To correct pronunciation?

[NotHowYouSayIt]

I’ve name changed as this is potentially very outing but I am a long time MN’er (honest). I’ve also changed the names of the area and our surnames for this to something is the a similar example. Our actual name and area is worse than the one I’ve used here and much more obvious but this is the closest equivalent I could think of.

Dh and I moved to our dream house a couple of years ago with our dc. We’ve always lived in the town, although not this particular area and hadn’t really ever thought about the fact it’s pronounced in a way that you wouldn’t automatically read it. The area of town is called Rea Gardens, pronounced ‘Ray’ Gardens and our house is called Rea Cottage (again, pronounced Ray). Most people when the read it for the first time would pronounce it as Rear. Our surname is Dyer.

Some land at the bottom of our garden is being developed into a few houses. Until the new road is built to access this development in about a year the builders and all deliveries are coming though our drive and across our back garden which the developers have paid us for.

But, every single delivery driver/ builder/ surveyor etc. who knocks and asks if it’s the right place says ‘is this Dyer, Rear Cottage?’ and then laughs because they’ve said ‘diarrhoea’. It genuinely hadn’t occurred to me that the two together sound like this as the postman is local and no one ever really calls it ‘Rear Cottage’ until now. Each time I laugh and say ‘oh, it’s Ray Cottage’. Also, it’s just habit - it’s not how you pronounce the name of the area and I’d want to know if I was saying it wrong when talking about where I work. DH thinks it makes me sound like Hyacinth Bouquet and I shouldn’t correct them because they’ll think I’m a snob.

As I said, the actual word produced is much worse than ‘diarrhoea’ and a lot more obvious when you say it, this was just the closest example I could think of. Should I just let them say it how they want, even though it makes it sound as if I’ve deliberately bought a house that happens to make a rude word when combined with my surname? A lot of these deliveries/ builders come back again and again so it’s not like I never have to see them again and this could be going on for another year or so!

Yabu - don’t correct them
Yanbu - correct them

"I read it as ray like in brea (pronounced as bray) its a common spelling/pronunciation in Scotland"

That's "brae" though.

The name of the area isn’t Rea, I was just using that as an example.

Mrs Cunnie, Lingus Cortage

Mrs Fellie, Lashio Cottage

I once went out with someone called xxx Rea. Fuck your thread has made me shiver, come over all shiverea. Ignore op.

Yanbu to correct them but I’d probably take it one step further and shout out of an upstairs window that you can’t come down as you are on the loo. Then when they say Dyer, Rea tell them hopefully you’ll feel soon better.

@NuniaBeeswax oops that will be the dyslexia again 🤣☺

Are you sure you're pronouncing it right?

There's Wrea Green near Preston, pronounced Ray Green.

Surely the point of name changing is so this post can't be linked to your others, so you can tell us the real names.

@DonttouchthatLarry

Surely the point of name changing is so this post can't be linked to your others, so you can tell us the real names.

But that would still mean revealing her real surname and part of her, possibly unique, address. Not a great idea online.

Sorry OP, this made me laugh so much my DH came in to see what was amusing me as I completed my tax return

The area of town is called Rea Gardens, pronounced ‘Ray’ Gardens and our house is called Rea Cottage (again, pronounced Ray).

Weird - I would automatically pronounce that as "Ray". But then I was born near Quernmore.

Or are you married to Mike Hunt, @NotHowYouSayIt ?

@QueenoftheAir ahh, Kwermer

Not my favourite curry sauce @BobbinThreadbare123.

But I still can’t find a local pronunciation of Watendlath up near Borrowdale.

Is this a wind up? Its too funny

Mrs Small, Cox Cottage?