List of irregularly spelled places in England

This is a sublist of List of irregularly spelled English names.

Colney COney Hatch

De Beauvoir BEAver Town (usu.)

Marylebone MARlyb'n (alt.)

Plaistow PLAHsto

Ruislip RYslip

Greenwich GRENidge

Southwark SU-ðərK

Vauxhall VOK-sawl

Dulwich DULLidge

Chiswick CHIZick

Isleworth Ayezəlworth

A map of irregularly spelled places in London

Pronunciations for the following common suffixes are regular pronunciations, despite being counterintuitive at first glance:

• -b(o)rough and -burgh – /bərə/, /brə/
• -bury – /bri/
• -cester – /stər/[n 1]
• -combe, -coombe, -comb and -cambe – /kəm/ (often). As stand-alone words always /kuːm/ (including in place names such as Castle Combe and Coombe Bissett)
• -ford – /fərd/
• -gh – silent (usually, as 'f' in a considerable minority of northern English place names and in Woughton, Milton Keynes)
• -ham – /əm/
• -holm(e) – /hoʊm/, /əm/
• -mouth – /məθ/
• -on as first syllable is usually as in London, Coningsby or Tonbridge (see Middle English handwriting preventing 'un' and 'um'); excludes a few such as intuitive Lonsdale
• -shire – /ʃər/, /ʃɪər/ (rhotic or semi-rhotic r in 'er' as final syllable non-existent in some English dialects such as Kentish and Cockney), /ʃaɪər/(esp. in Yorkshire and Scotland)
• -wich - /ɪtʃ/, /ɪdʒ/[n 2]
• -wick – /ɪk/[n 3][n 4]

Pronunciation of the following common prefix is variable depending on dialect:

