American Couple Reacts: Pronouncing British Cities! THIS WAS HARD!! Enjoy Laughing WITH/AT US!

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

We really thought we would get 100% of these...we did not! However, it was a TON of fun and showed us we have SO much more to learn! Be honest, did you know all of them? Why are British place names so hard to pronounce or is that just for anyone not living in the United Kingdom? We hope you have a lot of fun with us in this episode! If you did, please click the Like button and consider subscribing.

[@margaretnicol3423]

Can you do a list of American names that we could try please?

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

@margaretnicol3423 we do American stuff ONLY on Patreon. Not enough people on YT want it and our Patrons love it!

[@ruthfoley2580]

Many of the pronunciations can be explained by the fact that the residents have been saying them quickly for hundreds of years. If you go back & pronounce the name over & over again.

[@petearundel166]

Try the Map Men for more info . . . kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4qxq6Sdipyhl5Y

[@johnnykidd3657]

A phrase such as hot coffee is spoken differently in the UK and in America. American English emphasises the first word I.e. HOT coffee whereas in the UK it is the other way around I.e hot COFFEE. This then translates over into words with 2 or more syllables .

[@stephenrobins4756]

One reason British place names can be confusing might be the number of lanuages that combined to give us English. We have influences from Romans, Saxons, Vikings, Norman French and our local languages such as Celtic and Welsh. Mix together, stir for 1000 years, try to codify and you end up with modern English. It depends on the area as to which of these languages gives the predominant pronunciation forthat area, I suspect.

[@stewartmackay]

Thats exactly right. Half the time we cant understand each other.

[@gabbermensch]

There's also the fact that when movable-type was first introduced, they had to drop letters in to space it out and stop it all blurring into an unreadable mess. Into a clearly readable, but totally bananas mess if another kind.

[@johnbodman3133]

And of course, for a long period of time, the masses couldn't read or write so the names also changed slightly (also true of surnames when the registrar wrote the birth certificates and wrote what they believed was the correct spelling).

[@trevorhart545]

Angles, Saxon & Jutes all from Denmark hence Anglo Saxon Norse, different to Viking That rich diversity is so important, same word spelt 3 different ways with the same meaning, Burgh, Brough and Borough, but pronounced differently Their, There and They're but all with different meanings but sound the same

[@fionaparkinson3821]

We have a pensax near us. It’s literally Saxon hill. So, the hill where the Saxons are. Doesn’t that make it look like the people naming the hill weren’t Saxon?

[@paulvamos7319]

I got all but that last long one! 😂

[@amandaholt5791]

I used to drive through a place near Glastonbury which took me 8 years to pronounce properly, it’s called Huish Episcopi. A couple of places that always made me giggle when diving through were Piddletrenthide & Nunny.

[@darrylg1960]

I knew we would get a mention. I am sitting here watching your video on a rainy day in Loughborough.

[@lilyshambles5644]

Great one ladies, thanks.

[@anthonypope8429]

good and funny video you two was making me roll in laughter

[@nicholaskemp2246]

Great show again ladies. Especially as I'm enjoying snacking on some Twiglets! Your faves eh ? 😆

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

🤮🤮

[@TheCorek1949]

Loughborough is sometimes joking called Lugga-ba-rugga.

[@skoodledoo]

Thank you ladies, great video. I'm a Londoner and some things annoy me when people pronounce them incorrectly, BUT......that's only the easy ones. There's shit loads that even us natives don't know how to pronounce unless you live locally, so for anyone who visits UK, you are forgiven if you don't know how to say it correctly. Debbie, you're a natural! You got so many correct!

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Natasha got more correct than I did, which I knew she would

[@skoodledoo]

@@TheNatashaDebbieShow I mean compared to Natasha when she already knew them, the ones you didn't know you had a bloody good guess and got them right! Don't mean to be setting you both off against each other :D

[@Helsbels-ku2we]

@@TheNatashaDebbieShowtry saying “polish it behind the door” 5 times! 😂😂😂

[@jeremysmith54565]

Masham being one in North Yorkshire, its Mas-am not Mash-am lol In France Orleans is actually pronounced Or-leon.

