List of irregularly spelled English names
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This is a set of lists of English personal and place names having spellings that are counterintuitive to their pronunciation because the spelling does not accord with conventional pronunciation associations. Many of these are degenerations in the pronunciation of names that originated in other languages. Sometimes a well-known namesake with the same spelling has a markedly different pronunciation. These are known as heterophonic names or heterophones (unlike heterographs, 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 convention: for example, the pronunciation ⫽skəˈnɛktədi⫽[1][2] of Schenectady is not immediately obvious, but neither is it counterintuitive.
See Help:IPA/English for guides to the IPA symbols used, and variations depending on dialect.[n 1]
Place names[edit]
Boldened names indicate place names where only one part is pronounced irregularly, italicized pronunciations are uncommon. Exonyms are listed among examples.
General rules[edit]
| Name element | Pronunciation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Respelling | IPA | ||
| -ane | ahn | /ɑːn/ | Mostly in Irish placenames |
| -borough | b(ə)rə | ⫽bəˈrə⫽ | |
| -burgh | b(ə)rə | ⫽bəˈrə⫽ | |
| -bury | b(ə)r-ee | ⫽bəˈri⫽ | |
| -cambe | kəm | ⫽kəm⫽ | |
| -cester | stər | ⫽stər⫽ | |
| -c(o)omb(e) | kəm | ⫽kəm⫽ | |
| -ford | fərd | ⫽fərd⫽ | |
| -ham[n 2] | əm | ⫽əm⫽ | Stokenham, Devon, England, is ⫽stoʊkənˈhæm⫽; |
| -holm(e) | hohm; like home | ⫽hoʊm⫽ | |
| -mouth | məth | ⫽məθ⫽ | |
| -quay | kee | ⫽kiː⫽ | |
| -shire | shər | ⫽ʃər⫽ | |
| -wich | ich, ij | ⫽ɪtʃ⫽, ⫽ɪdʒ⫽ | American or Canadian localities named Greenwich and Norwich have -⫽wɪtʃ⫽ instead[n 3] |
| -wick[n 4] | ik | ⫽ɪk⫽ | |
| Innis- | IN-ish | /ˈɪnɪʃ/ | Mostly in Irish placenames |
Specific places[edit]
This list does not include place names in the United Kingdom or the United States, or places following spelling conventions of non-English languages. For UK place names, see List of irregularly spelled places in the United Kingdom. For US place names, see List of irregularly spelled places in the United States.
This list includes territories of the United Kingdom and the United States not wholly annexed into either country.
Personal names[edit]
Bold names are common; so, while not intuitive, they are among the most well-used. Names in italics are names of non-English origin common among English speakers and only irregular in English pronunciation.
Given names[edit]
Specific people[edit]
| Name | Pronunciation | Notability | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respelling | IPA | |||
| Alicia Silverstone | ə-lee-SEE-ə | ⫽əliˈsiː.ə⫽ | American actor | According to her; mainly regular outside North America |
| Anna Faris | like Ana | ⫽ˈɑːnə⫽ | American actor and comedian | Pronunciation mainly regular outside the US and Canada |
| Chone Figgins | like Shawn | ⫽ˈʃɔːn⫽ | American baseball player | Shortened from DeChone |
| Chynna Phillips | like China | ⫽ˈtʃaɪnə⫽ | American singer and actor | |
| Colin Powell | KOH-lin | ⫽ˈkoʊlɪn⫽ | American politician | |
| Dav Pilkey | like Dave | ⫽deɪv⫽ | American author and illustrator | |
| Diane Arbus | like Deanne | ⫽diːˈæn⫽ | American photographer | Regular for other holders |
| Dwyane Wade | like Dwayne | ⫽dweɪn⫽ | American basketball player | |
| Elle Reeve | like Ellie | ⫽ɛliː⫽ | American journalist | |
| Ian Eagle | EYE-ən | ⫽ˈaɪən⫽ | American sports announcer | |
| Ian Ziering | EYE-ən | ⫽ˈaɪən⫽ | American actor | |
| Jäd Saxton | like Jade | ⫽dʒeɪd⫽ | American actor and voice actor | |
| Jeanne Moos | like Jeannie | ⫽ˈdʒiːniː⫽ | American journalist | |
| Joel Anthony | joh-EL | ⫽dʒoʊˈɛl⫽ | Canadian basketball player | Regular for other holders |
| Joni Eareckson Tada | like Johnny | ⫽ˈdʒɑːniː⫽ | American author, radio host, and artist | |
| Jrue Holiday | like Drew | ⫽druː⫽ | American basketball player | |
| Kiki Cuyler | KY-ky | ⫽ˈkaɪkaɪ⫽ | American baseball player and coach | |
| MaliVai Washington | MAL-ə-vee-ə | ⫽ˈmæləviːə⫽ | American tennis player | |
| Marÿke Hendrikse | mə-RAY-kə | ⫽məˈreɪkə⫽ | Bahamian-Canadian actor and voice actor | |
| Michellie Jones | mih-KEE-lee | ⫽mɪˈkiːli⫽ | Australian triathlete | |
| Mikki Moore | MY-kee | ⫽ˈmaɪki⫽ | American basketball player | |
| Monta Ellis | MON-tay | ⫽ˈmɒnteɪ⫽ | American basketball player | |
