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This is a set of lists of personal and place names that are pronounced in a way not easily deduced from the spelling or in a way at variance with a better known name of the same spelling.
See International Phonetic Alphabet for English and IPA chart for English for guides to the IPA symbols used. For readability, a colon is used for the long vowel sign (ː), as the latter displays awkwardly in some fonts and browsers, and ‘r’ is used rather than the more precise ‘ɹ’ since these are all words pronounced in English.
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Contents

Place names in the British Isles

A

B

C

D-F

G

H

I–K

L

M

N-O

P-R

S

T-U

V-Z

Place names in other English-speaking countries

A

B

C

D-E

F-H

I-K

L

M

N-P

Q-R

S

T

U-V

W

X-Z

Given names

Surnames

A-B

C

D-E

F-H

I-L

M

N-Q

R

S

T-V

W-Z

Online sources

References

See also

Place names in the British Isles

Although several examples are included in the list below, pronunciations for the following suffixes may be considered regular:

★ -burgh —

★ -cester —

★ -ham —

★ -shire —

★ -wick —

A

★ Ahoghill, County Antrim — or

★ Aigburth, Liverpool — (“eggbirth”)

★ Alcester, Warwickshire — , (“awlster”)

★ Aldeburgh, Suffolk —

★ Alnwick, Northumberland — (“annick”)

★ Althorp, Northamptonshire — (“awl-trop”)

★ Altrincham, Manchester — (“oltringum”)

★ Auchinleck, Ayrshire — (“affleck”)

★ Averham, Nottinghamshire — (“airum”)

★ Avoch, Highland — (“och” rhyming with loch)

B

★ Balliol College, Oxford — (“baily-el”)

★ Barugh, South Yorkshire — (“bark”)

★ Great Barugh, North Yorkshire — (“barf”)

★ Barnstaple, Devon — (“BARNstable”)

★ Beauchief, Sheffield — (“beachif”)

★ Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire — (“beckonsfield”)

★ Beaulieu, Hampshire — (rhymes with “newly”)

★ Bellingham, Northumberland — (“bellinjum”); the city of Bellingham, Washington, USA, is pronounced as spelled ().

★ Vale of Belvoir, England — (“beaver”)

★ Berkeley (all English towns) — (“barkly”)

★ Berkshire — ("barksher")

★ Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland — (“be" as in "bet" + "rick”)

★ Bicester, Oxfordshire — (“bister”)

★ Billericay, Essex — (“bill-a-ricky”)

★ Blackley, Manchester — (“blakely”)

★ Boyounagh, County Galway —

★ Bozeat, Northamptonshire —

★ Breaghwy, Connacht — (“breffy”)

★ Bradley, West Midlands — (“bradely”)

★ Burgh, Cumbria — (“bruff”)

C

★ Cahir, County Tipperary — (original Irish intuitively (“care”)

★ Caldmore, West Midlands — (“calmer”)

★ Callington, Cornwall —

★ Cambois, Northumberland — (“cammus”)

★ Cambridge— (“camebridge”). Note that the River Cam and Cambridge, Gloucestershire are pronounced as expected.

★ Canterbury, Kent — (“canter brie”)

★ Cherwell, river in England — (“charwell”)

★ Cheviot Hills, England-Scotland border —

★ Chiswick, London — (“chizzick”)

★ Cholmondeley, Cheshire — (“chumly”)

★ Cirencester, Gloucestershire — now usually , but formerly and occasionally still pronounced (“sissitter”)

★ Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire — (“clibbery”)

★ Cley next the Sea, Norfolk — (rhymes with “sky”)

★ Cliveden, Buckinghamshire — (“clivden”)

★ Cloghore, County Donegal — (“cly hore”)

★ Clones, County Monaghan — (“clone-is”)

★ Cogenhoe, Northamptonshire — (“cook-no”)

★ Costessey, Norfolk — (“cossy”)

★ Cowpen, Northumberland — (“coopen”)

★ Cuckfield, Sussex — (“cookfield”) vs. intuitive nearby Uckfield

★ Culross, Fife — (“coo-ross”)

★ Cultra, Northern Ireland— (“culltraw”)

★ Culzean Castle, Ayrshire — (“coo-lane”)

D-F

★ Derby — {“darby”)

★ Edensor, Derbyshire — (“enzer”)

★ Edinburgh — (“eddinbruh”)

★ Elsecar, South Yorkshire — (“el-se-CAR”))

★ Ely, Cambridgeshire — (“eely”)

★ Erith, London — (“ee-rith”)

★ Esher, Surrey — (“eesher”)

★ Eyam, Derbyshire — (“eem”)

★ Findochty, Moray — or (“finnechty”)

★ Fowey, Cornwall — (“foy”)

