Anne here, just off a plane from Brisbane and landing in my home town, Melbourne. People from outside Australia usually pronounce these names as they're written -- ie Briz-bayn and Mel-born, but locals will always say Briz b'n and Melb'n.
Thinking about that started me pondering the many English names that are pronounced differently from the way they look, and which visitors so often get wrong, so I thought it might be fun to explore a few of them in a little quiz. Some of them I'm sure you'll know, but others might have you saying, "Whaaaat?" Make a note of your answers, and at ther bottom of the quiz there's a page where you can check your answers.
1) How would an Englishman called Beauchamp pronounce his name?
a) Bow sham
b) Bee shawm
c) Bay chum
d) Beech um
2) How do locals say Magdalen College Oxford?
a) Maudlin College Oxford
b) Mag da len College Oxford
c) Mag da layne College Oxford
d) Meg lin College Oxford
3) What's the correct pronunciation for Worcestershire?
a) Wor ses ter shyre
b) Wor ses ter sheer
c) Woos ter sheer
d) Waster shyre
4) What's the correct pronunciation for Leicester?
a) Lee ses ter
b) Lay ses ter
c) Lester
d) Leek ster
5) How should one pronounce Featherstonehaugh?
a) Feather stun haw
b) Fan shaw
c) Fay stone haw
d) Feather stone hog
6) What's the correct pronunciation for Cholmondley?
a) Chumley
b) Chol mond lee
c) Chol mond lay
d) Chaw man lay
7) How would an Englishman called Mr Marjoribanks say his name?
a) Marj banks
b) March banks
c) Mar jori banks
d) Major banks
8) How does one pronounce Calke Abbey?
a) Cal key Abbey
b) Car key Abbey
c) Cake Abbey
d) Cork Abbey
9) What's the correct English pronounciation of Marlborough?
a) Marl burra
b) Mel bra
c) Marl boro
d) Mawl br'uh
10) What's the correct pronunciation for Leomenster?
a) Lemster
b) Lee omster
c) Leo main ster
d) Lee menster
11) What's the correct pronunciation for Ruthven?
a) Rooth ven
b) Roo ven
c) Rivven
d) Ray ban
12) What's the correct way to say Belvoir Castle?
a) Bell ver Castle
b) Beaver Castle
c) Bell vw ar Castle
d) Bell vor Castle
Now, click on the link to check your answers, then come back and tell us how you went. Do you know any other names (English or otherwise) that confuse people because the spelling is different to the way they're locally pronounced? Are there any other English names you're not sure how to pronounce? Try them out with the wenchly community.