| Ramon Sessions | rah-MAHN | ⫽rɑːˈmɑːn⫽ | American basketball player | Regular outside the US and Canada |
| Sachia Vickery | like Sasha | ⫽ˈsɑːʃə⫽ | American tennis player | |
| Shanna Moakler | like Shayna | ⫽ˈʃeɪnə⫽ | American model and actor | Pronunciation mainly regular outside the US |
| Wynonna Judd | wy-NOH-nə | ⫽waɪˈnoʊnə⫽ | American country singer | |
| Zoe Lofgren | ZOH | ⫽zoʊ⫽ | American politician and lawyer | Regular for other holders |
General use[edit]
Family names[edit]
Specific people[edit]
General use[edit]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ For towns near the cusp of two dialect regions, both variants are usually heard, and wider still for important cities or even within them. Examples in that article include New York City and Bath
- ^ Besides Birmingham, Alabama, -ham after ⟨ing⟩ of Buckingham, Cunningham, Rockingham, etc. is usually and typically pronounced /hæm/ in the United States and Canada, but not after ⟨n⟩ or ⟨r⟩ in Burnham and Durham. Additionally, the /hæm/ pronunciation is also found even among Australians in addition to /(h)əm/, especially Rockingham, Western Australia.
- ^ Examples are East Greenwich, Greenwich townships in Cumberland, Gloucester, and Warren counties, and Greenwich census-designated places in Cumberland and Warren, all in New Jersey; Norwich and Norwich Township, Ontario, Canada; and Norwich, Connecticut.
- ^ Some English places have the pronunciation ⫽wɪk⫽ instead: Southwick, West Sussex; Painswick, Gloucestershire; Prestwick and Hardwick, as well as Pickwick, a former village in Wiltshire from which the novel The Pickwick Papers got its title, but these by population represent a very small minority.
- ^ cf. influential Duke of Albany and Albany, New York
- ^ French for "Bay of Hope", and paradoxically pronounced "Bay Despair"
- ^ Canberra as ⫽kænˈbɛrə⫽ is rare and deprecated
- ^ Same as the surname.
- ^ Same as the surname.
- ^ When spoken in the clipped way, the same as original Scottish surname McKay.
- ^ Polish-derived pronunciation ⫽kɒˈʃʊʃkoʊ⫽ is sometimes used for the Australian example.
References[edit]
- ^ "Schenectady". Oxford Dictionaries UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press.[dead link]
- ^ "Schenectady". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
- ^ "Agassiz". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
- ^ "Magaguadavic". Place Names of New Brunswick. Public Archives of New Brunswick. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ "Kosciuszko" in Butler, Susan (ed), Macquarie Dictionary (online ed, at 26 November 2020)
- ^ "Rusagonis". Place Names of New Brunswick. Public Archives of New Brunswick. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ "Hermione". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
- ^ "Penelope". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
- ^ "Penelope". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2020-03-22.
- ^ "Biographies : GENERAL ANDREW P. IOSUE". Af.mil. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Wells, John C. (2000). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 2nd ed. Longman. ISBN 0-582-36468-X.
- ^ Douglas Martin, James E. Fuchs, Innovator in the Shot-Put, Dies at 82, New York Times, October 18, 2010
- ^ "Voices Against Indifference Initiative". Echofoundation.org. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
- ^ "The pronunciation of placenames". Macquarie Dictionary. February 10, 2016.
- ^ Andrew Yanne; Gillis Heller (2009). Signs of a Colonial Era (PDF). Hong Kong University Press. p. 3. ISBN 978-962-209-944-9.
- ^ "Pronunciation Of Surnames". Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
- ^ "Mclean | Define Mclean at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
- ^ "NHL pronunciation guide". USA Today. February 4, 2000. Archived from the original on October 19, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
- ^ Wells, J. C. Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 3rd edition. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2008.
- ^ "Set VII, texts and comments". Utm.edu. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
Further reading[edit]
- Miller, G. M., ed. (1971). BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-431125-2.
- Ordnance Survey of Ireland (1989). Gazetteer of Ireland. Government Publications Office. ISBN 0-7076-0076-6.