★ Frome, Somerset — (“froom”)

G

★ Garioch, Aberdeenshire — (“geery”)

★ Gateacre, Liverpool — (“gat-acca”)

★ Gillingham, Kent — (soft g) vs. Gillingham, Dorset — (hard g)

★ Glenzier, Dumfries and Galloway — (“glinger”)

★ Gloucester — (“gloster”)

★ Gotham, Nottinghamshire — (“goat’m”)

★ Greenwich, Greater London — or (“grennitch/grinnitch”)

★ Greysouthen, Cumbria — (“gray-soon”)

★ Groby, Leicestershire — (“grooby”)

★ Guildford, Surrey — (“guilferd”)

★ Guisborough, Yorkshire — (“geezebruh”)

H

★ Halford, Midlands — (“hal-ford”)

★ Happisburgh, Norfolk — (“hazebruh”)

★ Hawarden, Flintshire — (“harden”)

★ Hawick, Scottish Borders — (“hoyk”)

★ Heather, Leicestershire — (“heether”)

★ Hereford, England — (“hairyferd”)

★ Hertford, England — (“harferd”) (although most non-locals pronounce it )

★ Hessle, Yorkshire — (“hezzle”)

★ Heysham, Lancashire — (“heesh’m”)

★ Holborn, Greater London — (“hoben”)

★ Holyhead, Wales — (“hollyhead”)

★ Hunstanton, Norfolk — (“hunston”)

I–K

★ Inistioge, County Kilkenny — (“innish-teag”)

★ Islay, island of the Inner Hebrides — (“isle-uh”)

★ Keadby, Lincolnshire — (“kid-be”)

★ Keighley, West Yorkshire) — (“keethly”)

★ Keswick, Cumbria — (“kezzick”)

★ Keynsham, near Bristol — (“caneshum”)

★ Kilconquhar, Fife — (“kinnukhar”) or

★ Kingussie, Scotland — (“king juicy”)

★ Kiltimagh, County Mayo — (“kiltchy-mock”)

★ Kirkby, Merseyside — (“kirby”)

★ Kirkcudbright, Galloway — (“kircoobry”)

L

★ Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, (“larn”)

★ Launceston, Cornwall — (“lawnsen”), or /ˈlæns(t)ən/ (but Launceston, Tasmania is )

★ Leamington Spa and Leamington Hastings, Warwickshire — (“lemmington”)

★ Leap, County Cork — (“lep”)

★ Leicester — (“lester”)

★ Leigh, Kent — (“lie”)

★ Leominster, Herefordshire — (“lemster”). Compare Leominster, Massachusetts with more intuitive

★ Lewannick, Cornwall — (“lewonnick”)

★ Liskeard, Cornwall — (“liscard”)

★ Loose, Kent — (“looze” = “lose”)

★ Lostwithiel, Cornwall — (“loss-withy-el”)

★ Loughborough, Leicestershire — (“lufbruh”)

★ Lympne, Kent — (“lim”)

M

★ Magdalen(e) (as in Magdalen College, Oxford and Magdalene College, Cambridge) — (“maudlin”)

★ Manea, Cambridgeshire — (“mainy”)

★ Marlborough, Wiltshire — (“mawlbruh”)

★ Meols, Cheshire — (“mels”) vs. nearby Meols Cop, Southport pronounced (“meals”)

★ Meopham, Kent — (“mep’m”)

★ Mildenhall, Wiltshire — (“minal”)

★ Milngavie, Scotland — or (“mill-guy”)

★ Minories, London — (“minneries”)

★ Mousehole, Cornwall — (“mouzel”)

★ Mweelrea, County Mayo —

★ Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire — (“my-thumroyd”)

N-O

★ Naas, County Kildare, Ireland — (“nase”)

★ Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland — (“nay”)

★ River Nene, Northamptonshire — (“nen”)

★ Norwich, Norfolk — (“noridge”)

★ Olney, Milton Keynes — (“awny”) (local), (otherwise)

★ Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire — (“ozzle twizzle”) or, more rarely, ("oztwissle")

★ Owenabue (river in County Cork) — (“own-a-bwee”)

P-R

★ Plaistow, Newham, Greater London — (“plah-stoh”)

★ Plymouth, Devon — (“plimmuth”)

★ Prinknash, Gloucestershire — (“prinnish”)

★ Puncknowle, Devon — (“punnel”)

★ Rainworth, Nottinghamshire — (“renneth”)

★ Ratlinghope, Shropshire — (“ratshup”), though perhaps only in jest

★ Reading, Berkshire — (“redding”)

★ Rievaulx, Yorkshire — (“ree-voh”)

★ Ruthven, Aberdeenshire — (“rivven”)

