List of places in England with counterintuitive pronunciations: A–L

Updated on Jan 12, 2024

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This is a sublist of List of names in English with counterintuitive pronunciations.

Pronunciations for the following common suffixes are regular pronunciations, despite being counterintuitive at first glance:

-b(o)rough and -burgh – /bʌrə/, /brə/

-bury – /bʌri/, /bri/

-cester – /stər/

-combe, -coombe, -comb and -cambe – /kəm/ (often). As standalone words always /kuːm/ (including in place names such as Castle Combe and Coombe Bissett)

-gh – silent (usually, as 'f' in a considerable minority of northern English place names and in Woughton, Milton Keynes)

-ham – /əm/

-holm(e) – /hoʊm/, /əm/

-on as first syllable is usually as in London, Coningsby or Tonbridge (see Middle English handwriting preventing 'un' and 'um'); excludes a few such as intuitive Lonsdale

-shire – /ʃər/, /ʃɪər/ (rhotic or semi-rhotic r in 'er' as final syllable non-existent in some English dialects such as Kentish and Cockney), /ʃaɪər/(esp. in Yorkshire and Scotland)

-wich - /ɪtʃ/, /ɪdʒ/

-wick – /ɪk/

-mouth – /mᵿθ/

Pronunciation of the following common prefix is variable depending on dialect:

Al- /ˈɒl/; /ˈɔːl/

A

Aigburth, Liverpool – /ˈɛɡbərθ/

Aldeburgh, Suffolk – /ˈɔːlbrə/

Alnwick, Northumberland – /ˈænɪk/, but nearby Alnmouth is usually /ˈælənməθ/

Althorp, Northamptonshire – /ˈɔːltrəp/ beside intuitive /ˈɔːlθɔərp/

Altrincham, Greater Manchester – /ˈɒltrɪŋəm/

Alresford, Essex – /ˈɒlsfərd/ or /ˈeɪlsfərd/

Alresford, Hampshire – /ˈɒlzfərd/ or /ˈɔːlzfərd/

Alsager, Cheshire – /ˈɒlseɪdʒər/

Alverdiscott, Devon – /ˈɒlskɒt/ or /ˈɔːlskɒt/

Ardingly, West Sussex – /ˈɑːrdɪŋlaɪ/

Aslackby, Lincolnshire – /ˈeɪzəlbi/

Averham, Nottinghamshire – /ˈɛərəm/

Aveton Gifford, Devon – /ˈɔːtən ˈdʒɪfərd/

Ayscoughfee Hall, Lincolnshire – /ˈæskəfiː/

B

Barham, Kent – /ˈbærəm/

Barholm, Lincolnshire – /ˈbærəm/

Barnoldswick, Lancashire - local pronunciation is /ˈbɑːrlɪk/

Barugh, South Yorkshire – /ˈbɑːrk/

Great Barugh and Little Barugh, North Yorkshire – /bɑːrf/

Basford (including New Basford and Old Basford), Nottingham – /ˈbeɪsfərd/

Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire - /ˈbɛkənzfiːld/

Beauchamp Roding, Essex – /ˈbiːtʃəm/

Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset - /ˈbiːtʃəm/

Beauchief, Sheffield – /ˈbiːtʃɪf/

Beaudesert, Warwickshire – commonly until recently /ˈbɛlzər/

Beaulieu, Hampshire – /ˈbjuːli/

Beaminster, Dorset – /ˈbɛmᵻnstər/

Bellingham, Northumberland – /ˈbɛlɪndʒəm/

Belvoir: Belvoir Castle and village, and Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire – /ˈbiːvər/

