4 Most Commonly Mispronounced Place Names In British English
Hi, it’s Maggie here from Speak More Clearly!
Pronunciation can vary across different regions and accents within British English. There are four commonly mispronounced place names in British English that tend to trip up non-native speakers or those unfamiliar with British pronunciation.
Of course, part of the difficulty goes back to the issue of what you see isn’t always what you say in English. Learn how to pronounce these place names and practise along with us.
4 Mispronounced Place Names in British English:
1. Worcestershire /ˈwʊs.tə.ʃər/
This word refers to a county in England and a famous source. The county is located in the West Midlands of England. And the sauce is a very popular seasoning added to meat dishes.
It’s commonly mispronounced phonetically as “wore-chest-er-shire” or “war-sest-er-shire”. The correct pronunciation is “wus-ter-shuh”.
2. Edinburgh /ˈed.ɪn.bər.ə/
This word refers to the capital city of Scotland. The correct pronunciation is “ed-in-bruh”. You may have heard of or even visited Edinburgh Castle.
3. Leicester /ˈles.tər/
This word refers to 140 kilometres northwest of London. There is also a place in London called Leicester Square.
It’s commonly mispronounced as “lie-ces-ter” or “lee-ces-ter”, but the correct pronunciation is “les-ter”.
4. Thames /temz/
This word refers to the name of the famous river that runs through London and is 346km long. It’s often pronounced phonetically as “thayms” or “thahms”. But the correct pronunciation is “tems”.
Remember, regional accents and dialects can influence pronunciation in British English. These examples represent some commonly mispronounced words, but it’s always a good idea to listen to native speakers and regional variations for accurate pronunciation.
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