S

★ St Ive, Cornwall — (“eve”) (however, St Ives is pronounced as spelt — )

★ St Teath, Cornwall — (“teth”)

★ Salisbury, Wiltshire — ,(“sawlsbree”), or (local)

★ Shrewsbury, Shropshire — usually (“shrowsbree”), but can also be pronounced

★ Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire — (“slawit”)

★ Slough, Berkshire — (rhymes with cow)

★ Smethwick, West Midlands —

★ Southwark, Greater London — (“sutherk”), or locally (“suvverk”)

★ Southwell, Nottinghamshire — (“suthel”) (the more intuitive is also used locally)

★ Staithes, Yorkshire — locally (“steers”)

★ Stawell, Somerset — (“stol”)

★ Stiffkey, Norfolk — (“stew-key”) (becoming obsolete)

★ Strabane, County Tyrone — (“streBAN”)

★ Strathaven, South Lanarkshire -— (“straven”)

★ River Suir in Leinster, Ireland — (“sure”)

T-U

★ Tacolneston, Norfolk — (“tackleston”)

★ Tallaght, County Dublin — (“tal-uh”)

★ Teignmouth, Devon — (“tinmuth”)

★ Teston, Kent — (“teason”)

★ River Thames— (“temz”) (the Thames River in Connecticut is pronounced )

★ Tideswell, Derbyshire — (“tidsel”)

★ Tintwistle, Derbyshire — (“tinsel”)

★ Torpenhow Hill, Cumbria — (locally) or (non-locally)
★

★ Torquay, Devon — (“torky”)

★ Towcester, Northamptonshire — (“toaster”)

★ Trottiscliffe, Kent — (“trosly”)

★ Ulgham, Northumberland — (“uffem”)

V-Z

★ Warwick, Warwickshire — , (“woricksher”)

★ Market Weighton, Yorkshire — (“weeten”)

★ Wemyss Bay, Inverclyde — (“weemz”)

★ Wisbech, Cambridgeshire — (“wiz-beach”)

★ Woolfardisworthy, Devon — (“woolzy”) or

★ Worcester, England (“wooster”)

★ Wrotham, Kent — (“root’m”)

★ Wybunbury, Cheshire — (“winbree”)

★ Wycombe, Buckinghamshire — (“wickum”)

★ Wymondham, Norfolk — (“win-dum”) (locally) or (non-locally)
★

★ Wytham, Oxfordshire — (“white’m”)

★ Youghal, County Cork, Ireland — (“yawl”)

★ Zouch, Nottinghamshire — (“zotch”), whereas nearby Ashby-de-la-Zouch is pronounced (“zoosh”)

Place names in other English-speaking countries

A

★ Aberdeen, Washington — stressed on the first syllable (), unlike Aberdeen, Scotland, which is stressed on the final syllable

★ Abiquiu, New Mexico — (“abbecue”)

★ Agassiz, British Columbia —

★ Ahousat, British Columbia —

★ Aloha, Oregon —

★ Alsea, Oregon —

★ Arab, Alabama — (“ayrab”)

★ Arkansas — (“ARkensaw”). However, the Arkansas River and Arkansas City in Kansas are pronounced (“arCANses”)

★ Arriba, Colorado —

★ Athens, Kentucky, Athens, Illinois and New Athens, Illinois — (“aythenz”)

★ Au Sable River, New York — (“oh sable”)

B

★ Bahama, North Carolina –

★ Baie d'Espoir, Newfoundland — , French for "Bay of Hope", ironically pronounced "Bay Despair"

★ Beaufort, South Carolina — vs. of Beaufort, North Carolina

★ Belen, New Mexico -

★ Bellefontaine, Ohio —

★ Benld, Illinois —

★ Bergen, New York —

★ Berlin, Connecticut, New Berlin, Illinois, Berlin, New Hampshire, New Berlin, Wisconsin, and Berlin, Ohio — (stress on first syllable)

★ Bernalillo, New Mexico (county and town) —

★ Bexar, Texas — or

★ Billerica, Massachusetts —

★ Bingen, Washington —

★ Bois D'Arc, Missouri —

★ Boise, Idaho — (this is the standard local pronunciation, but most Americans, especially those far removed from Idaho, pronounce it )

★ Boise City, Oklahoma — The "Boise" in this place name is locally pronounced [1], which is different from either pronunciation of the name of the Idaho city. The "s" sound generally merges with the same sound in "City."