[@wanderer5581]

You guys are great !! Cheers

[@Iconiccreative]

Yes Chiswick does have a station, two in fact: Chiswick on the over ground train line and Chiswick Park on the tube.

[@DarthSanguine]

19:24 I'm pretty sure that's how we identified German spies in WW2. We got them to try and pronounce place names that only a native would get right.

[@guidofourcandles6477]

If you liked those try Leominster and happisburgh lol

[@orangev81]

Brilliant....I grew up in London and then moved to Reading, then Gloucester.....now in the Forest of Dean in a place called Bulley.....

[@uapuat]

"We don't get taught this in American classes..." Neither do we. I'm a Brit and I missed a few of them. Delightful video, ladies.

[@janettelovessarah]

You two are bloody hilarious and I love watching you both

[@planetphil3456]

If only we could get you to pronounce aluminium correctly. Now that would be really something impressive...

[@Sharon-bo2se]

But it is spelt differently in America and Canada.

[@michaelfoster5577]

But the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) agreed quite a few years back that the UK would use the spelling “sulfur” instead of sulphur, and the USA would change from aluminum to “aluminium” for spelling and pronunciation. The UK has done its part, but the US has ignored the ruling!

[@sarahbowen7721]

@@michaelfoster5577 what? America ignoring the rest of the world ? Surely not!

[@planetphil3456]

@@michaelfoster5577 I think it's about time we revoked their independence and restored the monarchy, king charles could then appoint a governor General to oversee the correction of a whole load of wrongs, we can tax tea again for sure.

[@michaelfoster5577]

@@sarahbowen7721 Lol!!!

[@MousePotato]

I even struggled to get some of these right.

[@louiem2]

i like the person on the left's barnet! Proper sharp mate!!

[@markgulvin9987]

Bless you for mentioning my home town, Bicester! Roman in origin, we had a 3,000 man Roman Fort here around 1,800 years ago.

[@Nickcooper625]

The thing about a lot of these is that the spellings probably do reflect pronunciations centuries ago, but over the years the way people said them evolved, usually being contracted.

[@wildwine6400]

Slough is where the UK Office is set

[@andy70d35]

Natasha the show-off, 😉 I could not even get close, Betty can keep her butter🤣 I give up. Love you two, this was hilarious, you are always great fun to watch ♥

[@Rhianalanthula]

Keighley and Worth Valley railway, if you ever visit that area of West Yorkshire, is heritage steam railway and was used in the 1970 adaptationof The Railway Children. The Bronte sisters lived near Keighley in a village called Haworth, where the Bronte Parsonage Museum is located.

[@catshez]

Funny story for you, When Iived in Plymouth (Devon) an American tourist stopped me in the street, with a big map of the South West, and he asked.. "Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to Stives..?" Stives ? I thought, Stives ? I had not heard of it.. He then pointed to St Ives in Cornwall .. Ohhhh ! I said, you want St (Saint) Ives ! I helped him 😄

[@Sharon-bo2se]

Cester/Chester were at one time Roman forts. Lots of fun.

[@rosemarieross4277]

Have you ladies ever done a video on Welsh town/ place names...that would be fun

[@margaretnicol3423]

You did brilliantly with them - especially Marylebone - well done!

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

We were shocked our guess was correct

[@andyt8216]

@@TheNatashaDebbieShow and you were right with what you said about “that sounds French”. - I do believe it originates from Mary Le Bon (Mary the good)

[@sharingiscaring1952]

To be fair, you do better than a few English people I know. Well done

[@neilgayleard3842]

You shouldn't be shocked. You have done enough English/ British content to have learned some of these things.

[@RoyCousins]

@@andyt8216 St Mary on the Bourne (Tyburn)

[@stevebagnall1553]

Well done ladies, eight from ten is excellent.

[@douglaslee-murray952]

Natasha you’re brilliant. Debbie you’re so pretty!

