User:HarryKernow/sandbox2

Archive for counterintuitive pronunciations
This is a set of lists of English personal and place names whose pronunciations are counterintuitive to their spelling, because the pronunciation does not correspond to the spelling, or because a better known namesake has a markedly different pronunciation. The latter are known as heterophonic names (the opposite of homophones, which are written differently but pronounced the same).

Excluded are the numerous spellings which fail to make the pronunciation obvious without actually being at odds with it: for example, the pronunciation of Schenectady is not immediately obvious, but neither is it counterintuitive.

See Help:IPA for English for guides to the IPA symbols used, and variations depending on dialect.

Place names of the UK and Ireland
See List of places in the United Kingdom and Ireland with counterintuitive pronunciations, and:
 * List of places in England with counterintuitive pronunciations: A–L
 * List of places in England with counterintuitive pronunciations: M–Z

Place names in the United States of America
See:
 * List of places in the United States with counterintuitive pronunciations: A–L
 * List of places in the United States with counterintuitive pronunciations: M–Z

Place names in Canada

 * Agassiz, British Columbia –
 * Baie d'Espoir, Newfoundland –
 * Delhi, Ontario –
 * Etobicoke, Ontario –
 * Gaultois, Newfoundland and Labrador –
 * Job's Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador – (after biblical Job)
 * Keremeos, British Columbia –
 * L'Ardoise, Nova Scotia –
 * Osoyoos, British Columbia – or  and (originally)
 * Ossington Avenue, Toronto -
 * Pouce Coupe, British Columbia -
 * Quebec – or
 * Quesnel, British Columbia –
 * Fort Duquesne – /duːˈkeɪn/
 * Quidi Vidi, Newfoundland –
 * Quirpon, Newfoundland and Labrador –
 * Saanich Peninsula and related place names in British Columbia –
 * Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario –
 * Sechelt, British Columbia –


 * Skidegate, British Columbia –
 * Stouffville, Ontario –
 * Summerland, British Columbia – (not )
 * Thames River in Ontario –
 * The Pas, Manitoba –
 * Tsawwassen, British Columbia –
 * Verdun Avenue, Verdun, Quebec –
 * Waskatenau, Alberta –

Place names in Australia

 * Albany, Western Australia -
 * Ballan, Victoria -, does not rhyme with Wallan, Victoria
 * Barcaldine, Queensland - or, not
 * Boroondara - (technically a mispronunciation, but most common) or
 * Brisbane, Queensland –
 * Cairns, Queensland -
 * Canberra, Australian Capital Territory - ;
 * Capalaba, Queensland -
 * City of Cockburn and Cockburn, South Australia –
 * Dunedoo, New South Wales -
 * Forster, New South Wales -
 * Geelong, Victoria -
 * Gladstone, Queensland -
 * Gumeracha, South Australia -
 * Goondiwindi, Queensland -
 * Lalor, Victoria - (local);
 * Mackay, Queensland -
 * Mandurah, Western Australia -
 * Manuka, Australian Capital Territory -
 * Melbourne, Victoria – (local) or
 * Michelago, New South Wales -
 * Mukinbudin, Western Australia -
 * Monaro, New South Wales -, use with definite article and preposition "on", e.g. you live "on the Monaro"
 * Mount Kosciuszko - most common in Australian English


 * Mudgeeraba, Queensland -
 * South Kolan, Queensland -, not
 * Strahan, Tasmania -
 * Tallangatta, Victoria -
 * Tiaro, Queensland -
 * Wagga Wagga, New South Wales -
 * Wangi Wangi, New South Wales -
 * Woonona, New South Wales -

Place names in New Zealand

 * Blenheim –
 * Bryndwr –
 * Charleston –
 * Dunedin –
 * Gisborne –
 * Kurow –
 * Levin –
 * Northcote –
 * Point Chevalier –
 * Thames and the Firth of Thames in New Zealand –

Place names in other English-speaking countries

 * Pago Pago, American Samoa –
 * Pointe-à-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago –
 * Sandys Parish, Bermuda –

Given names

 * Antawn – (or per French: Antoine)
 * Anthony - (occasionally )
 * Caleb –
 * Chloe standard, non-French variant sounds alike to Chloë with the diaeresis over the e


 * Geoffrey –
 * Freda - (historically Frida and Wilfrida)
 * Hermione -
 * Hugh -
 * Isaac -
 * Isla
 * Kiki Cuyler – ; cf. the more common as in Kiki Dee and Kiki Vandeweghe
 * Liza Minnelli – ; cf. the more common
 * Magdalen(e) (as in Magdalen College, Oxford and Magdalene College, Cambridge) –
 * Malachi -