★ Bolivar, Tennessee — named for Simón Bolívar but pronounced , as if to rhyme with "oliver"

★ Bossier City, Louisiana —

★ Bothell, Washington —

★ Brisbane, Australia —

★ Bucoda, Washington —

★ Buena Vista, Colorado, Buena Vista, Oregon, Buena Vista, Virginia —

★ Buhl, Idaho —

★ Burien, Washington —

★ Butte, Montana —

C

★ Cairo, Illinois and Cairo, Ohio —

★ Calais, Maine and Calais, Vermont — (The town of Calais in France was formerly also pronounced in English; today , with initial stress in British English and final stress in American English, is the normal pronunciation.)

★ Camano Island, Washington —

★ Cambridge, Massachusetts — . Note that the River Cam and Cambridge, Gloucestershire are pronounced as expected.

★ Canyon de Chelly, Arizona — ''Chelly'' pronounced

★ Chehalis, Washington —

★ Chelan, Chelan County, and Lake Chelan, Washington —

★ Chemekata, Oregon —

★ Cherryville, North Carolina — or

★ Chewelah, Washington —

★ Chicago — or

★ Chickasha, Oklahoma —

★ Chili, New York — though indeed named after the country Chili/Chile[2]

★ Clatskanie, Oregon —

★ Cockburn, Australia —

★ Coeur d'Alene, Idaho —

★ Conneaut, Ohio (also Conneautville, Pennsylvania) —

★ Conetoe, North Carolina —

★ Connecticut —

★ Copalis Beach, Washington —

★ Coquille, Oregon —

D-E

★ Delhi, New York —

★ Denali, Alaska —

★ Des Moines, Iowa —

★ Des Plaines, Illinois — for contrast

★ Deschutes River, Oregon, and Deschutes River, Washington —

★ Mount Desert Island, Maine— to add to the confusing pronunciation of desert and dessert

★ DuBois, Pennsylvania - or vs. French

★ Dungeness River and Dungeness Spit, Washington —

★ El Dorado, Arkansas, El Dorado, Kansas and Eldorado, Illinois —

★ Elbe, Washington —

★ Embarras (or Embarrass) River in Illinois —

★ Ephrata, Washington — (unlike the Borough of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, which is pronounced )

★ Estacada, Oregon —

★ Etobicoke, Ontario —

F-H

★ Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts —

★ Galice, Oregon —

★ Galveston, Indiana — vs for Galveston, Texas

★ Gaultois, Newfoundland and Labrador —

★ Gig Harbor, Washington —

★ Gloucester, Massachusetts —.

★ Greenwich, Connecticut and Greenwich Village in New York City —

★ Gruene, Texas —

★ Haverhill, Massachusetts —

★ Havre, Montana —

★ Havre de Grace, Maryland —

★ Hereford, Texas and Hereford, Pennsylvania — (“herfurd”)

★ Hockessin, Delaware —

★ Houston, Georgia and Houston Street (Manhattan) — , vs the better known, irregular of Houston, Texas, named via Sam Houston after Houston, Scotland, a concatenation of "Hu's town"

★ Hurricane, Utah and Hurricane, West Virginia — (The ending is standard in the British pronunciation of ''hurricane'', but not in American English)

★ Hyak, Washington —

I-K

★ Illinois —

★ Ilwaco, Washington —

★ Ironton, Ohio —

★ Italy, Texas — with two syllables only

★ Job's Cove) —

★ Kahlotus, Washington —

★ Kalaloch, Washington —

★ Kalama, Washington —

★ Kamela, Oregon -

★ Kamiah, Idaho —

★ Keechelus Lake, Washington —

★ Kelowna, British Columbia —

★ Kenai, Alaska —

★ Keremeos, British Columbia —

★ Kiribati (island nation in Pacific Ocean) — (spelling is regular in Gilbertese)

★ Kiritimati (island in Pacific Ocean) — (spelling is regular in Gilbertese)

★ Kittitas and Kittitas County, Washington —

★ Kosciusko, Mississippi —

L

★ Labrador, Canada —

★ Lac Courte Oreilles, Wisconsin —

★ Lafayette in Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee — vs. e.g. the cities in Indiana and Louisiana that are pronounced , approximating the original French

★ La Grande, Oregon -

★ Lake Oswego, Oregon —

★ La Plata, Maryland —

★ Lapwai, Idaho —

★ Latah, Washington and Latah County, Idaho —

★ Leakey, Texas —

★ Lebam, Washington —

★ Lebanon, New Hampshire -

★ Leicester, Massachusetts — (“lester”)

★ Lemhi County, Idaho —

★ Lemoore, California — officially after the founder, quickly becoming due to its spelling and the number of new people moving in to the town

★ Lewes, Delaware—

★ Lima, Ohio —

★ Lodi, California, and elsewhere in US —

★ Louisville, Colorado and Louisville, Georgia — vs. e.g. Louisville, Kentucky locally or even

