Alicia
Well-Known Member
Most mispronounced places
http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,25160123-5014090,00.html
F you don't know your "Fu-kit" from your Phuket, or your "War-choppy" from your Wauchope then you are not alone.
Nothing can make a traveller look more like a tourist than mispronouncing the name of a local destination. But it's often and easily done
To celebrate some of the most common cock-ups, travel website VirtualTourist.com has compiled a list of the top 10 mispronounced places.
PHUKET
Thailand
This is definitely not a good one to learn the hard way and to make it even more difficult, advice on the correct way to pronounce it can vary. To avoid scowls, general disdain, and possibly worse, go with "Pu-get."
MOOBALL
New South Wales, Australia
While Mooball may sound like a cute term of bovine endearment, this Pacific Highway village it's actually pronounced "Moo-bull".
LA JOLLA
California, USA
What does the sport of boxing have in common with beautiful La Jolla, California? Not much except to get this one right, you need to rhyme it with the boxer, Oscar de la Hoya.
OAXACA
Mexico
For non-Spanish speakers, the chances of mangling this one are pretty high. Just remember that there's no "hoax" in Oaxaca and that Osaka is in Japan. The correct way to say it is "Wah-ha-ca".
HJO
Sweden
The correct pronunciation of the town is "You".
WAUCHOPE
New South Wales, Australia
If you want to give the locals a good laugh, refer to this as "War-choppy." The real pronunciation is actually "War-hope."
COBH
Ireland
Even the simplest of names can be deceptive. Keep in mind that it's on an island, not in a cornfield, so pronounce it "Cove", not "Cob".
COXSACKIE
New York, USA
When trying to pronounce Coxsackie, don't think of Courteney Cox but what her character on Friends did for a living cook. So in this part of the world, just think "Cook-sock-ee!"
SEQUIM
Washington
"Sqwim" is actually the correct pronunciation for the town known as the Lavender Capital of North America.
PTUJ
Slovenia
The residents of Ptuj must get tired of hearing the name of this pretty town get butchered over and over again. When pronounced correctly, it sounds like a dainty sneeze: "P-too-ee".
Comments;
I live in Ubud, a popular tourist destination on the island of Bali. It took me a long time to pronounce it correctly. The correct pronunciation is "oo bood"
Posted by: Greg Mitchelhill of Bali 7:44pm today
Comment 20 of 20
Ibiza pronounced with the Z- when its I-BEETH-AH
Posted by: Kate Eliasson of brisbane 7:41pm today
Comment 19 of 20
What about Launceston? Often incorrectly pronounced "Lawnceston". the correct pronunciation is more like "Lonceston"
Posted by: Barge of Darwin 6:58pm today
Comment 18 of 20
I live in Australia. I have a 'foreign' surname. Should I insist it be pronounced as it is in my country of origin or as it appears ?.
Posted by: puzzled 6:13pm today
Comment 17 of 20
Cholmondely pronounced Chumley and Mainwaring pronounced Mannering
Posted by: Netty of Canberra 5:50pm today
Comment 16 of 20
Stayed in a place in Norway once which was simply called 'Å' (the letter A with a little circle over the top, in case it doesn't come through). Apparently it is pronounced sort of like "oar" with a Norwegian lilt...
Posted by: Papachango 5:44pm today
Comment 15 of 20
Aus-tray-lia not Strra-ya
Posted by: Thoughts of Perth 5:14pm today
Comment 14 of 20
Scotland, Milingavie, pronouned as Mil-guy or Kilmalcolm pronouned as Kil-ma-comb Australia, Goonoo Goonoo, pronouned as Gunna Gunnoo
Posted by: Ian of France 5:13pm today
Comment 13 of 20
Port Augusta not "Port Augutta"
Posted by: Chad Williams of Port Augusta 4:27pm today
Comment 12 of 20
Lake Cathie & Cattai get mixed up all the time. Cathie ir pronounced as 'Kathie', and Cattai is pronounced 'Cat-eye'.
Posted by: Justin of Sydney 4:23pm today
Comment 11 of 20
Umina - You-Mine-A, not Umm-In-A
Posted by: Geoff 4:22pm today
Comment 10 of 20
'Mel-bun' NOT 'Melbourne'
Posted by: KG of Sydney 4:20pm today
Comment 9 of 20
Hue in Vietnam is pronouns way
Posted by: matt of perth 4:19pm today
Comment 8 of 20
Apparently if you go to Lake Cathie and say "Cath-ee", they get offended. It's pronounced "Cat-eye"
Posted by: keke 12:54pm today
Comment 7 of 20
Also on the coast near Wauchope is Lake Cathie, pronounced Cat-Eye. And Forster, NSW pronounced Foster
Posted by: Nathan of Wollongong 12:50pm today
Comment 6 of 20
Canowindra in NSW is always a good one. Cah-noun-dra not Can-oh-win-dra.
Posted by: Jock Peterson 12:47pm today
Comment 5 of 20
Is it Ma - Kay or Mac-eye????
Posted by: AJ of Queensland 12:41pm today
Comment 4 of 20
How about "Moe" usually pronounced Mow as in Lawn Mow by strangers its actually pronounced Mow - ee
Posted by: rhys of Bendigo 12:40pm today
Comment 3 of 20
I always have a debate with a certain friend who believes Monaco is pronounced..Mon-AR-co and not Mon-EH-co. I'm positive I'm correct. I watch my Formula 1 and the Brit commentators wouldn't get it wrong!
Posted by: BJ 12:17pm today
Comment 2 of 20
I always liked the trip from Tallangatta through Tanganbalanga and Yackandandah to Wangaratta... And it's Om-E-o not O-me-o... (OMEO,Vic)
Posted by: long winding trip of Tewkesbury 12:17pm today
Comment 1 of 20
http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,25160123-5014090,00.html
F you don't know your "Fu-kit" from your Phuket, or your "War-choppy" from your Wauchope then you are not alone.