Emboldened names are traditional so while not intuitive, are among the most well-used.
 * Michael –
 * Michellie Jones –
 * Monta Ellis –
 * Morgause –
 * Naomi or Näomi - UK and most commonly
 * Ngaire -
 * Penelope -
 * Phoebe -
 * Ralph – traditionally, as with Ralph Fiennes, Ralph Vaughan Williams; now usually the intuitive
 * Rise – occasionally, after Risë Stevens: the diaeresis over the e of Risë indicates that it is not a silent e
 * Sonny –
 * Stephen Curry –, instead of the more common
 * Theresa -, U.S.
 * Thomas -
 * Vaughan and Vaughn (found as both given names and surnames) -
 * Winona Ryder – /wɪˈnəʊnə/
 * Wynonna Judd –
 * Zachary -
 * Zoe sounds alike to Zoë with the diaeresis over the e

Most commonly used of Irish and Welsh origin

 * Dylan –
 * Eithne –
 * Niall – also
 * Niamh – or
 * Rees/Rhys –
 * Seamus – (spelling Séamas is regular in Irish)
 * Sean – (spelling Seán is regular in Irish)
 * Sian/Siân –
 * Siobhan – ; spelling Siobhán is regular in Irish

A-B

 * Duke of Abercorn –
 * David Acer –
 * Peter Agre –
 * Ameche (Don & Alan) – (Anglicized spelling of the Italian name "Amici")
 * Aucoin – various
 * Ayscough (e.g. Hannah Ayscough) –
 * Baden-Powell – "Baden as in maiden; Powell as in Noel"
 * Bagehot –
 * Jim Bakker –
 * Beauchamp –
 * Beauclerk –
 * Berkeley (UK surname) – (see UK places). Surname in the US  (also US place).
 * Betjeman - /ˈbɛtʃəmən/
 * Blount (e.g. Mel Blount, Roy Blount, Jr.) –
 * John Boehner –
 * Bohun –
 * Roger Boisjoly –
 * Boulware intuitive or
 * John Boozman –
 * K. C. Boutiette –
 * David Bowie –
 * Eli Broad –
 * Duke of Buccleuch –
 * Buyer – or intuitively

C

 * John Caius (as in Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge) –
 * Isaiah Canaan – (as in the American English pronunciation of "cannon") — compare with the common AmE pronunciation of  for the land of Canaan cf. West Virginia's.
 * Thomas Carew, poet – ; compare with the more intuitive, as in Rod Carew
 * Mamah Cheney –
 * Cheves (e.g. Langdon Cheves) –
 * Cholmondeley –
 * Cecelia Cichan –
 * Cockburn –
 * Coke – - like Wodehouse
 * Colcolough (Virginia, e.g. Tom Colcolough) – or
 * Colquhoun – (per place)
 * Aaron Copland –
 * Dan Cortese –
 * Cowper –  or


 * Crichton –
 * Cruwys (e.g. Margaret Cruwys) –
 * Cuyjet –

D-E

 * Vernon Dahmer —
 * Dalyell and Dalziel (as in the UK television series Dalziel and Pascoe) –
 * Davies – or intuitively
 * Death -as a single syllable . As two syllables,  sometimes De'ath.
 * Cara Delevingne — /dɛləˈviːn/
 * DeLaughter, e.g. Tim DeLaughter —
 * Devereux and Devereaux — or


 * John Donne, poet –
 * Andre Dubus —
 * Justin Duchscherer —
 * Keir Dullea —
 * Dyches –
 * Eames (e.g. Emma Eames) – properly (?), though often
 * Ehle (Jennifer; John) –
 * Cary Elwes –
 * Enroughty (S. Carolina) –

F-H

 * Faneuil – or
 * Ron Faucheux and Robert Faucheux –
 * Brett Favre –
 * Fetherstonhaugh or Featherstonhaugh – ; variants, , , or as
 * Ronald Fedkiw –
 * Ranulph Fiennes –
 * William Foege –
 * Fothergill –
 * Fotheringay –
 * William Froude, James Anthony Froude –
 * Jim Fuchs –
 * Robert Fulghum –
 * Clifford Geertz –
 * Geogehan, Geoghegan –
 * Gieves & Hawkes -, not (as in Jeeves) - Military officer's outfitters.


 * Donald Glut –
 * Lee Godie –
 * Goodenough – usually
 * Elizabeth Goudge –
 * Greenhalgh –, or
 * Matt Groening –
 * Grosvenor – or
 * Guild, e.g. Nancy Guild –
 * Earl of Harewood –
 * Earl of Home – (rhymes with fume)
 * Benjamin Huger – or
 * William Hulme – (same as the Earl of Home and the Bishops)

I-L

 * David Icke –
 * Andrew P. Iosue –
 * Isley Brothers –
 * Darrell Issa –
 * Jacques – sometimes (e.g. Brian Jacques, Hattie Jacques)
 * Hamilton Jordan, Ralph "Shug" Jordan –
 * Rob Kearney – (pronounced 'Carney')
 * John Keble (of Keble College) –
 * Kehoe, Keogh (Irish surname) –
 * Kerr
 * Original Scottish: Clan (e.g., Graham Kerr, the "Galloping Gourmet")
 * American English: Often, as in Steve Kerr
 * In the cases of Deborah Kerr, John H. Kerr, and the dam and lake named for the latter, "car"
 * Keynes, e.g. John Maynard Keynes –
 * Karch Kiraly – (approximating the pronunciation in Hungarian, his father's native language)
 * Stephen Kleene –
 * Shia LaBeouf –
 * Landrieu –
 * Lalor –
 * Lange – usually
 * David Lange –
 * Lascelles (e.g. Alan Lascelles) –
 * Lauren (Ralph) –
 * Legaré –
 * Lescroart –
 * Leveson-Gower –
 * Lewes –