• Al- /ˈɒl, ˈɔːl/

List

Place	IPA	Note
Acomb, North Yorkshire	/ˈjækəm/[1]
Acomb, Northumberland	/ˈjɛkəm/[1]
Aigburth	/ˈɛɡbərθ/ (listen)
Aike	/ˈjæk/ (listen)[1]
Aldeburgh	/ˈɔːlbərə/
Allerton	/ˈɒlərtən/
Almeley	/ˈæmliː/, /ˈælmliː/
Alnmouth	/ˈæl(ə)nmaʊθ/
Alnwick	/ˈænɪk/ (listen)
Althorp	/ˈɔːltrəp/[2]
Altrincham	/ˈɒltrɪŋəm/ (listen)[2]
Alresford, Essex	/ˈɒlsfərd/ (listen)
	/ˈeɪlsfərd/
Alresford, Hampshire	/ˈɒlzfərd/
Alsager	/ˈɒlseɪdʒər/
Alverdiscott	/ˈɒlskɒt/
Ashtead	/ˈæʃstɛd/
Ardingly	/ˈɑːrdɪŋlaɪ/
Ashby-de-la-Zouch	/dələˈzuːʃ/
Aslackby	/ˈeɪzəlbi/
Averham	/ˈɛərəm/
Aveton Gifford	/ˈɔːtən ˈdʒɪfərd/ (listen)	This is doubly counter-intuitive not adopting the hard G that features in Gifford (the forename, surname and part of a more populous place name).
Ayscoughfee Hall	/ˈæskəfiː/ (listen)
Balliol College	/ˈbeɪliəl[2]
Barham	/ˈbærəm/[2]
Barholm	/ˈbærəm/
Barnoldswick	/ˈbɑːrlɪk/
Barugh, North Yorkshire	/bɑːrf/[2]
Barugh, South Yorkshire	/ˈbɑːrk/
Basford	/ˈbeɪsfərd/
Beaconsfield	/ˈbɛkənzfiːld/ (listen)
Beaminster	/ˈbɛmɪnstər/
Beauchamp Roding	/ˈbiːtʃəm/	Also a surname.
Beauchief	/ˈbiːtʃɪf/
Beaudesert	/ˈbɛlzər/[3][4]	Reflecting original "Beldesert"
Beaulieu	/ˈbjuːli/[2]
Bellingham	/ˈbɛlɪndʒəm/[2]	cf. Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A., which is intuitive (/ˈbɛlɪŋhæm/
Belvoir Castle	/ˈbiːvər/
Berkeley	/ˈbɑːrkli/[2]	All towns in England. Mirrors British "clerk", which is also irregular.
Berwick-upon-Tweed	/ˈbɛrɪk/[2]
Bicester	/ˈbɪstər/[2]
Bideford	/ˈbɪdɪfərd/
Billericay	/ˌbɪləˈrɪki/[2]
Blackley	/ˈbleɪkli/ (listen)[2]
Blidworth	/ˈblɪdərθ/
Bosham	/ˈbɒzəm/ (listen)
Bozeat	/ˈboʊʒət/
Bradley	/ˈbreɪdli/[2]
Brant Broughton	/ˈbrænt ˈbruːtən/
Breaston	/ˈbriːstən/
Brewood	/bruːd/ (listen)
Bridestowe	/ˈbrɪdɪstoʊ/
Brough	/ˈbrʌf/
Brougham	/bruːm/
Browshome	/ˈbruːzəm/
Bungay	/ˈbʌŋɡi/
Burgh le Marsh	/ˈbʌrə/
Burgh by Sands	/brʌf/[2]
Bylaugh	/ˈbiːlə/
Caius College	/ˈkiːz/[2]
Caldmore	/ˈkɑːmər/
Cambois	/ˈkæməs/
Cambridge	/ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/[2]	The River Cam and sometimes Cambridge, Gloucestershire are pronounced with /kæm/; however, locals now pronounce the latter like the city.
Caterham	/ˈkeɪtərəm/
Cheshunt	/ˈtʃɛzənt/
Cheviot Hills	/ˈtʃivɪət/	Also includes The Cheviot.
Cheylesmore	/ˈtʃɑːlzmɔːr/
Chideock	/ˈtʃɪdək/[5]
Chiswick	/ˈtʃɪzɪk/ (listen)[6]
Cholmondeley	/ˈtʃʌmli/[2]
Cholmondeston	/ˈtʃʌmstən/
Chop Gate	/ˈtʃɒp ˈjæt/[7]
Cirencester	/ˈsɪsɪtər/[2]
Claughton	/ˈklæftən/[2]
Cleobury Mortimer	/ˈklɪbəri/[2]
Cley-next-the-Sea	/ˈklaɪ/
Cogenhoe	/ˈkʊknoʊ/
Colerne	/ˈkʌlərn/
Coleshill	/ˈkoʊzɪl/
Colney Hatch	/ˈkoʊni/
Congresbury	/ˈkɒŋzbəri/
Cononley	/ˈkʊnlə/
Costessey	/ˈkɒsi/[2]
Cowbit	/ˈkʌbɪt/[8]
Cowden	/kaʊˈdɛn/
Cowpen	/ˈkuːpɛn/
Cradley	/ˈkreɪdli/
Croxton Kerrial	/ˈkroʊsən ˈkɛrɪl/
Cruwys Morchard	/ˈkruːz/
Cuckfield	/ˈkʊkfiːld/[2]	cf. nearby intuitive Uckfield