Nothing can make a traveller look more like a tourist than mispronouncing the name of a local destination. But it's often and easily done
To celebrate some of the most common cock-ups, travel website VirtualTourist.com has compiled a list of the top 10 mispronounced places.
PHUKET
Thailand
This is definitely not a good one to learn the hard way and to make it even more difficult, advice on the correct way to pronounce it can vary. To avoid scowls, general disdain, and possibly worse, go with "Pu-get."
MOOBALL
New South Wales, Australia
While Mooball may sound like a cute term of bovine endearment, this Pacific Highway village it's actually pronounced "Moo-bull".
LA JOLLA
California, USA
What does the sport of boxing have in common with beautiful La Jolla, California? Not much except to get this one right, you need to rhyme it with the boxer, Oscar de la Hoya.
OAXACA
Mexico
For non-Spanish speakers, the chances of mangling this one are pretty high. Just remember that there's no "hoax" in Oaxaca and that Osaka is in Japan. The correct way to say it is "Wah-ha-ca".
HJO
Sweden
The correct pronunciation of the town is "You".
WAUCHOPE
New South Wales, Australia
If you want to give the locals a good laugh, refer to this as "War-choppy." The real pronunciation is actually "War-hope."
COBH
Ireland
Even the simplest of names can be deceptive. Keep in mind that it's on an island, not in a cornfield, so pronounce it "Cove", not "Cob".
COXSACKIE
New York, USA
When trying to pronounce Coxsackie, don't think of Courteney Cox but what her character on Friends did for a living cook. So in this part of the world, just think "Cook-sock-ee!"
SEQUIM
Washington
"Sqwim" is actually the correct pronunciation for the town known as the Lavender Capital of North America.
PTUJ
Slovenia
The residents of Ptuj must get tired of hearing the name of this pretty town get butchered over and over again. When pronounced correctly, it sounds like a dainty sneeze: "P-too-ee".
Comments;
I live in Ubud, a popular tourist destination on the island of Bali. It took me a long time to pronounce it correctly. The correct pronunciation is "oo bood"
Posted by: Greg Mitchelhill of Bali 7:44pm today
Comment 20 of 20
Ibiza pronounced with the Z- when its I-BEETH-AH
Posted by: Kate Eliasson of brisbane 7:41pm today
Comment 19 of 20
What about Launceston? Often incorrectly pronounced "Lawnceston". the correct pronunciation is more like "Lonceston"
Posted by: Barge of Darwin 6:58pm today
Comment 18 of 20
I live in Australia. I have a 'foreign' surname. Should I insist it be pronounced as it is in my country of origin or as it appears ?.
Posted by: puzzled 6:13pm today
Comment 17 of 20
Cholmondely pronounced Chumley and Mainwaring pronounced Mannering
Posted by: Netty of Canberra 5:50pm today
Comment 16 of 20
Stayed in a place in Norway once which was simply called 'Å' (the letter A with a little circle over the top, in case it doesn't come through). Apparently it is pronounced sort of like "oar" with a Norwegian lilt...
Posted by: Papachango 5:44pm today
Comment 15 of 20
Aus-tray-lia not Strra-ya
Posted by: Thoughts of Perth 5:14pm today
Comment 14 of 20
Scotland, Milingavie, pronouned as Mil-guy or Kilmalcolm pronouned as Kil-ma-comb Australia, Goonoo Goonoo, pronouned as Gunna Gunnoo
Posted by: Ian of France 5:13pm today
Comment 13 of 20
Port Augusta not "Port Augutta"
Posted by: Chad Williams of Port Augusta 4:27pm today
Comment 12 of 20
Lake Cathie & Cattai get mixed up all the time. Cathie ir pronounced as 'Kathie', and Cattai is pronounced 'Cat-eye'.
Posted by: Justin of Sydney 4:23pm today
Comment 11 of 20
Umina - You-Mine-A, not Umm-In-A
Posted by: Geoff 4:22pm today
Comment 10 of 20
'Mel-bun' NOT 'Melbourne'
Posted by: KG of Sydney 4:20pm today
Comment 9 of 20
Hue in Vietnam is pronouns way
Posted by: matt of perth 4:19pm today
Comment 8 of 20
Apparently if you go to Lake Cathie and say "Cath-ee", they get offended. It's pronounced "Cat-eye"
Posted by: keke 12:54pm today
Comment 7 of 20
Also on the coast near Wauchope is Lake Cathie, pronounced Cat-Eye. And Forster, NSW pronounced Foster
Posted by: Nathan of Wollongong 12:50pm today
Comment 6 of 20
Canowindra in NSW is always a good one. Cah-noun-dra not Can-oh-win-dra.
Posted by: Jock Peterson 12:47pm today
Comment 5 of 20
Is it Ma - Kay or Mac-eye????
Posted by: AJ of Queensland 12:41pm today
Comment 4 of 20
How about "Moe" usually pronounced Mow as in Lawn Mow by strangers its actually pronounced Mow - ee
Posted by: rhys of Bendigo 12:40pm today
Comment 3 of 20
I always have a debate with a certain friend who believes Monaco is pronounced..Mon-AR-co and not Mon-EH-co. I'm positive I'm correct. I watch my Formula 1 and the Brit commentators wouldn't get it wrong!
Posted by: BJ 12:17pm today
Comment 2 of 20
I always liked the trip from Tallangatta through Tanganbalanga and Yackandandah to Wangaratta... And it's Om-E-o not O-me-o... (OMEO,Vic)
Posted by: long winding trip of Tewkesbury 12:17pm today
Comment 1 of 20
