Really strange PIS pronunciations

[Parallel]

The welsh announcement at Cardiff announced Nailsea and Blackwell (not Backwell) when I was there the other day.

Also heard him announce Chetnole as ‘Shet knoll’ recently. It’s actually said ‘Chet null’.

He also announced ‘Calstock’ as ‘Cool stock’ when the direct Gunnislake trains ran from Cardiff.

Some of the announcers also announce Keynsham as ‘Keen sham’. It’s said ‘Kayn sham’

 

[Railwaysceptic]

Only people I’ve heard of calling it this is northerners or people who think they’re being clever.

From an article online:

Now you know why you shouldn't rely on articles online. The idea that a Cockney is the one reliable source of information on London pronunciations is comical.

 

[northernbelle]

The previous FGW voice was pretty questionable in places - 'Bletchworth' being a favourite mispronunciation. The intonations were all in the wrong places ("Bristol Templemeads") said as though "Temple Meads" was all one word. The GWR voice is a marked improvement.

I used to rather enjoy Celia Drummond's high class pronunciations of places - especially those in the south. Moreton (pron. "Moowatun"), Westbury (pron. Whhhestbree) and Portsmouth Harbour (pron. Pooratsmuth Harburr) were particular favourites

 

[Llanigraham]

I wonder if it's how a Brummie would pronounce it

I was told that those from the Welsh side said SHREW and those from the English SHROW.
(Or was it the other way around?)

 

[Llanigraham]

It's Cardiff that annoys me most. "Cardiff SEN-tral". Although the pause in "Swan-see" is odd too

Do you, and others here not recognise or realise that there and will always be regional variations in the way places and words are pronounced? None of them are wrong!
In that example I could take you different areas of Cardiff and they would pronounce it differently; Ely would say it differently to those in Rhiwbina!

There is no "right or wrong", it's the language!
And thank the Lord we don't all sound the same!!

 

[fairysdad]

Marley-bone is the correct way of pronouncing it in my opinion but Marylebone has a couple ways of pronouncing it which have been accepted by most people, very few people would accept Lei-cester and may struggle at first to figure out what you are talking about while people know both pronunciations of Marylebone.

There's actually a letter in this month's Railway Magazine (p49) about this very subject:

The correct pronunciation of Marylebone (RM Sept, p34) is 'Marryb'n'. The 'le' in the middle is silent and the last two vowels are cut very short. The automated announcements on the Bakerloo Line get it hopelessly wrong.
- Peter G Scott, Former Marylebone station announcer.

Make of that what you will!

 

[tommy2215]

Phil at Birmingham Moor Street says Wootton Wawen wrong (I think). I think Wawen is supposed to be pronounced as Wo-wen. Also obviously not a PIS but I have noticed when approaching Sheffield some XC conductors say "Change here for London St Pancreas"

 

[Class800]

If it's a live announcement, accent will play a role too.

I have heard a conductor announce York as YARK - but that would just be how it's said in some Midlands accents. Sometimes they will announce things very locally for a laugh - as I recounted on a previous thread, someone announced all the stations from Birmingham NS through to Bristol TM in their local accent, when he was replaced by a very West Country conductor who did Tiverton Parkway and Taunton in an amazing fashion - hard to explain how it sounded, just think of them pronounced by the Wurzels and you won't be far off.

Honiton is an interesting one - I live down there but not an original local - and say HON IT 'N - with stress on HON. But some locals say it should be HUN IT 'N (stress on HUN) - not sure, what do people think?. PIS announcement is the HON IT'N - at least not HON IT TOWN!

 

[43055]

The last few times I have been to north wales the announcements for the London services would have a different voice for Milton Keynes Central compared to the rest of the english part of the announcement.

 

[6Gman]

"Abbair-airk" would be an approximation.

Not really, I'm afraid.

Aber as in Aber (not abba)

Erch as in erchyll !

 

[Whistler40145]

I was told that those from the Welsh side said SHREW and those from the English SHROW.
(Or was it the other way around?)

I think you're right there

 

[NoMorePacers]

The onboard PIS announcements on TPE 185s pronounce Mossley as it looks (Moss-ley), which I assume is the correct way to pronounce it. The automated announcements at Hull station (at the very least, probably does this at others as well) pronounce it as Moz-ley instead.

Ditto the earlier mentions of Hope on the Northern onboard announcer. When I first heard it I thought it was trying to say Hull while saddled with a speech impediment.

 

[Railcar]

How does it happen that PIS announcements can be one station behind? I'm thinking of a recent journey when Earlsfield was announced as Clapham Junction, Wimbledon as Earlsfield, etc. Aren't they triggered by a GPS unit? Slightly off-topic, but it could be thought of as the ultimate in mis-pronunciations.

 

[fgwrich]

Do you, and others here not recognise or realise that there and will always be regional variations in the way places and words are pronounced? None of them are wrong!
In that example I could take you different areas of Cardiff and they would pronounce it differently; Ely would say it differently to those in Rhiwbina!

There is no "right or wrong", it's the language!
And thank the Lord we don't all sound the same!!

Whilst there is that, and I do get the regional accents part will always bring further variations in how a location is pronounced, the Voiceover artist on GWRs announcements does over pronounce places with a S. It's not as bad as the early versions, which were ridiculous, but the original poster is right. Swindon used to be pronounced as sssssWindon, Basingstoke seemed to be Baaysssingssstokee. Swansea seemed to be Sssswan-ssea. Even something as simple as "This Train Terminates Here" had more sss than it needed to. I do also find the "Lunnndon Paddington" announcement a little odd - does anyone outside of Hot Fuzz really call it Lundon?

