Pronunciation!

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hwolge
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Pronunciation!

Post by hwolge »

Not being English, I sometimes marvel over the way words are pronounced! A long time ago I realised that the spelling is, at best, a rough guide to pronunciation. Despite this I managed to learn how Gloucester [Road] and Leicester [Square] were pronounced. The other year I picked up the Ruislip pronunciation.

On my short list right now are the following station names:

* Amersham - is that Amer-sham or Amers-ham or what?
* Chesham - is it Chess-ham or Che-sham or what?
* Marylebone- I don't have a clue - except that it could be Mary-le-bone - but that would be too easy...
* Southwark - I believe it's something like South-erk... (with a minimal th-sound)

Anyone?
Last edited by hwolge on 10 Mar 2006, 19:40, edited 2 times in total.
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A2
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Re: Pronounciation!

Post by A2 »

hwolge wrote:Not being English, I sometimes marvel over the way words are pronounced! A long time ago I realised that the spelling is, at best, a rough guide to pronounciation. Despite this I managed to learn how Gloucester [Road] and Leicester [Square] were pronounced. The other year I picked up the Ruislip pronounciation.

On my short list right now are the following station names:

* Amersham - is that Amer-sham or Amers-ham or what?
* Chesham - is it Chess-ham or Che-sham or what?
* Marylebone- I don't have a clue - except that it could be Mary-le-bone - but that would be too easy...
* Southwark - I believe it's something like South-erk... (with a minimal th-sound)

Anyone?
So you get an idea of how I pronounce the ones you do know before moving on to anything else:
Gloucester Road - Gloss-ter Road
Leicester Square - Less-ter Square

Amersham - Amer-shum
Chesham - Chesh-um
Marylebone - Marr-le-bone
Southwark - Suvv-erk

Then again I don't live in or anywhere near London, so these are probably laughable provincial versions.
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standclearofthedoors
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Post by standclearofthedoors »

I live in London and I still don't know how to say Theydon Bois, Eastcote Hainault or Plaistow...

Really pathetic
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CrunchySaviour
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Post by CrunchySaviour »

If you live south of the river (or east of Liverpool Street) for that matter, then Southwark would indeed be pronounced "suvverk".

Being a gentleman of the "th", I would pronounce it "Sutherk".

Marylebone is one of the most badly-spelt words in the language. Not as bad as Menzies or Farquharson, mind, but it's pretty bad. I'd say "mar-lee-bone" or "mar-luh-bone".

Theydn Boysss (soft "th", short "y")
East-ct
Hain-olt
Plar-stow (apparently!)

Holborn is supposed to be "ho-burn" or "ho-bn" but I say "hol-bn" because I don't want to sound TOO pretentious.

Ruislip had me for a while during my first year in London!

(edit: interestingly, it's spelt "pronunciation" and pronounced "pro-nun-see-ay-shun" accordingly! That's a common mistake.)
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A2
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Post by A2 »

CrunchySaviour wrote:If you live south of the river (or east of Liverpool Street) for that matter, then Southwark would indeed be pronounced "suvverk".
Dorridge (nr Solihull/Birmingham is neither)

New Theory please!

:P
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standclearofthedoors
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Post by standclearofthedoors »

CrunchySaviour wrote:
Being a gentleman of the "th", I would pronounce it "Sutherk".
Sounds rather like Suffolk in that case...
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jonny
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Post by jonny »

A2 wrote:
CrunchySaviour wrote:If you live south of the river (or east of Liverpool Street) for that matter, then Southwark would indeed be pronounced "suvverk".
Dorridge (nr Solihull/Birmingham is neither)

New Theory please!

:P
Now I've lost you.

Ive always pronounced Dorridge like Porridge, but with a 'D'.
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standclearofthedoors
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Post by standclearofthedoors »

Think he means he pronounces it like someone living in Sarf London despite living in the midlands.
I THINK....
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Root
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Post by Root »

If Southwark = Southerk, and Chiswick = Chiserk, shouldn't Northwick = Northerk? But it's literally pronounced as two words, North Wick.

Our language is so inconsistent it's ridiculous.
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The JLE
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Post by The JLE »

And what about this one:

(north) Greenwich

Green-wich
Green-witch (I know it's stupid)
Greenage
Greenuch
Greenitch

I always say Grinitch with the "i" of Imposible :wink: :wink:
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Post by CrunchySaviour »

Gren-itch or Gren-idge. That one is ridiculous.

Southwark doesn't sound like "Suffolk" because the "th" in "Suth-erk" is hard (as in "that", not "thumb").
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sweek
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Post by sweek »

I used to pronounce Slough as the word 'tough', starting with sl-.
Rotherhithe, how does that one work?
Last edited by sweek on 11 Mar 2006, 23:05, edited 1 time in total.
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standclearofthedoors
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Post by standclearofthedoors »

of all the syllables in the English language, -ough has to take the biscuit for both variance and stupidity with regards to pronounciation
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Root
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Post by Root »

sweek wrote:I used to pronounce Slough as the world 'tough', starting with sl-.
Rotherhithe, how does that one work?
I once shared an art class with a girl called Lucy Slough (as in plough), and the art teacher always called her "Sluff" (as in tough). It was hilarious.

You just reminded me of that.

Speaking of which, Loughborough? How on Earth is that pronounced?
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standclearofthedoors
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Post by standclearofthedoors »

Always pronounced it
Loff-boruh
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