[@Problembeing]

Loving the new hairstyle, Debbie. Classy lady.

[@margaretnicol3423]

I've never heard of Barugh so I got that one wrong too!

[@austinwiththehat]

As Jay said in the map men video, for every town that follows these pronunciation rules, you find an exception lol. Well done though. I stumbled on a couple of the northern ones

[@lizp485]

I live in a village called barugh green, in Yorkshire. When I first moved here I thought it was pronounced barrow . This was fun, I didn't know all of those pronunciations, so i learnt a bit today xx

[@bobm198]

This is so lovely.....keep these videos coming, they are so much appreciated and we love you to bits over here in the UK!

[@caru547]

A very enjoyable video ladies. Had me laughing - some of those I didn’t know either! 🤣

[@Sheltylass]

Great vid again ladies

[@deanmaynard8256]

Lucy is great - even her sneeze is adorable

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Right!?!

[@smythharris2635]

Lucy is what old-fashioned chaps would refer to as an English rose. Catherine, Princess of Wales, is also in that style.

[@michaellewin9339]

Well done Ladies! You've clearly learnt a ton of stuff about the UK since starting your channel

[@andykm99]

You two did really well and are adorable. I'm British and got two wrong. Laughed with you, not at you!

[@margaretnicol3423]

Goodnight and thanks for the giggles! Off to bed now!

[@Problembeing]

Funnily enough, Slough was originally pronounced 'Sluff' in the distant past. It means 'swamp', as the town was built on swamp land. So, you were both right.

[@BertSmithLondon]

My uncle always told me that Ruislip was always pronounced Rooslip, until the Americans came over during the second world war and started calling it ryeslip.

[@fifowkes]

You girls are hilarious 😂😂😂 I was laughing with, not at ❤❤❤

[@ArchonVarg]

Torpenhow in Cumbria is a fun one.

[@robbielby3782]

I love watching your videos, I think you did well in saying these names and I was laughing all the way through. Keep it up and I look forward to Fridays video.

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Thank you so much!!

[@emmahempstead8114]

As a Reading native I can confirm - pretty much NO ONE gets it right first time 😂 Well done ladies 😊🎉

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

We totally understand having the same issue with that one in our State!

[@marvintpandroid2213]

Hello from Kendrick road, it is a very small world.

[@emmahempstead8114]

@@marvintpandroid2213 😂😂 isn’t it just. Nice to meet you 😊 Hope your coping with the cold 😊

[@marvintpandroid2213]

@@emmahempstead8114 that and a dose of covid has made this android more grumpy than normal.

[@andrewgarner2224]

Head office for dyslexia association is in Reading Otis lifts also have their headquarters there and they answer the phone Otis Reading

[@GaryLorenz-t7c]

(Seashells) She sells seashells by the seashore. The shells she sells are surely seashells. So, if she sells shells on the seashore, I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

[@babycheese8106]

Bister?? I'm English, and this is bister?? Okay I'm with Debbie, and would of said bicester, the same!! Oh this is so funny!

[@petersmith5363]

I don't blame you for struggling with these weird British pronunciations. I'm a Brit, and one or two of them caught me out!

[@lucylewis9437]

Another amazing video by you two awesome ladies. I didn't know 4 of them. We do like to make things complicated.

[@Tinaf653]

My hometown, Frome… a lot of people pronounce it as “Rome” with an F, but it’s not, it’s pronounced as “froom”. I’ve actually met people who get annoyed with me when I correct them, because of course they’re right, despite never having been there. I have to remind them that I’ve lived there all my life, and I know how to pronounce it, lol!

[@katetarrant-dean4182]

That was so funny when she sneezed Hahahahaha

[@kookycat9663]

Can't wait til u try some of the places in Northern Ireland!! LOL!! We like to break all the rules! 😆 Some of the common 1s are Ahoghill, Armagh, Omagh, Doagh, Clogher, Aughnacloy...

[@rusticpartyeditz]

Maghera is a good one. Even my home of Coleraine confuses many people. Do you say the e or not? Sad but true, when the troubles started, the national news had to pronounce loads of places here due to riots, bombs, etc. They had to be taught how to pronounce many places as they were way off.