Another that used to get on my nerves was the "Posh Celia" South West Trains switched to at certain stations before their franchise ended - she sounded a lot slower and frankly a little patronising. "Bing Bong. Pllaaaatform Twooooo for the Eleveeen Twenty Twooo South West Trains service toooo".

Not my video. This is the more up to date version but she still says Lunnndon Paddington.

 

[Kilopylae]

How does it happen that PIS announcements can be one station behind? I'm thinking of a recent journey when Earlsfield was announced as Clapham Junction, Wimbledon as Earlsfield, etc. Aren't they triggered by a GPS unit?

Off-topic, but this isn't a rare occurrence or even really something you'd clock in the south-west. Sometimes it can be quite amusing, though, such as the train from Paignton to Exmouth I took back in 2018 that called at "Teignmouth" nineteen times.

The PIS'll be programmed with lists of stations in order (i.e. there'll be a list in there somewhere that goes Hampton Court, Thames Ditton, Surbiton, Berrylands and so on) and the driver activates it at the start of the route so it's not difficult to imagine how it might get one station out of sync, end up repeating the same station over and over, or start reading out stations from a different line in the right order. You wouldn't get, say, stations jumbled up in random order; there is a logic to these glitches.

 

[londonmidland]

“Newcastle” being pronounced northern style with a hard “a” (ie rhyming with “naff”) by the otherwise Received Pronunciation automatic announcements at King’s Cross always surprises me.

Ah, so the correct way then. Same with Doncaster. Also, it’s not so much a ‘northern’ thing, as it’s only really the South East and surrounding areas which uses R.P.

 

[vlad]

Off-topic, but this isn't a rare occurrence or even really something you'd clock in the south-west. Sometimes it can be quite amusing, though, such as the train from Paignton to Exmouth I took back in 2018 that called at "Teignmouth" nineteen times.

Did it pronounce Teignmouth correctly?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Not really, I'm afraid.

Aber as in Aber (not abba)

Erch as in erchyll !

Perhaps someone should tell the publishers of "Pronouncing WELSH Place Names" (printed in Wales by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch in Llanrwst).

 

[FrodshamJnct]

How is Slaithwaite pronounced? Properly or as it’s spelt?

 

[Class800]

Slaithwaite is like Slough + It

 

[FrodshamJnct]

Slaithwaite is like Slough + It

A win then. I got a right telling off for pronouncing it incorrectly when I worked in West Yorkshire!

 

[Class800]

But that's the traditional pronunciation, and like many traditions, some of these are being lost.

 

[FrodshamJnct]

But that's the traditional pronunciation, and like many traditions, some of these are being lost.

Yeah, I’ve heard it pronounced Slough-it, Slaythwait, and Slough-wait. I’ve been told very clearly how to pronounce it ‘properly’! I’m more local to Manchester so find myself correcting people who pronounce Blackley ‘improperly’.

 

[northernbelle]

The least forgivable I ever heard was ATOS Anne saying "St Germans" as though it rhymed with "pots and pans".

"Germans" is a pretty standard word so was also baffled by it.

 

[CBlue]

Not an announcement, but I was once told the story of an American gentleman asking the guard on his train "Excuse me sir, do you know when we get to Loogabarooga?"

It turned out the American gentleman was inquiring about Loughborough.

 

[Bob M]

Not an announcement, but I was once told the story of an American gentleman asking the guard on his train "Excuse me sir, do you know when we get to Loogabarooga?"

It turned out the American gentleman was inquiring about Loughborough.

Ah, that must be the place with Lowbrow University.

 

[AJW12]

Surprised no-one's mentioned this one yet: Kingussie

Not sure which one's worse, the station announcer "king-gus-see", or LNER's onboard "king-goose-y". They irriate me but a while ago I travelled with a friend from Uni who was born there and was fairly sure his blood pressure rose each time it was announced.

Thought LNER were supposed to change them but it seems nothing yet (I mean, pandemic on and all that so fair enough). Can't believe they didn't check it first though when they initially recorded them!

(EDIT: found the article about it https://www.scotsman.com/news/trans...fter-mispronouncing-scottish-stations-1396100)

 

[YorksLad12]

I've haven't been that way for ages, but: is Dodworth announced to rhyme with Cudworth and Bedworth (which I think it should be)?

 

[Class800]

LNER KING GOOSE Y - yes I remember that. A wee bit annoying.

Milngavie - I'm biased as originally from round there, but MILL N GAV EE - does grate rather, it's either MILL GUY or MULL GUY - hear both really. I think MILL GUY is more standard Scottish and MULL GUY what very locals say but can vary.

Not an announcement per se but in days before most tickets were bought online heard of many mix ups between Sunbury and Sudbury at ticket offices.

And someone known to me - if you see this surely you remember this one! - got a ticket to Pollockshields West instead of Pollockshaws West - online as well - but the guard accepted it fine, and said he saw this error every single day at least once, if not more!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

How is Slaithwaite pronounced? Properly or as it’s spelt?

Neither.
As I posted yesterday, "Slawit" is a combination of dialect with a hint of affectation for the tourists, rather than an official pronunciation. However it won't get you laughed out of the local pubs. "Slathwaite" is accepted (first syllable rhyming with "Path"), but if you say "Slayth-waite" you may get thrown in the canal!