How Could I Not Know That?
By Jabo
@jaboUK (64354)
United Kingdom
April 20, 2016 4:37pm CST
Isn't it amazing how some things pass you by? The other day on the TV someone mentioned Connecticut, and I thought that they had pronounced it incorrectly. I looked it up and was surprised to discover that the second 'c' is silent - Conneticut. How had I gone all my life without knowing that?
I did know about Arkansas (Arkansaw) and Tucson (Tooson), and I decided to do a bit of exploring.
I found that Houston was pronounced Hyooston and not Hooston as I'd thought, and that Michigan was Mishigan not Mitchigan. And how was I to know that Boise was Boyzee not Bwas?
This got me thinking about our English place names, and I remember being asked the way to Norwich by an American. He had said it the way it's spelt, but of course it's actually 'Norridge'.
Here are a few other English place names that might confuse people:
Salisbury - pronounced Solsbree
Wymondham - Windam
Loughborough - Luffbora
Holborn - Hoben
Keighley - Keethlee
Worcester - Wuster
Leicester - Lester
Warwick - Warrick
Cholmondley - Chumlee
Do you know any other place names that sound completely different from the way they are spelt?
My photo - an English field.
58 people like this
65 responses
@MarshaMusselman (38867)
• Midland, Michigan
20 Apr 16
@jaboUK When talking about states yesterday on Almado's post, I decided I should spell the whole name out as many Americans get the abbreviation mixed up, I doubt that those from other countries would get them all correct.
I know there's a Worcester, Massachusetts, and I think that MA is for that state whereas ME is Maine. Course, many of our states do share city names too and that city could be found many other places as well.
I'm including a link I just checked out to be sure I was giving you the correct info.
Advertisement State Abbreviations The following is a list of valid state and country abbreviations which may be used in the financial aid estimation form. If your state or country does not appear on this list, please leave the field blank. AKAlaska KYK
5 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 16
@MarshaMusselman Thanks for the correction Marsha, I did not see Amadeo's post. It would certainly help if people would spell the name out
3 people like this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Apr 16
@jaboUK Do you know - I don't know if there is a correct. West Aussies think Al-bany is and it's the most common usage but as to whether it is strictly correct or not I wouldn't know. I wonder who has the say on correct pronounciation?
4 people like this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
20 Apr 16
The first element of Cambridge rhymes with 'same' even though the river Cam that runs through it rhymes with 'ham'. Our cathedral city is Ely ('eeli') and if you venture into deepest East Anglia, almost every place you come across isn't pronounced the way it's spelled. You might go through Wisbech ('wizbich') on your way to Hunstanton ('hunstun') and, deeper into the wilds of the county, find Happisburgh ('hazebru') and Wymondham ('windum'). Somewhere in those parts there's also Stiffkey ('stewkey') and Harwich ('harrich').
7 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
21 Apr 16
I live in California where people who name streets think they should be in Spanish, because once upon a time the area belonged to Mexico. So, almost no one can pronounce or spell anything. And, try remembering street names. It's tough when you do not know what the word means. It's just as bad if you do. Let's see, that shop is on Bear street, but it's really Oso. Then, there are the grammatical errors and other stupidity. Paseo de la Carlota Street. Good grief Paseo means street.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 16
@ElizabethWallace That does sound really confusing.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
21 Apr 16
@jaboUK I do not think it honors the culture of the last country to own the land before it was taken by the U.S. It just makes us all frustrated and resentful at times.
3 people like this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
20 Apr 16
Happisburgh {pronounced Haysburr} and Costessey {pronounced Cossey} come to my immediate mind. Both are in Norfolk, of course. I once told Mumsy I was applying for a job in By-sess-ter {Bicester} and she laughed at me. How was I to know it's actually pronounced Bister!
7 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
20 Apr 16
@Poppylicious Thanks for the Happisburgh one - I've never known how that was pronounced.
Yes, Bicester, Gloucester, Worcester etc. - I wonder why the middle part is not pronounced. Doesn't make any sense.
3 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
21 Apr 16
Locally we have a teeny place called Ostryhon Corners... Awsterhawn Corners.......
6 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 16
@Morleyhunt That's a good one - I'd have had no idea how to pronounce it.
2 people like this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
20 Apr 16
It is funny ... and confusing.... I must admit, I did not know that's how you say Cholmondley...
3 people like this
@Mike197602 (15505)
• United Kingdom
20 Apr 16
I've been on these sites a long time so I do know how to pronounce US place names through being friends with US people for a few years and looking stuff up.
Someone in idaho a few years ago told me how to pronounce boise.
Another one is spokane washington...not easy if you don't know how it is pronounced.