[@dianaphillips9114]

I’m from near Worcester but lived in Swanage in Dorset when I was in early 20’s we had American visitors who mispronounced a local village and it was so fun we have continued to pronounce it like that ever since. Village was Langton Matravers

[@dianaphillips9114]

First word is phonetic but we pronounce 2nd with emphasis on the Ma. Our visitors split it into two words mat-ravers with emphasis on ravers.

[@tonys1636]

Dorset the one place one doesn't have to go far for a Piddle.

[@jennyclarke2866]

I remember travelling on the bus from Corfe and hearing someone call it Langton Matraveller. We've called it that ever since (and visit frequently).

[@IanDarley]

You should bear in mind that most of these names come from the Vikings, Romans etc. so that's why they don't follow normal English language rules (it's just as hard for us to make sense of these, you just have to learn and accept them). Jay Foreman has video that explains the reasons and breaks things down a lot further and clarifies the reasons for these naming conventions, as always for JF videos, it is also very funny.

[@rosalindyates7331]

There were a couple I hadn't heard of but you both did very well. You should hear my attempts at trying to pronounce Des Moines 😆

[@simon112]

Well done ladies you did great oh and Debbie won. 👍😊

[@wrorchestra1]

Shire pronounced phonetically is a region (sometimes the countryside counties are referred to as "The Shires"). When it is bolted onto the end of a name it becomes 'Shur' or 'Sheer'. Someone responsible for a Shire was called a Shire Reeve which later became shortened to Sheriff. You mentioned Lord of the Rings, Tolkien uses the term Shiriff (pronounced Shire-if) for the police force in The Shire.

[@tomlynch8114]

In the North East with place names ending mouth we tend to actually say ‘mouth’ rather than ‘muth’. There’s a small seaside town near Newcastle called Tynemouth. I’ve heard southerners call it ‘TyneMUTH’ but it’s actually’TyneMOUTH’.

[@kayhoward8723]

We have some very strange villages and Town's in the North East even southerners get them wrong. We have Ullgham and Cambois

[@tomlynch8114]

@@kayhoward8723 Aye. I’ve heard people pronounce Cambois as if it’s in France! ‘Cambwah’ 😂

[@kayhoward8723]

@@tomlynch8114 pronounced Camis

[@tomlynch8114]

@@kayhoward8723 aye Cammus and Uffam

[@sueharrison8193]

I laughed and learned with you. 😆😆😆 love from Northumberland ❤❤

[@geoffpriestley7001]

Im going to Keighley tomorrow for our Christmas meal theres a few villages round that area with stange names .

[@binkybuns462]

Well done. I thought you did very well with this. Try this one - Tewitfield 😁. Have to go now as my bunnies are up to some Shenanigans again 🐇😀. Catch you in the next one.❤️

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

Love it!!! ❤️❤️

[@johnbenson2919]

Hopefully a fun fact for you. In 1918 the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company was founded, in 1926 it was changed to Gloster Aircraft Company because many countries found Gloucestershire unpronounceable. They were famous for producing Britain's first jets, and the Allies first jet fighter, the Gloster Meteor.

[@B-A-L]

Don't forget the Gloster Gladiator which is probably their most famous aircraft!

[@ayethein7681]

I'm impressed that you worked so many out - with the Rule; say it like you are out of breath.

[@theasmith3715]

Loving your channel found it a couple of days ago :) I'm born and bred Bicester and love the ways people get the name wrong 😀

[@kennyboy66]

I’m not a pheasant plucker, I’m a pheasant plucker’s son and I’m only plucking pheasants til the pheasant plucker comes.

[@63DAVEMAC]

You two are amazing, you both did very well. I was a truck driver in England and have been to many of the cities in this video. My American wife first came to England in 2004, and had to learn allthe cities and town names. Because I had her reading the map. Great video as usual. Thank you.

