The Pronunciation Thread

[Dogtrousers]

I love the way the Irish drop the h in 'th' so that, for example, Edward III now becomes Edward the turd

Samuel Beckett picked up on that in "Watt"

Mr. Graves pronounced his th charmingly. Turd and fart, he said, for third and fourth. Watt liked these venerable Saxon words. And when Mr. Graves, drinking on the sunny step his afternoon stout, looked up with a twinkle in his old blue eye, and said, in mock deprecation, Tis only me turd or fart,

By quoting Beckett I think I'm immune to accusations of poking fun at regional accents. Maybe.

 

[simongt]

My workday accent is the one I acquired at public school (few would,d understand if I slipped into Shetlandic) and would pronounce won as wun.

Being Irish both sides of the family, but born in England, 'heducated' at public school, I 'lapsed' into being my natural self after a nasty divorce and subsequently being married to a Dundonian lass for the last 27 years, my accent wanders all over the place, unconciously using accents, terms & phrases I've picked up from various sources.
What hotchpotch - !

 

[yello]

Place near me (spelt) Méasnes. That's pronounced 2 different ways (and counting) depending on the roots of the French you learnt/speak. Consequently, I never know how to pronounce it.

Kinda like Shrewsbury.

 

[simongt]

And of the pronunciation of place names, Norfolk has some good 'uns - !
Wymondham is 'Windam' as opposed the Wymondham in Leicestershire which is said as it's spelt.
Happisburgh is 'Haisburrer'.
Postwick is 'Pozzik', but Crostwick is said as it's spelt.
The 'row' in Sprowston is either 'row' as in argument, or 'row' as in row a boat, depending on which part of Norwich you come from.
All good fun - !

 

[Dogtrousers]

Driving north out of London we pass signs to Godmanchester. Now that really has a look of a place with a weird pronunciation like Gumster or something.

Does it? Any Cambridgeshire locals know?

Edit. Just googled. Yes, locals (Gumsterians) do call it Gumster

 

[Alex321]

And of the pronunciation of place names, Norfolk has some good 'uns - !
Wymondham is 'Windam' as opposed the Wymondham in Leicestershire which is said as it's spelt.

No it isn't. It is pronounced exactly the same as the Norfolk one.

I spent my teenage years first in South Witham, about 2 miles away, then in Grantham, about 15 miles away, and never heard it pronounced any other way.

 

[robjh]

Driving north out of London we pass signs to Godmanchester. Now that really has a look of a place with a weird pronunciation like Gumster or something.

Does it? Any Cambridgeshire locals know?

Edit. Just googled. Yes, locals (Gumsterians) do call it Gumster

Wow. Us visiting Cambridge cyclists always pronounce it as it's spelt. The Gumsterians must all be muttering 'he's not from round 'ere' when we open our mouths.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

I worked in London for years. A colleague of mine who was a South Londoner covered the Midlands. One day she asked how me to pronounce 'Rugeley' in Staffordshire. Correct pronunciation is Rouge-lee, not Rugger-lee as I informed her. I kept that one going for quite some time.

 

[All uphill]

Dee rail er?

Dee rail ier?

D rail errr?

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Always gone for Dee rail yer.

 

[Electric_Andy]

As kids we always used to say Dray-lee-er

 

[yello]

Howzabout mec?

 

[Brandane]

Dee rail er?

Dee rail ier?

D rail errr?

Thing for derailing the chain:
Since we stole "derailleur" from the French, I suppose it should really be pronounced the French way, as in "de ray yur". I go close to @midlandsgrimpeur but de rather than dee, so "de rail yer".

 

[simongt]

No it isn't. It is pronounced exactly the same as the Norfolk one.

I stand corrected - !
I'd been told by a very heducated pal of mine otherwise, so believed him - !

 

[PaulB]

The French must laugh when they hear an American say the name of the city "Detroit". Or any Brit say it come to that.