Really strange PIS pronunciations

[geoffk]

Do they get the various Kirkbys right? I think I'm right in saying that the second k is always silent, except for Kirkby in Ashfield, where you pronounce it. I've heard Kirkby (Merseyside) pronounced as spelt on the PIS. When I rode on the Borders line soon after reopening, Stow was pronounced as in Stowmarket but I was told it should rhyme with cow.

 

[prod_pep]

The Merseyrail PIS gets Merseyside's Kirkby right, i.e. with a silent second 'k'. Can't speak for Northern's.

 

[317666]

I seem to remember the 350s pronounce Berkhamsted as 'Berk Hampstead', when I've always thought it was 'Berkumsted'. Any ideas which is correct?

I also seem to remember the male voice GWR use for their on-station announcements pronounces Ivybridge as though it's two separate words (Ivy Bridge), although I couldn't say for certain.

 

[Lewlew]

I seem to remember the 350s pronounce Berkhamsted as 'Berk Hampstead', when I've always thought it was 'Berkumsted'. Any ideas which is correct?

It's pronounced "Berko"

 

[SquireBev]

The announcements at Birmingham New Street used to pronounce Bournville with the stress on "ville".

BournVILLE. Very odd.

 

[tetudo boy]

Merseyrail trains pronounce "Birkenhead North" in a really weird way. While it does say it in the way it should be pronounced, there is a gap between "no" and "rth", so one could mistake it for saying "Birkenhead Nork" Or "Birkenhead Nok".

 

[Class800]

About Birkenhead, there are a few ways to pronounce it - but hard to write an indication of how this one might sound, so one may find 43 seconds into this video clip informative (listen from 38 seconds for context). Certainly that's how anyone I know from Merseyside would pronounce this town.

 

[prod_pep]

About Birkenhead, there are a few ways to pronounce it - but hard to write an indication of how this one might sound, so one may find 43 seconds into this video clip informative (listen from 38 seconds for context). Certainly that's how anyone I know from Merseyside would pronounce this town.

The main thing is the stress is on the last syllable: 'Birk-n-HEAD'. That's when we actually bother to say the full name of course - 'Birko' is common. We love shortening place names up here: Merseyrail for example has trains to 'Souie', 'Ormy', 'Newbo', 'Wekka' and 'Ellie Port'.

 

[Class800]

From the video, it is something like BEAR CH N HEAD

BEAR as per the animal
CH as per Scottish loch
HEAD as per the part of anatomy

With stress on HEAD

 

[oxfordray1]

The 195 on the Hope Valley line pronounces Hope as Hawp. I don't live there but have walked to or from it hundreds of times and only ever heard people saying Hope.

 

[johnnychips]

The 195 on the Hope Valley line pronounces Hope as Hawp. I don't live there but have walked to or from it hundreds of times and only ever heard people saying Hope.

That was the first post. The Circle of Life!

 

[oxfordray1]

So it is. How strange. I could have sworn I looked through to check if someone had already mentioned it, but it must have been what my partner calls a 'man look'.

 

[Parallel]

Annan seems to be pronounced as ‘A nan’ at most Scotrail stations instead of ‘Ann’n’. It is said correctly at Gretna Green but they haven’t changed the recording at their other stations.

 

[AverageTD]

This thread has made me realise how many town names I've been pronouncing poorly, like Kirkby with the 2nd K

 

[185143]

About Birkenhead, there are a few ways to pronounce it - but hard to write an indication of how this one might sound, so one may find 43 seconds into this video clip informative (listen from 38 seconds for context). Certainly that's how anyone I know from Merseyside would pronounce this town.

Surely the only acceptable way to pronounce that name is "Biiirkkkkkkk'ned"?

 

[ashkeba]

Surely the only acceptable way to pronounce that name is "Biiirkkkkkkk'ned"?

You are Max Headroom?