Station pronunciation

[johnnychips]

I was talking to someone from Norfolk the other day, and she was saying how the 'Barney' family used to own loads of land. I twigged that it might relate to Berney Arms station, and she hadn't heard of it (!), but said the family's name was pronounced 'Barney' but spelt Berney.

So how do you pronounce the station?

And I might as well kill two birds with one stone... How on earth do you pronounce Westhoughten?

(You can google for an earlier thread on Shrewsbury - can't paste link for some reason)

Mods please move if in wrong place.

 

[plymothian]

West - h'awt - 'en

or do you want to do a 'Dave Gorman' and for example pronounce Loughbrough (Luff - br'a) as 'low-brow'?

 

[Tim R-T-C]

It is funny how many people cannot pronounce Keighley correctly.

Whenever I deal with call centres, I am amazed when they get it right.

 

[HH]

I was talking to someone from Norfolk the other day, and she was saying how the 'Barney' family used to own loads of land. I twigged that it might relate to Berney Arms station, and she hadn't heard of it (!), but said the family's name was pronounced 'Barney' but spelt Berney.

Barney is the correct pronunciation. If you have problems with that you'd better not go to Wymondham.

Mind you, some places in Norfolk have been so colonised by Londoners with second homes that the original pronunciations are being lost, e.g. Stiffkey should be pronounced Stu-key and Cley as Klie, but last time I was in those parts they were being pronounced as they look by all the braying young things.

 

[bluenoxid]

It is funny how many people cannot pronounce Keighley correctly.

Whenever I deal with call centres, I am amazed when they get it right.

You pronounce it with 3 F's.

 

[johnnychips]

West - h'awt - 'en

or do you want to do a 'Dave Gorman' and for example pronounce Loughbrough (Luff - br'a) as 'low-brow'?

I thank you for your answer, but would the 'h' actually be pronounced? Us northerners don't usually bother.

 

[backontrack]

I always used to be tripped up by 'Meopham'. It's actually pronounced as 'Mep-ham'.

Shrewsbury is pronounced as... :P

 

[61653 HTAFC]

You pronounce it with 3 F's.

"F***ing Keeffley!"

Slaithwaite is one that catches people out, I've also heard people attempt to say "Ma'am-royd" for Mytholmroyd...

Also, Bradford should be pronounced "Bratfud" unless you've a silver spoon stuck in your teeth!

 

[backontrack]

Slaithwaite is one that catches people out, I've also heard people...

How is it pronounced?

 

[sheff1]

How is it pronounced?

Sla - wit

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Sla - wit

Indeed. Slath-wait is acceptable, but Slay-thwaite will see you thrown in the Colne!

 

[Flying Snail]

Too many people get wound up about outsiders not knowing how to pronounce their town names when the spelling gives little clue, unless you know the name you are going to get it wrong.

Irish names are often unpronounceable to foreigners, even the Anglicised versions that are used for most places. The written name of my hometown Dun Laoghaire is a completely different word to that used in speech so without knowing it nobody is going to pronounce it correctly.

 

[TheEdge]

Shrewsbury is pronounced as... :P

As someone born and bred in Shrewsbury... *eye twitch*

 

[johnnychips]

Barney is the correct pronunciation. If you have problems with that you'd better not go to Wymondham.

Mind you, some places in Norfolk have been so colonised by Londoners with second homes that the original pronunciations are being lost, e.g. Stiffkey should be pronounced Stu-key and Cley as Klie, but last time I was in those parts they were being pronounced as they look by all the braying young things.

Thanks! My friend did mention Wymondham, but also mentioned Costessey and Happisburgh, which alas, are no longer on the railway, if they ever were.

 

[Ianno87]

I thank you for your answer, but would the 'h' actually be pronounced? Us northerners don't usually bother.

I'm from Bolton and used to date a Cow 'ead (translation: Girl of Westhoughton origin); I pronounce it almost like Wes-tor-tun (spoken in a single breath with an almost-silent second 't').

Others do, however, say "West-how-ton"

 

[tel]

Best one when i was in Scotland a long time ago i asked for a single ticket to Milngavie and was told it was pronounced Mulguy, oops sorry.

Tel

 

[Bevan Price]

Too many people get wound up about outsiders not knowing how to pronounce their town names when the spelling gives little clue, unless you know the name you are going to get it wrong.

Irish names are often unpronounceable to foreigners, even the Anglicised versions that are used for most places. The written name of my hometown Dun Laoghaire is a completely different word to that used in speech so without knowing it nobody is going to pronounce it correctly.

Dun Lee-ry ?

 

[Gathursty]

West-hor-tun or Wes-tor-ton for Westhoughton.
Ex-ton Balshaw Lane for Euxton
Bus-ca for Burscough
Mels for Meols / Meols Cop

That's about it near where I live.

 

[40129]

I've been waiting for this topic to rear its ugly head having gotten thoroughly fed up with the mis-pronounciations by the auto-announcers around the West Midlands.

Top of my list of annoyances in this regard is my home town being pronounced Shrowsbury - please note Shakespeare did not write the Taming of the Shrow! This is followed by almost every station on the Cambrian Coast line being mis-pronounced, including by an auto-announcer with a supposedly Welsh accent.

 

[mirodo]

Top of my list of annoyances in this regard is my home town being pronounced Shrowsbury - please note Shakespeare did not write the Taming of the Shrow!

But the town name has got nothing to do with small mammals, regardless of how it is spelled.

If you look at the way the town's name has evolved (Scrobbesburh > Schrosberie > Shrewsbury), you can see how it should be pronounced.

 

[40129]

I know how it should be pronounced. I was born and raised there

 

[VisualAcid]

JK Rowling forever making sure Flitwick is mispronounced by having Harry Potter pronounce it wrong...

 

[Darren R]

JK Rowling forever making sure Flitwick is mispronounced by having Harry Potter pronounce it wrong...

That's one of the stations I've often wondered about; is the 'w' silent, as I have always assumed? (Or did Harry Patter make the same mistake? )

 

[martinsh]

Alsaget is pronounced Ol-say-jer NOT Al-say-jer

 

[mirodo]

I know how it should be pronounced. I was born and raised there

It would appear that not all of your fellow townsfolk share your conviction.


http://nativemonster.com/lifestyle/the-great-shroosbury-v-shrowsbury-debate

 

[Zoidberg]

Alsaget is pronounced Ol-say-jer NOT Al-say-jer

Where is Alsaget?

Scotland has some excellent town names with potential for mispronunciation, for example ...


Kirkcudbright

Kirkcaldy

 

[AM9]

Plaistow?
Cosham and Bosham?
Hainault?
Theydon Bois?
Redcar?
Swanwick?

 

[satisnek]

And, of course, those of us of a certain age know how Penge should be pronounced...

Or Balham for that matter

 

[MrPIC]

Plaistow is one I learned quick when I lived nearby! Plaahstow not place-tow. Isn't Hainault just pronounced how its spelt? Hane alt?

Balham!! Haha haven't heard that said funny for a while!

 

[Agent_c]

My understanding is all of the automated announcers mispronounce Mallaig