[@Thomashorsman]

You put Bicester in the thumbnail!!! Amazing that my little town is getting famous across the world 😀

[@wintersun398]

3:33 Gloucester 4:21 Bicester 4:34 LMAO 5:51 Slough 6:33 Reading 7:48 Marylebone 8:47 Ruislip 9:30 Holborn 10:59 Southwark 11:46 Tottenham 12:45 Chiswick 13:24 Greenwich 13:49 Worcester 14:23 Leicester 15:02 Loughborough 16:16 Derby 16:36 Barugh 17:40 Keighley 18:05 LMAO 18:31 Sedbergh Very funny! I haven’t laughed so much in a long time!

[@katydaniels508]

Hi from Leicester 😁 This was really funny and great to play along. The northern names were more difficult for me!

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

We're scared to ask but...?

[@katydaniels508]

I sent you a message on Dec 2nd. Sorry if you didn’t receive it? ❤️

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

@@katydaniels508 Nooooo!! We didn't see it!!! We're SO sorry!!! 😔😔

[@japethstevens8473]

In the 1970's, Loughborough Uni sweatshirts used to have 'Lufbra' printed on the arms, and some students referred to the place as Looga-Bur-Ooga. Is that still the case in the 2020's?

[@ritasparrow3563]

That was fun, because even Brits trip up sometimes. We live near Derby,the only city to retain its Viking name.There's a Place nearby called Cross o' th'Hands,which is pronounced (in Derbyshire dialect) Crossa th'ands."Broad Derbyshire" the local dialect,really mangles place names,for example Ilkeston(pronounced Ilk-eston) is known as Ilsun,Heanor(Henur) is pronounced 'Aynur,and Horsley Woodhouse is pronounced Ossley Wuduss.Cheers mi'ducks,keep up the good work, we like yer show tha'knows.

[@stevesstuff1450]

Similar to old Staffordshire too...! 😉

[@ritasparrow3563]

@@stevesstuff1450 Funny you should say that,my maternal grandmother and her family were from Stoke on Trent.I never knew her, as she passed away before I was born,and the only time I met her relatives, I was too young to understand.

[@stephenmayo8505]

And Tintwistle as Tinsull, Ashbourrne as Ashbun, Brassington as Brassun, Ashover as Asher etc. As a Dalesman born and bred, the best Derbyshire dialect story I know comes from my home village of Chelmorton. Sometime, many, many years ago a bus trip allegedly went to London. During the day one of the old guys, a farmer on his first trip out of the village, got separated from the others. So he stopped a policeman and said, "Hey up lad. 'as't seen owt o't Chelly lot?" Whether it's true or not I've never been able to prove, but it still makes me smile. Another story that is definitely true concerns Tintwistle (Tinsull) Silver Band. They went on a tour of Canada and visited Niagra. Having had a few drinks, one of their number wandered off and ended up being stopped by US Border officials. When they asked him where he was from he replied, "I'm from Tinsull, lad." The border guard then asked where Tinsull was only to get the incredulous reply, "Tinsull - It's by Glossop!" Derbyshire born, Derbyshire bred, strong in'th arm, weak in'th yed.

[@PaulHaigh072]

Debbie your Keighley pronunciation at 17:54 was spot on for a local Yorkshire accent! Keeffly isn’t really correct but it’s a common pronunciation. Also, love the outfit!

[@mac1975]

I was having a rubbish day, then I fell into my YT mine. You both made me laugh out loud again. Thank you

[@garethevans8543]

I’m a silent watcher but had to comment on this, this is by far my favourite video of you both. You should try some welsh towns and villages

[@tim1812h]

A great and fun video my sides hurt. Lovely to see you two girls having so much fun and do not worry I am sure no one was upset with your attempts. 🤣🤣🤣Love, hugs and prayers from Sussex, UK.

