Knowing how to correctly pronounce the name of a place you are visiting in the UK can prove to be a whole can of worms.
The British Isles has had a long and varied linguistic history meaning that towns, villages and cities could draw their names from words of Celtic, Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Norse origins - to name just a few. To make things even more complex, while the spelling of place names might have evolved through the years, the pronouncation may still be routed in the origin of the words.
It means that sometimes you might see a name like Bicester and think you know exactly how to say it. But you could in fact be very wrong!
We have pulled together a list of 17 place names you might have just been mispronouncing all along. Don’t worry we will reveal how you should say them!
It means that sometimes you might see a name like Bicester and think you know exactly how to say it. But you could in fact be very wrong!
5. Mousehole
The pronunciation of this village in Cornwall is likely to catch you out. It is actually pronounced: Mouzel. Its name in Cornish is Porthenys.
6. Happisburgh
You might be tempted to pronounce the name of this Norfolk village as Happis-burgh or along those lines. But the correct pronunciation is actually Hays-borough.
7. Bicester
This historic market town has long bamboozled visitors with the correct pronunciation of its name. It is actually pronounced Biss-ter.
8. Alnwick
Located in Northumberland, this is another one that might prove tricky to pronounce. The correct way to say the town name is: An-ik. The w is silent.