I was actually thinking of doing a discussion on the different terms/spellings/pronunciations between english speaking countries....it's very interesting.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 16
@Mike197602 I must admit that I didn't know about Arkansas or Tucson until using the internet, and coming across them that way. The internet is a great educator isn't it?
Is Spokane pronounced Spokan?
You are right, it's an interesting topic, I hope you do a discussion on it.
I was actually going to include a list of words that were spelt the same, but have different pronunciations on either side of the Atlantic, but it would have made the post too long.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 16
@Mike197602 Come on - it won't hurt you to do an occasional post!
3 people like this
@Mike197602 (15505)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 16
@jaboUK In my lifetime I think the internet has been the biggest thing/invention.
You can learn a lot essentially for free...outside of your ISP fees.
I may do a discussion on it but must admit that I'm liking having no discussions and I enjoy responding
spokane is pronounced spoke anne...you're right
spokane is pronounced spoke anne...you're right3 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
21 Apr 16
The only thing I can think of would be Louisville, which I always hear pronounced either Loueeville or Looaville.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 16
@teamfreak16 So is the s silent, or have they got it wrong?
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 16
@teamfreak16 Thanks - that would have it's origins in French I suppose.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
21 Apr 16
@jaboUK. - Oh, the s is silent on both.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160491)
• United States
22 Apr 16
We live about ten miles from Peabody, Ks. Pronounced Pea body. Hubby tells me that back east, like Rhode Island, it is Pebuddee, with emphasis on the first syllable. And you got Arkansas right, IF you are naming the state, but in Kansas the Ar Kansas river it is. And both the name Kansas and Arkansas are from someone with poor penmanship who wrote about the Kauza Indians in the area.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 16
@GardenGerty Thanks for that interesting information - I knew it didn't make any sense for Kansas and Arkansas to be pronounced differently!
1 person likes this
Oh my, looks like I had some English places wrong all this time! 
I don't know my French, so I'm pretty sure I am pronouncing a lot of French places completely incorrectly!@much2say (55330)
• Los Angeles, California
22 Apr 16
@jaboUK I guess many French words are not pronounced as it is spelled? I could be wrong, but I have heard there was a committee who came up with the pretty spelling of certain French words - so pronunciation rules don't always apply?
1 person likes this
@LovingMyBabies (85288)
• Valdosta, Georgia
21 Apr 16
Wow I never knew that about Norwich, I always said it as it's spelled. Lol. That is so crazy! I would have sounded like a fool if I said it to anyone that knew how it should be pronounced.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 16
@LovingMyBabies I've been informed by the commenters here that there are actually two places called Norwich in the US. I don't know if they are pronounced the same way as in England.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
21 Apr 16
I always love Belvoir (Beaver) and Beauchamp (Beacham) who knew?? But since I come from Connecticut I did know about the silent C. Even your Hertford is not pronounced the way it looks here we have Hartford and it sounds just as it looks. My grand mother was from near Wisbech (Wizbeach)
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
21 Apr 16
@jaboUK Mt grandmother was born in Newton in the Isle and her mother was from Sutton St. James. I love that area. Next time I am there we will have to have tea!!
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 16
@BelleStarr Tea in my garden sounds good to me
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
21 Apr 16
@BelleStarr The first two you cite are great examples. Regarding Hertford, yes it's pronounced Hartford, and also Derby is Darby. Makes no sense, does it? Wisbech is not far from me.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38867)
• Midland, Michigan
20 Apr 16
You are correct about connecticut, although the way you have it spelled, both c's are pronounced.
We have some of those same cities over here, but while some are pronounced exactly the same way others aren't, or at least not to my knowledge. Since I didn't grow up or reside in certain ones, I may be wrong myself. I've always said Norwich just the way it looks, but who knows maybe the sounds traveled over onto this side of the pond too.
We have some of those same cities over here, but while some are pronounced exactly the same way others aren't, or at least not to my knowledge. Since I didn't grow up or reside in certain ones, I may be wrong myself. I've always said Norwich just the way it looks, but who knows maybe the sounds traveled over onto this side of the pond too.2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38867)
• Midland, Michigan
21 Apr 16
@jaboUK Sorry, I looked several times. I didn't catch that you were following what you did later on.
It appears that there is a Norwich, NY, Norwich, CT and Norwich in Vermont too.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38867)
• Midland, Michigan
21 Apr 16
@jaboUK You have to remember that the settlers came from over there somewhere and probably brought many names they were used to when naming new cities over here in the original thirteen colonies. It's probably mostly the New England states which boast names from what was once it's mother country.
2 people like this