M

★ Mackinac Island, Michigan —

★ Madras, Oregon —

★ Madrid, New Mexico and New Madrid, Missouri —

★ Malad City, Idaho and Malad River —

★ Malheur County, Oregon and Malheur River —

★ Manchaca, Texas —

★ Mantua, Utah —

★ Marquam, Oregon —

★ Maury County, Tennessee —

★ Medina, Washington —

★ Melbourne, Australia — or

★ Mesa, Washington —

★ Methow, Washington —

★ Mexia, Texas —

★ Miami, Oklahoma —

★ Milan, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Tennessee, and Washington —

★ Minam, Oregon -

★ Missouri — many residents of the U.S. state pronounce it

★ Montague, Texas —

★ Montpelier, Virginia — , perhaps more intuitive than the US standard of Montpelier, Vermont and others (derived from Montpellier, France)

★ Moscow, Idaho — All other Moscows in America are the expected

★ Mukilteo, Washington —

★ Mulino, Oregon —

N-P

★ Naches, Washington —

★ Nanaimo, British Columbia —

★ Naselle, Washington —

★ Natchitoches, Louisiana — ("nackətəsh")

★ Neah Bay, Washington —

★ Nenana, Alaska and Nenana River —

★ Nespelem, Washington —

★ Nevada — ; the pronunciation , while fairly common (particularly in the eastern United States), is stigmatized locally.

★ Nevada County, Arkansas; Nevada, Iowa; and Nevada, Missouri —

★ Newark, Ohio — ("nerk") vs. Newark, Delaware

★ Newfoundland —

★ Orcas Island, Washington — (not , like the plural of ''orca'')

★ Osoyoos, British Columbia — ("oh-sue-yoos") or

★ Owyhee River and Owyhee County, Idaho —

★ Palouse, Washington —

★ Peabody, Massachusetts — , not

★ Pedernales River, Texas — ("perden alice")

★ Pend Oreille County, Washington and Pend Oreille (also Pend d'Oreille) River — ("ponderay")

★ Picabo, Idaho —

★ Pierre, South Dakota — ("peer")

★ Pfafftown, North Carolina — (Usually the p is silent in names starting with Pf)

★ Piceance Creek & Basin, Colorado — or (“pee-ants”)

★ Plano, Texas - ("PLAY-no")

★ Plymouth, Massachusetts and elsewhere — ("plimmuth")

★ Pojoaque Pueblo, New Mexico — ("puhWOKee") by Anglos only

★ Poughkeepsie, New York — ("puhKIPsy")

★ Poulsbo, Washington — {{IPA|/ˈpɑlzˌboʊ/ ("PAHLZ-bow")

★ Puget Sound, Washington — ("PEW-jit")

★ Puyallup, Washington — ("pew-AL-up")

Q-R

★ Quesnel, British Columbia —

★ Quidi Vidi, Newfoundland — (“kiddy viddy”)

★ Quincy, Massachusetts — (“kwinzy”)

★ Quirpon, Newfoundland and Labrador — (“carpoon”)

★ Raleigh, North Carolina — (“rahly”)

★ Refugio, Texas — (“refurio”)

★ Rhea County, Tennessee — (“ray”)

★ Riga, New York — (“righ-ga”)

★ Rio Grande, Ohio — (“righ-o-grand”)

★ Ruch, Oregon — (“roosh”)

★ Russia, Ohio — (“ROO-she”)

★ Rutherfordton, North Carolina — locally (“rulfton”) or variations on that

S

★ Saanich Peninsula and related place names in British Columbia —

★ Saline, Michigan — (“suh-lean”)

★ Samish Island, Washington —

★ Sammamish, Washington —

★ San Jose, Illinois —

★ San Rafael, California —

★ Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/ Michigan — ("soo saint marie")

★ Schuylkill in Pennsylvania — (“skookel”)

★ Sechelt, British Columbia —

★ Sedro-Woolley, Washington —

★ Sekiu, Washington —

★ Sequim, Washington — (“skwim”)

★ Shawangunk (Mountains, town and prison in Hudson Valley region of New York) — is preferred by residents of the area, although original pronunciation still used by visitors is more intuitive

★ Shoshone, Idaho —

★ Siuslaw River, Oregon —

★ Skagit (name of a Native American tribe and various locales in Washington) —

★ Skamokawa, Washington — (“ska-mock-a-way”)

★ Skidegate, British Columbia — (“skiddeget”)

★ Sol Duc River, Washington — (the spelling “soleduck” is also encountered)

★ Spokane, Washington — (“spo-can”)

★ St. Maries, Idaho — (“St. Mary's”)

★ Staunton, Virginia — (“stan-tin”)

★ Stehekin, Washington —

★ Steilacoom, Washington — (“stillakum”)

