It’s safe to say there are several difficult-to-pronounce towns and cities across England, not least the south west.

Not only that, the region is home to various streets and villages that even locals might have a difficult time pronouncing correctly. 

Of course, locals will know the correct pronunciation nine times out of ten, so if you want to win any favour whilst on your next trip out, get revising!

Sylvia Johnson, Head of Methodology at language learning platform Preply, said: “A key reason some streets, villages, and even rivers are more challenging to pronounce than others is the result of historical linguistic evolution.

"Several place names often reflect a mix of old languages such as Old English, Norman, Norse, and Celtic which have unique letter combinations that don’t follow typical pronunciation rules.

“On top of this, variations in local dialects also contribute to the complexity of pronouncing certain place names, which make them tricky to pronounce correctly even for English speakers who are unfamiliar with the region.”

Bovey Tracey, Devon

Correct pronunciation - “Buv-ee Tracey”

Incorrect pronunciation- “Bow-vee Tracey”

Bovey Tracey is a small town located on the edge of Dartmoor in the heart of Devon. The town was once an established Saxon community and takes its name from the River Bovey.

Bovey Tracey can be pronounced several ways depending on your accent, but if you want to sound like a local, you should be pronouncing it as “Buv-ee”.

Huish Episcopi, Somerset

Correct pronunciation - “Hugh-ish A-pis-co-pee”

Incorrect pronunciation - “Hugh-ish Epis-co-pie”

This small Somerset village is located just outside of Langport, and the name originates from Old English. ‘Huish’ derives from ‘Hiwisc’ meaning a household, family, or measure of land, and ‘Episcopi’ means ‘belonging to the Bishop of Wells’.

It’s safe to say this village name might be quite intimidating for a non-local to pronounce, as the ending of the word is often mistaken to sound like ‘pie’. However, the correct pronunciation is “Hugh-ish A-pis-co-pee”.

Southrop, Gloucestershire

Correct pronunciation - “Suth-rup”

Incorrect pronunciation - “South-rop”

This picturesque village in The Cotswolds was rated among the ‘20 most beautiful villages in the UK and Ireland’ in 2022 and provided the backdrop for supermodel Kate Moss’s wedding back in 2011.

It’s a tricky one to pronounce for non-locals who might be tempted to say it as they see it as “South-rop”, but the correct way is “Suth-rup”.

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Beaminster, Dorset

Correct pronunciation - “Beh-muhn-stuh”

Incorrect pronunciation - “Bee-minster”

Beaminster is a town nestled within a natural valley in West Dorset and dates back to the 7th century when it was known as ‘Bebingmynster’, which means ‘the church of Bebbe’.

When it comes to its pronunciation, it looks like it should be “Bee-minster” due to its spelling, however, the correct way is “Beh-muhn-stuh”.

Clovelly, Devon

Correct pronunciation - “Clo-vell-ee”

Incorrect pronunciation - “Cluv-lee”

Named Britain's most Instagrammable village in 2020, Clovelly is a picturesque harbour village in the Torridge district of Devon. The village is a big tourist destination, drawing in 150,000 visitors per year.

Often incorrectly pronounced like “lovely”, and as lovely as the village may be, it should be pronounced “Clo-vell-ee”.

Cliffords Mesne, Gloucestershire

Correct pronunciation - “Cliffords Meen”

Incorrect pronunciation - “Cliffords Mes-nee”

Cliffords Mesne is a village in Gloucestershire famous for becoming the home of author Winifred Mary Foley in the mid-1970s, who was best known for her autobiographical account of her childhood in the Forest of Dean.

The small village just outside Newent should be pronounced like “Cliffords Meen” by omitting the ‘s’ sound. 

Worle, Somerset

Correct pronunciation - “Whirl”

Incorrect pronunciation - “Worl-ee”

Worle is located in the North Somerset district and is joined to the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare. The village receives numerous visitors a day as it is located just off the M5.

The ‘o’ and ‘e’ may mislead people unfamiliar with the village to pronounce it as “Worl-ee”, but locals will agree it’s simply pronounced “Whirl”.

Iwerne Minster, Dorset

Correct pronunciation - “U-ern Minster”

Incorrect pronunciation - “I-wern Minster”

Iwerne Minster is a village in Dorset and takes its name from the River Iwerne, which flows from a spring in the heart of the village.

If you want to pronounce this place name correctly, replace the ‘Iw’ at the start of the word with a ‘U’ to make “U-ern Minster” - like the boy's name, Ewan!

Michaelwood, Gloucestershire

Correct pronunciation - “Mickle-wood”

Incorrect pronunciation - “Michael-wood”

Michaelwood is the name of a service station located just off Junction 13 on the M5 in Gloucestershire.

It’s assumed these services are pronounced “Michael-wood” like the popular boy’s name due to its spelling, but the correct pronunciation is “Mickle-wood”.

Brixham, Devon

Correct pronunciation - “Brik-sum”

Incorrect pronunciation - “Brix-ham”

Those unfamiliar with this coastal town may pronounce it how they see it - “Brix-ham” - but based on the local dialect, the most common pronunciation is “Brik-sum”, eliminating the ‘h’ sound.

It’s thought the name Brixham originates from the name of an early resident, Brioc, followed by the Old English suffix, ‘ham’ which means ‘home’.