Odd pronunciations of proper names - examples
From Hull AWE
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The Type column contains abbreviations: PN means that the word in the first column is a Place-name; SN means that it is a surname; and FN that it is a forename or first name. T indicates that the word is a PN used, sometimes, as a title, as in Prince of Wales. Sc shows that the name is Scottish; W that it is Welsh; and Ir that it is Irish. These Celtic languages have their own spelling systems. No effort is made to show how they are pronounced.
Written form | Type | Pronunciation(s) - re-spelt | Pronunciation(s) - IPA | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Anstruther | PN SN |
Ainster ANN-struth-er |
ˈeɪnst ər ˈænst rʌð ər |
|
Auchinleck | Sc PN | OCH-in-leck | Scots trad: IPA: /æ ˈflɛk/ usually /ˈɒχ (or ɔːk ɪn lɛk/ |
A village - from which comes a surname.Sir Claude Auchinleck (1884-1981), Field Marshall, was nicknamed 'The Auk'. |
Affleck | Sc T | affLECK | IPA: /æ ˈflɛk/ | See previous. Alexander Boswell, Lord A (title of Scots judge) (1707-1782), father of James Boswell, spelled his name as above, pronounced it as here |
Beaufort | SN | b-OH-fort | IPA: /ˈbəʊ fert/ | There isa a place in S. Carolina (*USA) pron /ˈbjuː fert/. |
Beauchamp | SN | bee-cham | ˈbiːtʃ əm | Some Bs - e.g. conductor Sir Thomas - write 'Beecham' |
Beaulieu | PN | BEW-ley | IPA: /ˈbjuː lɪ/ | in Hampshire
(The same initial syllable as 'beautiful'.) |
Belvoir | PN | beaver | IPA: /ˈbiːv ər/ | . |
Bicester | PN | 'bister' | IPA: /ˈbɪst ər/) | Bister [b-eye-sister] IPA: /ˈbaɪst ər/ has also been heard. |
Blenheim | PN | BLEN-em [blen-EEM] | IPA: /ˈblɛn ə (or ɪ)m/ [IPA: /blɛn ˈiːm/] | The 2nd pronunciation is for a street in Hull. |
Cheyne | PN | CHAIN-y [chain, cheen] | IPA: /ˈtʃeɪn ɪ/ [/ˈtʃeɪn/, /ˈtʃiːn] | Cheyne Walk in London, home of famous writers Thomas Carlyle, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and George Eliot. |
Cirencester | PN | s-EYE-ren-ses-ter [sister] | [IPA: /ˈsaɪr ən sɛs tər/] | The traditional 'sister' is little heard these days. |
Colquhoun | Sc SN | ca-HOON | IPA: /kə ˈhuːn/ | An English pronunciation is 'col-kwe-HOON'. Scots call this an error. In defence, some spell it Cahoun. |
Culzean | Sc PN | cull-AIN | IPA: /kə ˈleɪn/ | Castle in Ayrshire. |
Dalziel | Sc SN | dee-ELL [dalZEAL] | IPA: /di ˈɛl/, IPA: /ˈdæl ziːəl/ | 2 branches of the family; 2 pronunciations. (The '-z-' is a form of yogh.) |
Daventry | PN | DA-ven-tree [DAIN-tree] | IPA: /ˈdæv ən trɪ/ [IPA: /ˈdeɪn trɪ/] | 2nd pron. [in brackets] is traditional but obsolescent. |
Donne | SN | dun (as in done) | IPA: /dʌn/ | Famous English poet John (1572-1631) |
Featherstonhaugh | SN | FANshaw | IPA: /ˈfæn ʃɔː/ | LPD records 3 other pronunciations: /ˈfɛð ərst ən hɔː/; /ˈfɛst ən hɔː; /ˈfiːst ən heɪ/. |
Glamis | PN, T | glahmz | IPA: /glɑːmz/ | One of the titles of Macbeth; birthplace of Elizabeth II's mother |
Gloucester | PN, T | gloster | IPA: /ˈglɒst ər/ | . |
Grosvenor | SN; PN | GROW-v'ner | IPA: /ˈgrəʊv ən ər / | Family name of Dukes of Westminster, who built the G. estates in London, Cheshire and Scotland |
Hawick | Sc PN | hoik | IPA: /hɔː ɪk/, IPA: /hɔɪk/ | . |
Haworth | PN | HA-e(r)th | IPA: /ˈhɑː əθ/ (IPA: /ˈheɪ wərθ/) | Home of the Brontës. 2nd is a public house (pub) in Hull. |
Kirkcaldy | Sc PN | Kirk-CAWD-ie | IPA: /kɜr ˈkɒd ɪ/ | Town in Fife (E Scotland) |
Kirkcudbright | Sc PN | kirk-COO-bry | IPA: /kɜr ˈkuːbr ɪ/ | Town in SW Scotland. |
Leicester | PN, T | lester | IPA: /ˈlɛst ər/ | . |