[@hazellee9715]

Well done ladies, you did really well!! There was a few I was stumped by! 🤣 Bicester being one of them! Natasha, when you mentioned Mississippi my mind went back to when I was ten years old and in my spelling test there were two words, Mississippi and Myxomatosis and still, thirty something years later I can still spell them without having to think about it. 🤣 x

[@postscript67]

Here's a joke I read a year or two ago: Did you know Charles Dickens began his career on two English provincial newspapers? It was the Bicester Times, it was the Worcester Times! (it doesn't actually quite work with "Worcester", but never mind).

[@wildwine6400]

Some towns and cities will change up if you say it like a local to. Like Wigan, majority pronounce it like Wiguhn. But a local would say Wigin

[@jackcarter5101]

I am from North East England, and local examples here are Finchale (Finkle), Houghall (Hoffle), and Ireshopeburn (Eyes-up-burn)

[@redredlulu1]

Don’t forget Houghton, I’ve heard that pronounced wrong.

[@annejenkins7516]

Love yr videos, you should try Welsh towns, look up the longest named town in Wales/UK

[@marybalding1435]

In Dorset, near me, Whitchurch Cannonicorum, Piddletrentide (on the river Piddle),

[@johngardiner6800]

Ladies you were correct with the pronounceiation of the letter H aitch, it drives me mad as an Englishman that it is becoming popular to say haitch

[@nicolanightingale77]

You guys crack me up 😂😂😂

[@catrionaduncan9034]

Great video! A lot of these places have silent letters. As a Londoner it's really interesting to see how you approach it and a great reminder. Keep up the great videos.

[@markstarmer3677]

In Northamptonshire there is a village called Cogenhoe. Pronounced Cook-no. Also the town of Towcester - Toaster.

[@lindablackley4916]

this was fun ,how many times did natasha learn this to correctly say this that fast lolloloool

[@lindablackley4916]

@@debbie8674 wow that's impressive & cool

[@ellesee7079]

This was great fun, and you did really well. This works both ways though. For example, how many s's are there in Cincinatti?! 🤔😉😁

[@stevebarnes1857]

you are obviously hanging around doing too many UK/ British reactions as you certainly did better than most US reactors. Well done you 2, hope to see you over 'ere soon.

[@TheNatashaDebbieShow]

We have less videos than all other reactors that started when we did. We just pay more attention 😉

[@smythharris2635]

In that case you see the angel in the details, as opposed to the devil. Thats a good policy.

[@stevebarnes1857]

@@TheNatashaDebbieShow quality over quantity is always the best policy.

[@MrBulky992]

We don't all say "Haitch" in the UK: this is a hypercorrection which has crept in and gained currency in the last 30 years owing to poor educational standards. Hearing people struggling to say NHS as "Enn Haitch Ess" makes one wonder if there's still hope.

[@julianpavey9999]

Well done with my hometown of Chiswick without a W. Right next to Kew which was covered previously in a video

[@helenwood8482]

You did exceptionally well. Proud of you.

[@IanDarley]

There's a rhyme for Gloucester - Doctor Foster went to Gloucester in a shower of rain, he stood in a puddle right up to his middle and he never went there again.

[@laughingoutloud8612]

I can confirm it’s always raining here. 😅

[@dannywachowski5880]

Bicester is my home town, miss it loads!

[@philmckenna5709]

Is Edensor (pronounced Enzuh) in this list? Village on Chatsworth estate in Derbyshire.

[@ronturner9850]

There are two towns in Kent a few miles apart, Tonbridge (mentioned at the end of the video) and Tunbridge Wells. Both are pronounced with a ‘u’. Confusion all round for some visitors who end up in the wrong place, especially rail travellers since the trains stop at both stations and it’s easy to mis hear.

[@ThatChrissyGirl]

I'm so happy you knew Worcester! 😂 great job girls!

[@sandrabeaumont9161]

Hi Girls. Loved the vid. There are a lot of place names we can't get right. lol Another topic you might be interested in doing is 'The Last Night Of The Proms'. The Promenade Concerts are held every year at The Royal Albert Hall in London. It was set up to bring classical and all types of music to the people many years ago and features well known orchestras, conductors. musicians and singers from all over the world. The Last Night is special. Very jingoistic, not to mention patriotic.