M

 * Machin (e.g. Arnold Machin) –
 * MacKay – in Scotland elsewhere more often the anglicised
 * Clarence Mackay –
 * MacLeod, McLeod –
 * MacMahon, McMahon – intuitively or as in the McMahon wrestling family hence McMann
 * Mainwaring –
 * Dan Majerle –
 * Johnny Manziel –
 * Robert Mapplethorpe –
 * Marjoribanks – or
 * Marlborough – family name, hence Marlboro variant
 * Maugham –
 * Marin Mazzie –
 * McCaughey (e.g. the McCaughey septuplets) – hence McCoy
 * Geraldine McCaughrean –
 * McGrath – In Ireland usually, though elsewhere often
 * McLean, MacLean –,  occasionally its anglicised equivalent  (rhymes with "clean")
 * Meagher – ,
 * David Mech –
 * Melancon (e.g. Charlie Melancon) –
 * Menzies –
 * Molyneux —
 * Moog –
 * Moore - both like "moor" and like "more" (e.g. for Michael Moore)
 * Moragne (U.S.) –
 * Muir (e.g. Frank Muir) –
 * Muirhead –

N-Q

 * James Naughtie –
 * Randy Neugebauer –
 * Bill Nighy –
 * Laura Nyro –
 * Olivier –
 * Ouzts –
 * Annastacia Palaszczuk –
 * Peirce or  e.g. Charles Sanders Peirce, Benjamin Peirce, Bill Peirce, Lincoln Peirce
 * Samuel Pepys –
 * Baron Petre –
 * Lou Piniella –
 * Pole-Carew (e.g. William Pole-Carew) –
 * Cliff Politte –
 * Popo Agie Wilderness, Wyoming
 * Pou (e.g. Edward W. Pou) –
 * Powell - some families use Pow-ell as in towel; others rhyme it with Noel (the W is silent)
 * Prioleau (e.g. Pierson Prioleau) –
 * Proulx (as in Marcel Proulx and E. Annie Proulx) –

R

 * Raleigh (surname) –
 * Rehm (e.g. Diane Rehm) –
 * Pete Reiser –
 * Mary Renault –
 * Rees – as Rhys below
 * Reich (as in Steve Reich) –
 * Reynolds –
 * Rhea – or intuitively
 * Rhys –
 * Lisa Rieffel –
 * Riordan (e.g. Richard Riordan, Mike Riordan) – often
 * Baron (de) Ros –
 * Roosevelt –
 * Klaus Roth –
 * Marge Roukema –
 * Kirk Rueter –
 * Ed Ruscha –

S

 * St John (first name and surname) – (as in Oliver St. John Gogarty); or  or  (as in Ian St. John). The former pronunciation can also be seen in Sinjin Smith, whose birth name is Christopher St. John Smith.
 * Sandys (e.g. Duncan Sandys) – (as in sands)
 * Rachael Scdoris – (the same as the Sedoris from which it developed)
 * Schaffer, Shaffer – often rather than
 * Schiavo (or in alike Italian form )
 * Terri Schiavo –
 * Schlumberger – generally
 * Patti Scialfa –
 * Seau – generally mirrors the French however Junior Seau   as in the Samoan
 * Seay – sometimes (Seay, Mark Seay), usually
 * Shea -
 * Karen Sillas –
 * Smellie –
 * Somerset –
 * Strachan – ; (e.g. Gordon Strachan), now often
 * Strange - intuitively
 * Baron (i.e. Lord) Strange –
 * Dana Suesse –
 * Synge –

T-V

 * Tal(l)iaferro –
 * Roger Taney –
 * Lauren Tewes –
 * Thome (e.g. Jim Thome) –
 * Threatt (e.g. Sedale Threatt) –
 * Todd Tiahrt –
 * Tilghman –
 * Tjoelker –
 * Jonathan Toews –
 * Trevelyan –
 * Tyrwhitt (e.g. Reginald Tyrwhitt) –
 * Urquhart –
 * Vanderhorst (S. Carolina) (e.g. Arnoldus Vanderhorst) –
 * Vaughan (e.g. Richard Vaughan) –
 * Bill Veeck –

W-Z

 * Waldegrave –
 * Wein, Weiner – often and
 * Winzet –
 * Wodehouse –
 * Worcester –
 * Larry Woiwode –
 * Herman Wouk –
 * Patricia Wrede –
 * Wriothesley (e.g. the Earls of Southampton) – variably given as, , ,  or
 * William Butler Yeats –
 * Yeend, e.g. Frances Yeend –
 * Clayton Yeutter –  (rhymes with fighter)

Notes and references

 * Notes
 * References