station -- I found the proper pronunciation, Irish and English forms alike, to be approximately "MUHN-noo".

It's M'nooth, isn't it? The 'th' at the end is quite soft though. A former flatmate went to Uni there for a while.
 

paddington

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How do you say Menheniot? I did try to find out myself on my recent trip, but never managed to hear it pronounced despite stopping there 4 times.
 

Billy A

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I found myself passing through Fågelsjö in Sweden on the Inlandsbana a couple of years ago.

Don't even attempt it.
 

Calthrop

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It's M'nooth, isn't it? The 'th' at the end is quite soft though. A former flatmate went to Uni there for a while.

I must have missed the soft "th" -- my ear is often none too accurate.

A thing which gave me mild amusement on my recent visit, having in mind the way we Saxons tend to botch Celtic tongues, and make things over into what sounds familiar to us -- was in the bilingual public-address announcements on Iarnrod Eireann trains of greater importance: the Irish version of Limerick Junction, Gabhal Luimnigh. On first thus encountering this name spoken, I heard it as "Gavel a knee" (as in "gavel", a judge's or auctioneer's ceremonial mallet), and thought, "what on earth is that all about?" A couple more times of hearing it, and seeing it on the accompanying "writing-on-screen" version, enlightened me.
 

Howardh

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Bury.

Probably the shortest name that can be pronounced in at least two different ways.
 

ChiefPlanner

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does it get any easier with half a dozen beers inside :D

Course it does , most things do - provided they don't include driving or concentration.

Ystradgynlais.

This bit of South Wales has some epic hard to pronounce names .....:D
 

daodao

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The pronunciation of English place names is probably more difficult for non-locals as it is so idiosyncratic. For example, in West Mercia (West Midlands/Shropshire/Cheshire), Al is changed to Ol, as in Altrincham (pronounced Oltringam), Alsager (pronounced Olsayjer) and Alderley Edge (all of which have railway stations), and Alcester (pronounced Olster).
 
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