Cudworth	/ˈkʊdərθ/
Darwen	/ˈdɑːrwɪn/[9]
Daventry	/ˈdeɪntri/
De Beauvoir Town	/də ˈbiːvər/	Intuitive also heard, like Holborn, especially in relatively new residents.
Derby	/ˈdɑːrbi/ (listen)
Devon	/ˈdɛvən/
Devon (river)	/ˈdiːvən/[10]
Didcot	/ˈdɪdkət/ (listen)[9]
Dodworth	/ˈdɒdərθ/
Dunchideock	/ˈdʌntʃɪdək/
Durham	/ˈdɜːrəm/	Also pronounced regularly
Edensor	/ˈɛnzər/
Edenham	/ˈɛdnəm/
Elham	/ˈiːləm/
Elsecar	/ɛlsɪˈkɑːr/
	/ɛlsɪˈkər/
Ely	/ˈiːli/
Esher	/ˈiːʃər/[9]
Eton College	/ˈiːtən/ (listen)
Euxton	/ˈɛkstən/[2]
Eyam	/iːm/[2]
Eynsham	/ˈɛnʃəm/
Farcet	/ˈfæsət/
Flitwick	/ˈflɪtɪk/ (listen)
Foleshill	/ˈfoʊzɪl/
Folkingham	/ˈfɒkɪŋəm/
Fowey	/ˈfɔɪ/[2][9]
Frithsden	/ˈfrɪzdən/
Frome	/ˈfruːm/[2]
Gateacre	/ˈɡætəkər/[2]
Gillingham	/ˈdʒɪlɪŋəm/ (listen)[11]
Gloucester	/ˈɡlɒstər/
Godmanchester	/ˈɡʌmstər/[12]	Usually pronounced regularly
Gotham	/ˈɡoʊtəm/[2]
Greenwich	/ˈɡrɛnɪtʃ/[2] or the more old-fashioned /ɡrɪnɪtʃ/	As in Greenwich Mean Time and as in the U.S. namesakes
Greysouthen	/ˈɡreɪsuːn/
Groby	/ˈɡruːbi/
Guildford	/ˈɡɪlfərd/ (listen)[2]
Guisborough	/ˈɡɪzbərə/
Happisburgh	/ˈheɪzbərə/[2]
Hardes, Kent	/ˈhɑːrdz/
Harewood House	/ˈhɑːrwʊd/	The adjacent village, Harewood, is pronounced intuitively. The other main stately home of broad architectural and historical note with an unusual pronunciation is: Cliveden
Hatch Beauchamp	/ˈbiːtʃəm/[13]
Haverholme	/ˈhævrəm/
Haverhill	/ˈhævrɪl/
Heather	/ˈhiːðər/[2]
Hereford	/ˈharfərd/
Herstmonceux	/ˌhɜːrsmənˈzuː/, /-ˈsuː/[14]
Hessle	/ˈhɛzəl/[2]
Holborn	/ˈhoʊbən/ (listen)[2]
Holnicote Estate	/ˈhʌnɪkɒt/
Holywell	/ˈhɒliwɛl/
Hough-on-the-Hill	/hɒf/
Hougham	/ˈhɒfəm/
Houghton-le-Spring	/ˈhoʊtən lə ˈsprɪŋ/
Hunstanton	/ˈhʌnstən/[2]
Ide	/iːd/
Isleworth	/ˈaɪzəlwɜːrθ/ (listen)
Islip	/ˈaɪzlɪp/	cf. Islip, Oxfordshire identical but for the r with: Ruislip
Iwerne Minster	/ˈjuːɜːrn/
Jervaulx Abbey	/ˈʒɜːrvoʊ/
Keadby	/ˈkɪdbi/
Keighley	/ˈkiːθli/[2]
Keynsham	/ˈkeɪnʃəm/[9]
Kinder Scout	/ˈkɪndər/	Also includes River Kinder, Kinder Downfall and Kinder Reservoir.
Kirkby	/ˈkɜːrbi/[2]	Pronounced intuitively in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.
Laughton	/ˈlaʊtən/
Launceston, Cornwall	/ˈlɔːnstən/[2]	cf. Launceston, Tasmania, pronounced /ˈlɒnsəstən/)
Leamington Spa	/ˈlɛmɪŋtən/ (listen)
Leasingham	/ˈlɛzɪŋəm/
Leicester	/ˈlɛstər/[2]
Leigh	/laɪ/[2]	Leigh, Manchester is regular
Leominster	/ˈlɛmstər/ (listen)[2]	cf. Leominster, Massachusetts
Lilleshall	/ˈlɪləʃɛl/
Lincoln	/ˈlɪŋkən/
Liskeard, Cornwall	/lɪˈskɑːrd/[2]
Little Hautbois	/ˈhɒbɪs/
Loose	/luːz/
Lostwithiel	/lɒsˈwɪθiəl/[2]
Loughborough	/ˈlʌfbrə/ (listen)
Lover	/ˈloʊvər/
Ludgershall	/ˈlʌɡərʃɔːl/
Ludgvan, Cornwall	/ˈlʌdʒən/
Luxulyan, Cornwall	/lʌkˈsɪljən/
Lympne	/ˈlɪm/[2]
Magdalen Hall	/mɔːn/
Magdalene College	/ˈmɔːdlɪn/
Manea	/ˈmeɪni/
Marholm	/ˈmærəm/
Marlborough	/ˈmɔːrlbərə/
Marske-by-the-Sea	/ˈmæsk/