★ Stouffville, Ontario — (“sto-vil”)

★ Suisun City, California — (“se-SOON”)

★ Summerland, British Columbia — (not )

T

★ Taliaferro County, Georgia— (“tolliver”)

★ Tanana, Alaska and Tanana River —

★ Tekoa, Washington —

★ Telocaset, Oregon -

★ Tewksbury, Massachusetts — traditionally (“tooksbury”)

★ Thames River in Ontario, and town and firth in New Zealand — (the Thames River in Connecticut is pronounced )

★ The Dalles, Oregon —

★ Thibodaux, Louisiana — (“tibbuhdoe”)

★ Tieton, Washington —

★ Tok, Alaska —

★ Tooele, Utah — (“to-will-a”)

★ Topsail Beach, North Carolina — (“topsl”)

★ Touchet River, Washington —

★ Toutle River, Washington —

★ Tripoli, Iowa —

★ Tsawwassen, British Columbia —

★ Tualatin, Oregon, Tualatin River -

★ Tucson, Arizona —

★ Tygh Valley, Oregon — (“tie”)

U-V

★ Valdez, Alaska —

★ Vallejo, California —

★ Veneta, Oregon -

★ Verdi, Nevada —

★ Versailles, Illinois, Versailles, Kentucky and Versailles, Ohio —

★ Vienna, Illinois —

W

★ Wahkiakum County, Washington —

★ Wallowa, Oregon, Wallowa County, and the Wallowa Mountains —

★ Wallula, Washington —

★ Weippe, Idaho —

★ Weiser, Idaho — (“weezer”)

★ Whitemarsh Island — (“witmarsh”)

★ Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania — , , or (“wilks bear”)

★ Willamette River, Oregon — (“wil-LAM-it”)

★ Willapa River and Willapa Hills, Washington — (“WILL-a-paw”)

★ Woburn, Massachusetts — (“woo-burn”), Woburn, Bedfordshire and Woburn, Toronto are simply (“woe-burn”)

★ Worcester, Massachusetts — (“wooster”)

X-Z

★ Yakima, Yakima County, and Yakima River, Washington — (“yak-a-maw”), though the pronunciation is also heard. The Native American people for whom the river, city, and county are named now prefer the spelling Yakama.

★ Yachats, Oregon — (“yah-hahts”)

★ Yaquina Bay and related place names in Oregon —

★ Yocona River, Mississippi — (“yahk-nee”)

★ Youghiogheny River, U.S. — (‘yah-kuh-GAIN-ee”)

★ Yreka, California — (“why-reek-a”)

★ Zzyzx, California — (“zigh-zix”)

Given names

★ Chynna (e.g. Chynna Phillips) — (“china”)

★ Geoffrey — (“jeffry”)

★ Greig (Scottish/English surname or forename) — ("greg")

★ Job — (“jobe”)

★ John — (RP) (GA)

★ Kaffe Fassett — (“kafe”)

★ Kiki Cuyler — ("kye-kye")

★ Magdalen(e) (as in Magdalen College, Oxford and Magdalene College, Cambridge) — (“maudlin”)

★ MaliVai Washington — (“mal-a-VEE-a”)

★ Matraca Berg - ("muhTRAYsuh")

★ Michael —

★ Michellie Jones — ("muh-KEE-lee")

★ Niamh — (“neve”)

★ Phoebe — ("fee-bee")

★ Picabo Street — (“peek-uh-boo”)

★ Ralph — usually , though some (e.g., Ralph Fiennes, Ralph Vaughan Williams) prefer (“rafe”)

★ Regina — the female name is , but in British and Canadian place names (and in the legal Latin term for "queen") it is

★ Rise (after Rise Stevens) — ("ree-suh")

★ Seamus - ("shame-us")

★ Sean (first name) — (spelling ''Seán'' is regular in Irish) ("shawn")

★ Sinéad — ("shuNAID")

★ Siobhan — or (spelling ''Siobhán'' is regular in Irish) ("shuVAWN")

★ Siouxsie —

★ Tadhg —

★ Wynonna —

Surnames

A-B

★ Duke of Abercorn — (“avvercorn”)

★ David Acer — (“acker”)

★ Peter Agre — or ("ah-gree")

★ Ameche (Don & Alan) — ("uh-MEE-chee") (Anglicized spelling for original Italian name "Amici")

★ Aucoin — from (e.g. Kevyn Aucoin), , (e.g. Bill Aucoin), to

★ Ayscough (e.g. Hannah Ayscough) — (“askew”)

★ Walter Bagehot — (“badget”)

★ Jim Bakker — (“baker”)

★ Earl Beauchamp — (“beech’m”)

★ Berkeley (English surname) — ("barkly"). Surname in the US .