Berkeley (all English towns) – /ˈbɑːrkli/

Berkshire – /ˈbɑːrkʃər/

Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland – /ˈbɛrɪk/

Bicester, Oxfordshire – /ˈbɪstər/

Bideford, Devon – /ˈbɪdɪfərd/

Billericay, Essex – /ˌbɪləˈrɪki/

Blackley, Greater Manchester – /ˈbleɪkli/

Blidworth, Nottinghamshire – /ˈblɪdəθ/

Bosham, West Sussex - /ˈbɒzəm/

Bozeat, Northamptonshire – /ˈboʊʒət/

Bradley, West Midlands – /ˈbreɪdli/

Brant Broughton, Lincolnshire – /ˈbrænt ˈbruːtən/

Breaston, Derbyshire – /ˈbriːstən/

Brewood, Staffordshire – /bruːd/

Bridestowe, West Devon – /ˈbrɪdɪstoʊ/

Brougham, Cumbria – /bruːm/

Brough, East Riding of Yorkshire – /ˈbrʌf/

Browsholme Hall, Lancashire – /ˈbruːzəm/

Bungay, Suffolk – /ˈbʌŋɡi/

Burgh le Marsh, Lincolnshire – /bʌrə/

Burgh by Sands, Cumbria – /brʌf/

Bylaugh, Norfolk - /ˈbiːlə/

C

Caldmore, West Midlands – /ˈkɑːmər/

Cambois, Northumberland – /ˈkæməs/

Cambridge – /ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/

Caterham, Surrey – /ˈkeɪtərəm, -trəm/

River Cherwell, river – /ˈtʃɑːrwɛl/

Cheshunt, Hertfordshire – /ˈtʃɛzənt/

Cheylesmore, Coventry – /ˈtʃɑːlzmɔːr/

Chideock, Dorset – /ˈtʃɪdək/

Cholmondeley, Cheshire – /ˈtʃʌmli/

Cholmondeston, Cheshire – /ˈtʃʌmstən/

Chop Gate, North Yorkshire - /ˈtʃɒp ˈjæt/

Cirencester, Gloucestershire – now usually /ˈsaɪrənˌsɛstər/ but traditionally /ˈsɪsᵻtər/

Claughton, Lancashire – /ˈklæftən/

Claughton on Brock, Lancashire – /ˈklaɪtən/

Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire – /ˈklɪbəri/

Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk – /ˈklaɪ/ alongside intuitive /ˈkleɪ/

Cogenhoe, Northamptonshire – /ˈkʊknoʊ/

Colerne, Wiltshire - /ˈkʌlərn/

Coleshill, Warwickshire – /ˈkoʊzəl/ or /ˈkoʊzɪl/

Colney Hatch, Greater London – /ˈkoʊnɪ/

Congresbury, Somerset – /ˈkɒŋzbri/

Costessey, Norfolk – /ˈkɒsi/

Cowbit, Lincolnshire – /ˈkʌbᵻt/

Cowden, Kent - /kaʊˈdɛn/ - unusual secondary stress

Cowpen, Northumberland – /ˈkuːpɛn/

Cradley and Cradley Heath, West Midlands – /ˈkreɪdli/

Croxton Kerrial, Leicestershire - /ˈkroʊsən ˈkɛrᵻl/

Cruwys Morchard, Devon – /ˈkruːz/

Cuckfield, Sussex – /ˈkʊkfiːld/

Cudworth, South Yorkshire – /ˈkʊd.ərθ/

D

Darwen and Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire – /ˈdɑːrwɪn/

Daventry, Northamptonshire – now usually /ˈdævəntri/ but traditionally /ˈdeɪntri/

De Beauvoir Town, London - /də ˈbiːvər/

Derby, Derbyshire – /ˈdɑːrbi/

Devon (county) – /ˈdɛvən/; but Devon (river in Nottinghamshire) – /ˈdiːvən/

Didcot, Oxfordshire – /ˈdɪdkət/

Dodworth, South Yorkshire – /ˈdɒd.ərθ/

Durham – /ˈdʌrəm/

E

Edensor, Derbyshire – /ˈɛnzər/

Edenham, Lincolnshire – /ˈɛdnəm/

Elham, Kent – /ˈiːləm/

Elsecar, South Yorkshire – /ɛlsɪˈkɑːr/

Ely, Cambridgeshire – /ˈiːli/

Esher, Surrey – /ˈiːʃər/

Eton, Berkshire – /ˈiːtən/

Euxton, Lancashire – /ˈɛkstən/

Ewell, Surrey – /juːl/

Eyam, Derbyshire – /iːm/

Eynsham, Oxfordshire – /ˈɛnʃəm/

F

Farcet, Huntingdonshire/Cambridgeshire – /ˈfæsət/

Flitwick, Bedfordshire – /ˈflɪtᵻk/

Foleshill, Coventry – /ˈfoʊzəl/ or /ˈfoʊzɪl/

Folkingham, Lincolnshire – /ˈfɒkɪŋəm/

Fowey, Cornwall – /ˈfɔɪ/

Frithsden, Hertfordshire – /ˈfrɪzdən/

Frome, Somerset and the rivers Frome in Dorset, Somerset and South Gloucestershire – /ˈfruːm/