Marylebone	/ˈmɑːrlɪbən/
Masham	/ˈmæsəm/
Meaux	/mjuːs/
Meols	/mɛlz/
Meols Cop	/miːlz/
Meopham	/ˈmɛpəm/ (listen)
Mildenhall	/ˈmʌldənhɔːl/
Mossley	/ˈmɒzli/
Mousehole	/ˈmaʊzəl/
Mow Cop	/ˈmaʊkɒp/
Muswell Hill	/ˈmʌzəl/
Mytholmroyd	/ˌmaɪðəmˈrɔɪd/
Norwich	/ˈnɒrɪdʒ/
Olney	/ˈɔːni/
	/ˈoʊlni/
Osbournby	/ˈɒzənbi/
Oswaldtwistle	/ˈɒzəltwɪzəl/
Ovingham	/ˈɒvɪndʒəm/
Pall Mall	/ˈpælˈmæl/ (listen)
Peascod Street, Windsor	/ˈpɛskəd/
Plaistow	/ˈplɑːstʊ/ (listen)
Plymouth	/ˈplɪməθ/
Pontefract	/ˈpʌmfrɪt/	Also pronounced regularly.
Ponteland	/pɒntˈiːlənd/
Portesham	/ˈpɒsəm/
Postwick with Witton	/ˈpɔːzɪk/
Poxwell	/ˈpoʊkswɛl/
Prideaux	/ˈprɪdəks/
Prinknash Abbey	/ˈprɪnəʃ/
Prudhoe	/ˈprʌdə/
Puncknowle	/ˈpʌnəl/
Quadring	/ˈkweɪdrɪŋ/
Quernmore	/ˈkwɔːrmər/
Rainworth	/ˈrɛnəθ/
Rampisham	/ˈrænsəm/
Ratlinghope	/ˈrætʃʌp/
Reading	/ˈrɛdɪŋ/ (listen)
Rievaulx	/riːvoʊ/
River Cherwell	/ˈtʃɑːrwɛl/
River Dove, Central England[15]	/ˈdoʊv/	Usually pronounced regularly.
River Nene	/nɛn/
River Thame	/ˈteɪm/
River Thames	/ˈtɛmz/ (listen)
Rocester	/ˈroʊstər/
Roughton	/ˈruːtən/
Ruislip	/ˈraɪslɪp/ (listen)
St. Albans	/sənt ˈɔːlbənz/
St. Briavels	/sənt ˈbrɛvəlz/
St. Ives, Cornwall	/sənt ˈiːv/
St. Teath, Cornwall	/tɛθ/
Salisbury	/ˈsɒlzbəri, ˈsɔːlz-/
Salle	/ˈsɔːl/
Sandwich	/sændwɪdʒ/	Also pronounced regularly
Seighford	/ˈsaɪfərd/
Shrewsbury	/ˈʃroʊzbəri, ˈʃruːz-/
Shaftesbury	/ˈʃɑːftsbəri, ˈʃæfts-/
Slaithwaite	/ˈslæθwɪt/, /ˈslæwɪt/
Slaugham	/ˈslæfəm/
Snowshill	/ˈsnɒzəl/
	/ˈsnoʊzəl/
South Elmsall	/saʊθ ˈɛmsəl/
Southwark	/ˈsʌðərk/ (listen)
Southwell	/ˈsʌðəl/	Also pronounced regularly
Sowerby, West Yorkshire	/ˈsɔːrbi/	Also includes Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire.
Sproxton	/ˈsproʊsən/
Staithes	/stɪərz/
Stawell	/stɒl/
Steyning	/ˈstɛnɪŋ/
Stiffkey	/ˈstjuːkiː/	Also pronounced regularly
Stivichall	/ˈstaɪtʃəl/
Stockingford	/ˌstɒkɪŋˈfɔːrd/
Streatham	/ˈstrɛtəm/
Stroxton	/ˈstrɔːsən/
Sydenham	/ˈsɪdənəm/
Tacolneston	/ˈtækəlstən/
Teignmouth	/ˈtɪnməθ/
Teston	/ˈtiːsən/
Thame	/ˈteɪm/
Theobald's Road	/ˈtɪbəldz/
Threekingham	/ˈθrɛkɪŋɡəm/
Tideswell	/ˈtɪdsəl/
Tintwistle	/ˈtɪnsəl/
Todmorden	/ˈtɒdmərdən/
Torpenhow	/trəˈpɛnə/	Also pronounced regularly
Towcester	/ˈtoʊstər/
Tow Law	/taʊˈlɔː/
Trewoon, Cornwall	/ˈtruːən/
Trottiscliffe	/ˈtrɒzli/
Ulgham	/ˈʌfəm/
Uttoxeter	/juːˈtɒksɪtər/
	/ˈʌtʃɪtər/
Vauxhall	/ˈvɒks.ɔːl/
Warwick	/ˈwɒrɪk/
Wavertree	/ˈwɔːrtri/	Mostly obsolete
Weighton	/ˈwiːtən/
Welwyn	/ˈwɛlɪn/ (listen)
Wesham	/ˈwɛsəm/
Whittingham	/ˈwɪtɪndʒəm/
Widecombe in the Moor	/ˈwɪdɪkəm/
Wisbech	/ˈwɪzbiːtʃ/
Witham	/ˈwɪtəm/
Wombwell	/ˈwʊmwɛl/
Woodhay	/ˈwʊdi/
Woolfardisworthy	/ˈwʊlzi/
	/ˈwʊlzəri/
Worcester	/ˈwʊstər/
Worstead	/ˈwʊstəd/
Woughton	/ˈwʊftən/
Wressle	/ˈrɛzəl/
Wrotham	/ˈruːtəm/
Wroughton	/ˈrɔːtən/
Wybunbury	/ˈwɪmbri/
	/ˈwɪnbəri/
Wycombe	/ˈwɪkəm/
Wymondham	/ˈwɪndəm/
Yeaton	/ˈjɛtən/
Yeavering	/ˈjɛvərɪŋ/
Zouch	/zɒtʃ/