★ Bohun —

★ Blount (e.g. Roy Blount Jr) — ("blunt")

★ Roger Boisjoly - ("beaujolais")

★ Boulware (Virginia) — (“bowler”)

★ John Boozman — ("bozeman")

★ KC Boutiette — ("BOO-tee-ay")

★ Duke of Buccleuch — ("buhCLUE")

★ Steve Buyer - ("boo-yer")

C

★ John Caius (as in Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge) — ("keys")

★ Thomas Carew, poet — ("kerry")

★ Craig Chaquico — ("cha-KEY-so")

★ Mamah Cheney — ("mayma chayny")

★ Cheves (e.g. Langdon Cheves) — (“chiv-is”)

★ Cholmondeley — (“chumly”)

★ Cecelia Cichan — ("SHE-han")

★ Cockburn — ("co-burn")

★ Colcolough (Virginia, e.g. Tom Colcolough) — ("coke-lee") or ("calkly")

★ Colquhoun —

★ Aaron Copland — ("copeland")

★ Dan Cortese — ("cortez")

★ Cowper — ("cooper")

★ Paula Creamer — (“cramer”)

★ Crichton —

★ Cruwys , Devon (e.g. Margaret Cruwys —

★ Culzean Castle, Scotland —

★ Cuyjet — ("soo-zhay")

D-E

★ Vernon Dahmer —

★ Dalyell and Dalziel (as in the UK television series ''Dalziel and Pascoe'') —

★ Davies — both ("Davis") and

★ DeLaughter, e.g. Tim DeLaughter — ("DeLawter")

★ Diuguid — (“do gid”)

★ John Donne, poet — ("dun")

★ Andre Dubus — (“duhBYOOS”)

★ Justin Duchscherer — (“dooksher”)

★ Keir Dullea — (“duh-lay”)

★ Dyches — (“dikes”)

★ Eames (e.g. Emma Eames) — (“aims”), though often just

★ Cary Elwes — (“el-ways”)

★ Enroughty (S. Carolina) — ("darby") [3]

F-H

★ Faneuil — or

★ Brett Favre — (“farv”)

★ Featherstonehaugh — (“fanshaw”), also , , , or intuitively as
★

★ Paul Feig — (“feeg”)

★ Fiennes — (“fines”)

★ William Foege — (“fay-ghee”)

★ Robert Fulghum — (“full jum”)

★ Clifford Geertz — ("gurts")

★ Geogehan, Geoghegan — ("gaygan")

★ Louise Gluck — ("glick")

★ Donald Glut — ("gloot")

★ Lee Godie — ("GO-day")

★ Elizabeth Goudge — ("goozh")

★ Greenhalgh — or ("greenhalsh")

★ Matt Groening — (“graining”)

★ Grosvenor — ("grove-ner")

★ Guild, e.g. Nancy Guild — ("guiled")

★ Earl of Harewood — ("harwood")

★ Earl of Home — (rhymes with fume)

★ Benjamin Huger — ("oodgy") or

★ William Hulme — (same as the earl of Home’s name)

I-L

★ David Icke — (“ike”)

★ Andrew P. Iosue — ("oz-way") [4]

★ Isley Brothers — (“eyes-lee”)

★ Darrell Issa — (“eye-suh”)

★ Jacques — sometimes (e.g. Brian Jacques) (“jakes”)

★ Hamilton Jordan — ("jerdən")

★ John Keble (of Keble College) — (“keeble”)

★ Kehoe, Keogh (Irish surname) —

★ Kerr — sometimes (e.g. Deborah Kerr) “car”

★ Keynes, e.g. John Maynard Keynes - ("canes")

★ Karch Kiraly — ("keer-eye")

★ Legaré (e.g. Hugh S. Legaré ) — (“luh-gree”)

★ Leveson-Gower (e.g. H. D. G. Leveson-Gower, Granville George Leveson-Gower) — (“Lewson-Gore”)

★ Lewes, e.g. George Henry Lewes —

M

★ MacEoin — (“MacOwen”)

★ Machin (e.g. Arnold Machin) — (“may-chin”)

★ MacKay — in Scotland (to rhyme with "sky"), elsewhere more often the anglicised

★ Mackay (e.g. Clarence Mackay) — (“macky”)

★ MacLeod, McLeod — (“m’cloud”)

★ MacMahon, McMahon — (“macMAN”)

★ Mainwaring — (mannering) (non-fictional Mainwarings pronounce it the same)

★ Robert Mapplethorpe — (“maplethorp”)

★ Marjoribanks — (marsh banks)

★ Marlborough —

★ Maugham (e.g. Somerset Maugham) —

★ Marin Mazzie — (“may-zee”)