Leominster | PN | LEM-[']-ster | IPA: /ˈlɛm stər/ | The UK pronunciation; the place in Massachusetts is LEM-in-ster, /ˈlɛm ɪn stər/. |
M(c)Donald | Sc SN | mac-DON-ald | IPA: /mək ˈdɒn əld/ | May be confused with next |
MacDonnell (1) | Sc SN | mac-der-NELL | IPA: /mək dən ˈɛl/ | Note: though Irish and Scots are both Gaels, they pronounce the same name differently |
M(a)cDonnell (2) | Ir SN | mac-DON-el | mək ˈdɒn əll | See previous |
M(a)cLean | Sc SN | macLANE | IPA: /mə ˈkleɪn/ | Some, (e.g. toothpaste company) pronounce it 'clean' (IPA: /mə ˈkliːn/). |
M(a)cKay | Sc SN | mac-EYE | IPA: /mə ˈkaɪ/ | Many rhyme it with 'say', /mə ˈkeɪ/ |
M(a)cKenzie | Sc SN | mac-KENZ-y | IPA: /mə ˈkɛn zɪ/ | The traditional (and obsolete) pronunciation was 'mac-KING-y IPA: /mə ˈkɪŋ ɪ/. See yogh. |
M(a)cLachlan | Sc SN | mac-LOCH-len | IPA: /mək ˈlɒχ lɪn/ | M(a)cLoughlin is an Irish equivalent. |
M(a)cLeod | Sc SN | mac-CLOUD | IPA: /mə ˈklaʊd/ | Many changed the spelling to match:, 'MacCloud' |
M(a)cPherson | Sc SN | mac-FER-son | IPA: /mək ˈfɜːrsən/ | Not, please, in UK ' |
Marjoribanks | SN | MARSHbanks | IPA: /ˈmɑːrʃ bænkz/ (LPD, less commonly /ˈmɑːr jər ɪ bænkz/ | |
Marlborough | PN, T | MAWL-b'ruh [MAL-b'ruh] | IPA: /mÉ”Ël bÉ™r É™/ or {{IPA|ˈmÉ‘l bÉ™r É™ | The second is local, in e.g. street name in Hull. |
Menzies | Sc SN | MING-is | IPA: /ˈmˈɪŋ ɪs/ | Usually pronounced 'MEN-ziz' (IPA: /ˈmɛn zɪs/ in England. |
Milngavie | Sc PN | mill-GUY (locally mull-GUY) | IPA: /mɪl ˈgaɪ/ or IPA: /mʌl ˈgaɪ/ | A well-known trap for visitors to W Scotland. |
Onions | SN | uhn-EYE-ens (UHN-yens) | IPA: /əʊn ˈaɪ ənz/ (IPA: /ˈʌn jənz/) |
Some of this name don't sound like the vegetable, being Irish O'Nions. Some do, including lexicographer C.T.: his family was Welsh Einion. |
Pepys | SN | peeps (or pips or pepiss) | IPA: /piËps/ (IPA: /pɪps/ or IPA: /ˈpÉ›p is/) | Samuel (1633-1703), diarist, was PEEPS, others use various. |
Pontefract | PN | PONtyfra(c)t [pom-fret] | IPA: /ˈpɒnt ɪ ˌfrækt/ [IPA: /ˈpɒm frət/] | Traditional pron. [in brackets] now obsolete |
Ralph | FN | rafe | IPA: /reɪf/ IPA: /rælf/ | Traditionally pron. with no 'l', and the vowel of 'say'. Often now has an '-l-' and the vowel of 'cat'. |
Ruthven | Sc SN, PN | RIVen | IPA: /ˈrɪ vən/ | Place in Aberdeenshire, + family. |
" " (2) | Sc PN | RUTH-ven | IPA: /ˈrʌθ vən/ | Place in Grampian; Loch. |
Salisbury | PN, T | SAULs-b'ry | IPA: /ˈsÉ”Ëlz bÉ™rɪ/ | |
Shrewsbury | PN, T | shROHz-b'ri [shrOOzberri] | IPA: /ʃrˈəʊz bÉ™rɪ/ [IPA: /ʃrˈuËz bÉ™rɪ/] | The 1st is more RP; 2nd is how many locals say it |
Southwell | PN | SUTH-ell SOUTH-well |
IPA: /ˈsʌð əl/ IPA: /ˈsaʊθ wɛl/ |
The 1st is more RP, and the BBC's preference; 2nd is how many locals say it |
St Clair | SN | SIN-clare | IPA: /ˈsɪŋ kleɪər/ | The Scots spelling is Sinclair |
St John | SN | SIN-jen | IPA: /ˈsɪn dʒən/ - surname | Place and Saint are both normal - IPA: /seɪnt ˈdʒɒn/ |
Strachan | Sc SN | straw-n [stra-can] | IPA: /strÉ”Ën/, IPA: /ˈstræ kÉ™n/ | Traditional Scots say it as monosyllable; some in England have two. |
Urquhart | Sc SN | ERK urt | IPA: /ˈɜrk ɜrt/ | |
Villiers | SN | VILL-erz | IPA: /ˈvɪl ərz/ | Traditional RP realization; now less heard than the trisyllabic spelling pronunciation 'VILL-i-erz', /ˈvɪl ɪ ərz/ |
Wodehouse | SN | wood-house | IPA: /ˈwuËd haÊŠs/} | Famous writer P.G. (1881-1975) |
Worcester | PN, T | wooster | IPA: /wʊ stər/ | . |
Yeats | Ir SN | yates | IPA: /jeɪts/ | Famous Irish poet W.B. (1865-1939) & painter brother Jack (1871-1957) |