To pronounce this street correctly

[wherethestreetshaveasillyname]

I just moved into small business premises locally and people have been asking for the address.

Now the street shares the name with a North American location that’s semi well-known in the UK - to avoid outing myself, let’s call it Illinois Street (it’s similar).

But every time I pronounce it (ill-ih-NOY street), I get blank looks. Then, when I describe the location, I get “ah you mean ill-ih-nwahh street!” and a raised ‘are you a bit stupid’ eyebrow.

What should I do?

A)keep saying it correctly

B) say it like everyone else seems to- but then look weird when I encounter someone who says it correctly

C) do as I am currently and long-windedly doing and say “oh it’s on Illinois Street, or, ill-i-nwa street as people seem to pronounce it round here.

(this is life-and-death and not at all lighthearted btw)

Yes…’Louie’ in the song but it’s called St ‘Lewis’

Yes. The Connaught Hotel is pronounced in England without the hard 'ch' sound an Irish person would naturally give it. In the UK I go with the local pronunciation, though it is counter intuitive to me.

Grrr, I'm so with you there!

Febyooary
Wensday
Marshmellows

It's hugely infuriating when a word is so commonly mispronounced that anybody pronouncing it properly is thought to be thick!

I live near a village called Mildenhall (not the Suffolk place). It’s pronounced Mynal.

There is an Edinburgh in the states, they pronounce it “berg” at the end not “bruh” or “bun-ruh”. If you can accept that other places can name their locations as they see fit, including pronunciation, then you have to go with the locals on this. Even if it grates on the nerves (e.g, if it is Arkansas and people say ar-cans-ass)

Well quite!

And the U.S. pronunciation of Illinois is derived from an anglicised Frenchified version of a Native American name so who knows how far a pronunciation has to back to be ‘correct’.

No I didn’t miss that.

That isn’t being pompous, that’s being someone that hasn’t left their home town much, and can’t therefore imagine why someone wouldn’t know a local pronunciation.

I live in a town called Keynsham. Its pronounced Cane Shum.
We had an episode of Location Location Location filmed in the town. They spelled it incorrectly on the graphics and Kirstie pronounced it as Keeners Ham. FGS if you're going to do a TV programme then at least do your research!

We used to live near Marylebone station and were constantly asked for directions to it, the pronunciations were hilarious!

There was a literary appreciation society established in the 1980s, proudly named in honour of Pepys and Shelley; but all of the uneducated young people insisted on pronouncing it as Pepsi & Shirley

Norfolk is full of places where you either add or ignore syllables seemingly at random. Wymondham (Windum) being the one I've seen a lot of people caught by, including once a train announcement!

Also near Bozeat too then, I assume? That one confuses a lot of people

Where I live there is Cockburn St and the locals don't say Coburn like the brand of port.

We also have Belvoir as a street name and it's pronounced Beavor.

Zero consistency 🤣

In Cardiff, there’s a Llangrannog Road. Nobody locally pronounces it with the correct “Ll” but everyone will still pronounce the village Llangrannog correctly. It’s a classic school trip location so does get mentioned fairly often.

There are new developments with the name Beaufort Park.
I call it Boe fort.
Have just discovered the newcomers call it Bew fort.
We each didn't know that we were referring to the same place.
Came up re bus stops and some confused directions . . .
What's to be done ?

Be thankful you don't live on Cholmondley Terrace or Farquarhson Street.

It's not Beauchamp Place in London is it?

That's pronounced beach - am.

But some people pronounce is as if it's French - Bow - shomp!

Place names develop their own local pronunciation

Daventry: Dane tree or Danetre

Does that matter? As you've name changed for this anyway it isn't outing.

I have a relative who lives on Orion Road, which he insists is pronounced Orrion rather than O-Ryan. As the entire estate has streets named for constellations, I am pretty confident he is wrong.

And then there is Belvoir, which in my mind is pronounced Beaver, but so many people say Bellevoyer.

But then Theydon Bois is pronounced Boyse in the UK

Dinnerladies and The Map Men have already been mentioned but I must also draw your attention to the wonderful Dave Gorman bit in this episode about Loughborough

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gZE85L2XHSc

Anyway, I live in the Midlands and go to Wales a lot. Pronunciations of place names are crazy

There's a street near me with the word Beaufort in it. The Americans pronounce it like bo-fert or bo-fort, as the french would with beau.
The locals call it bew-fert.

D) “oh it’s on Illinois Street, I'll spell that, I..."