G

Gateacre, Liverpool – /ˈɡætəkər/

Gillingham, Dorset – /ˈɡɪlɪŋəm/; but Gillingham, Kent – /ˈdʒɪlɪŋəm/)

Gloucester – /ˈɡlɒstər/

Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire – now usually /ˈɡɒdmənˈtʃɛstər/ but traditionally /ˈɡʌmstər/

Gotham, Nottinghamshire – /ˈɡoʊtəm/

Greenwich, Greater London – /ˈɡrɛnᵻtʃ/

Greysouthen, Cumbria – /ˈɡreɪsuːn/

Groby, Leicestershire – /ˈɡruːbi/

Guildford, Surrey – /ˈɡɪlfərd/

Guisborough, Redcar and Cleveland - /ˈɡɪzbrə/

H

Happisburgh, Norfolk – /ˈheɪzbrə/

Lower Hardres and Upper Hardres, Kent – /ˈhɑːrdz/

Harewood House, West Yorkshire, – /ˈhɑːrwʊd/

Haverholme, Lincolnshire – /ˈhævrəm/

Little Hautbois, Norfolk – /ˈhɒbɪs/

Haverhill, Suffolk – /ˈhævrɪl/

Heather, Leicestershire – /ˈhiːðər/

Herstmonceux, East Sussex – /ˌhɜːrsmənˈzuː/ or /-ˈsuː/

Hessle, East Riding of Yorkshire – /ˈhɛzəl/

High Wycombe see Wycombe below.

Holborn, London – /ˈhoʊbən/ (intuitive also heard)

Holnicote, Somerset – /ˈhʌnᵻkɒt/

Holywell, Lincolnshire – /ˈhɒliwɛl/

Hough-on-the-Hill, Lincolnshire – /hɒf/

Hougham, Lincolnshire – /ˈhɒfəm/

Houghton-le-Spring – /ˈhoʊtən lᵻ ˈsprɪŋ/

Hunstanton, Norfolk – /ˈhʌnstən/ (intuitive also heard)

I

Ide, Devon – /iːd/

Isleworth, Greater London – /ˈaɪzəlwərθ/

Islip, Northamptonshire - /ˈaɪzlɪp/

Iwerne Minster, Dorset – /ˈjuːɜːrn/

J

Jervaulx as in Jervaulx Abbey, North Yorkshire – /ˈʒɜːrvoʊ/

K

Keadby, Lincolnshire – /ˈkɪdbi/

Keighley, West Yorkshire – /ˈkiːθli/

Keynsham, Wiltshire – /ˈkeɪnʃəm/

Kirkby, Merseyside – /ˈkɜːrbi/

L

Laughton, Lincolnshire – /ˈlaʊtən/

Launceston, Cornwall – /ˈlɔːnstən/ or /ˈlɑːnstən/

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire – /ˈlɛmɪŋtən/

Leasingham, Lincolnshire – /ˈlɛzɪŋəm/

Leicester – /ˈlɛstər/

Leigh, Kent and Surrey – /laɪ/

Leominster, Herefordshire – /ˈlɛmstər/

Liskeard, Cornwall – /lɪˈskɑːrd/

Loose, Kent – /luːz/

Lostwithiel, Cornwall – /lɒsˈwɪθiəl/

Loughborough, Leicestershire – /ˈlʌfbrə/

Lover, Wiltshire, – /ˈloʊvər/

Ludgvan, Cornwall – /ˈlʌdʒən/

Luxulyan, Cornwall – /lʌkˈsɪljən/ alongside intuitive /lʌkˈsʌljən/

Lympne, Kent – /ˈlɪm/

References

List of places in England with counterintuitive pronunciations: A–L Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Contents

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

References