Notes

1. e.g. City of Leicester, which follows e.g. Towcester, Rocester and Alcester – /ˈɒlstər/ or /ˈɔːlstər/
2. Well-known, large examples are Woolwich and West Bromwich cf. Nantwich and Droitwich Spa
3. e.g. Smethwick, Chiswick and Flitwick
4. Accordingly: Southwick, Hampshire - /ˈsʌðɪk/
   Anomalies: Southwick, West Sussex is pronounced /ˈsaʊθwɪk/, like Painswick, Gloucestershire, Prestwick and Hardwick as well as Pickwick a former village in Wiltshire through which the novel The Pickwick Papers got its title, but these by population represent a very small minority.

References

1. P. H. Reaney (1969). The Origin of English Place Names. Routledge and Kegan Paul. pp. 44–5. ISBN 0-7100-2010-4.
2. Wells, John C. (2000). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 2nd ed. Longman. ISBN 0-582-36468-X.
3. Reflecting original "Beldesert" "Beaudesert and Henley-in-Arden Website | Warwickshire | Our Town|History|". Henley-in-Arden. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
4. Bill Bryson (1991-09-01). The Mother Tongue. HarperCollins. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-380-71543-5.
5. Wells, John (6 May 2010). "Chideock". John Wells's phoetic blog. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
6. "How Do You Pronounce Theydon Bois?". Londonist. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
7. "Chop Gate". yorkshiremoors.co.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
8. "History of Cowbit - Cowbit Village". cowbitvillage.co.uk. 2 April 2014. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
9. Pronouncing British Placenames at BBC's Edited Guide Entry h2g2 site
10. Lycett Green, Candida. Unwrecked England. Oldie. p. 30.
11. Pointon, G.E. (1983). BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-212976-7.
12. "Oliver Cromwell's home; fields amid which his boyhood was passed. Villages in the neighborhood- where other great men were born-the boy Oliver saved". nY Times. 1888-12-30. Retrieved 2013-03-10.
13. http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/Bristol_and_Somerset/2000-01/0949053929
14. Roach & Hartman, eds (1997) English Pronouncing Dictionary, 15th edition. (Cambridge University Press). p. 234
15. Staffordshire. Charles Masefield. 1918. p. 122. Retrieved 23 May 2020.

Further reading

• G. M. Miller (editor) (1971). BBC pronouncing dictionary of British names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-431125-2.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)