★ McCaughey (e.g. the McCaughey septuplets) — ("McCoy")

★ Geraldine McCaughrean — (“McCorkren”)

★ McGrath — In Ireland usually (“McGraw”), though elsewhere often

★ McLean, MacLean — (“McLane”) [5][6][7], occasionally its anglicised equivalent (to rhyme with "clean")

★ McVie (e.g. John & Christine McVie — (“McVee”)

★ Meagher — (“mar”), (“maher”)

★ David Mech — (“meech”)

★ Melancon (e.g. Charlie Melancon) —

★ Menzies — (“mingis”)

★ Moog —

★ Moragne (U.S.) —

N-Q

★ Naifeh — (“nay-fee”)

★ Bill Nighy — (“nigh”)

★ Laura Nyro — (“nero”)

★ Laurence Olivier —

★ Ouzts —

★ Lou Piniella — (“puhNELuh”)

★ Pole-Carew (e.g. Sir Reginald Pole-Carew) — (“Pool-Kerry”)

★ Cliff Politte — (“poleet”)

★ Pou (e.g. Edward W. Pou) — (“pew”)

★ Prioleau (e.g. Pierson Prioleau) — (“pray-low”)

★ Proulx (as in Marcel Proulx and E. Annie Proulx) —

R

★ Raleigh (surname) — (“rawly”) (although pronounced by most people as )

★ Rehm (e.g. Diane Rehm) — (“ream”)

★ Pete Reiser — (“reeser”)

★ Rhea (e.g. Caroline Rhea,) — (“ray”)

★ Rhys — (“reese”)

★ Lisa Rieffel — (“ruhFEL”)

★ Riordan (e.g. Richard Riordan, Mike Riordan) — often (“reardon”)

★ Marge Roukema — (“rockema”)

★ Kirk Rueter — (“reeter”)

★ Ed Ruscha — (“rooSHAY”)

S

★ St John (first name and surname) — (as in Oliver St. John Gogarty); or intuitively or (as in Ian St. John).

★ Schaffer, Shaffer — often rather than

★ Terry Schiavo — (“shy-vo”) vs. regular Mary Schiavo

★ Schlumberger — (“shlumberZHAY”)

★ Patti Scialfa — (“skalfa”)

★ Steven Seagal — (after Chagall; his father's name is simply pronounced )

★ Junior Seau — ("say ow")

★ Seay — sometimes (Seay, Mark Seay) , usually (“see”)

★ Karen Sillas — ("sigh-less")

★ Smellie (Scottish, e.g. William Smellie) — (“smiley”)

★ Strachan — (“strawn”) (e.g. Gordon Strachan), , but now often

★ Dana Suesse — (“swees”)

T-V

★ Tal(l)iaferro — (“tolliver”)

★ Roger Taney — (“tawny”)

★ Lauren Tewes — (“tweeze”)

★ Thome (e.g. Jim Thome) —

★ Threatt (e.g. Sedale Threatt) — (“threet”)

★ Todd Tiahrt — (“tea-heart”)

★ Tilghman — (“tillman”)

★ Tyrwhitt (e.g. Reginald Tyrwhitt) — (rhymes with “spirit”)

★ Urquhart — (“urkert”)

★ Vanderhorst (S. Carolina) (e.g. Arnoldus Vanderhorst — (“van dross”)

★ Bill Veeck — (“vek”)

W-Z

★ Wein, Weiner — often and (“wiener”)

★ Winzet — (“win-yet”)

★ Wodehouse — (“woodhouse”)

★ Worcester —

★ Larry Woiwode — (“why woody”)

★ Herman Wouk — (“woke”)

★ Patricia Wrede — (“reedy”)

★ Wriothesley — apparently anyone's guess: , , (“roxly”)

★ Yeaton — (“yetten”)

★ Yeend, e.g. Frances Yeend — (“yend”)

★ Clayton Yeutter — (rhymes with “fighter”)

Online sources

★ BBC guide to Pronouncing British Placenames

★ How Do You Pronounce That Name? on genealogymagazine.com

★ A Pronunciation Guide to Names of Public Figures

References

★ BBC pronouncing dictionary of British names, G. M. Miller (editor), , , Oxford University Press, 1971, ISBN 0-19-431125-2

★ Gazetteer of Ireland, Ordnance Survey of Ireland, , , Government Publications Office, 1989, ISBN 0-7076-0076-6
Pronunciations marked with
★ are from:

★ Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, Wells, John C., , , 2nd ed. Longman, 2000, ISBN 0-582-36468-X

See also

★ English spelling

★ List of words of disputed pronunciation (includes names like Melbourne that are pronounced differently in different locations)