Millions of British travellers are limiting their holiday choices due to a surprisingly simple barrier: not knowing how to pronounce the destination name. According to a new study by multi-modal travel booking platform Omio, one in five holidaymakers (22%) are less likely to visit destinations like Ljubljana and Reykjavik because they fear mispronouncing their names, while 23% avoid booking such trips altogether.
Pronunciation Anxiety Affects Travel Choices
The research reveals that one in three British travellers worry about sounding rude when they mispronounce a foreign destination, and 26% feel embarrassed about it. This anxiety extends beyond place names: half (48%) of British travellers admit they avoid ordering dishes they cannot confidently pronounce while travelling, missing out on culinary delights such as bouillabaisse, tzatziki, mille-feuille, and acai.
Destinations like the Slovenian capital Ljubljana (pronounced lyoo-BLYAH-nah), Iceland's capital Reykjavik (RAKE-yah-vik), and Barcelona's Montjuic (mon-zhweek) are among the most commonly mispronounced. These culturally rich locations are being overlooked due to pronunciation fears.
Expert Guide to Mastering Tricky Names
Omio has partnered with language expert and polyglot Alex Rawlings to launch a pronunciation guide aimed at helping British travellers gain confidence abroad. Rawlings emphasises that perfect pronunciation is not necessary: "Pronunciation can feel like a barrier, but it doesn't need to be perfect. The key is to focus on the sounds rather than trying to replicate every letter exactly. Breaking words into smaller parts and practising them slowly can make a big difference. Even a small effort is often appreciated by locals and can help travellers feel far more confident when exploring a new destination."
Veronica Diquattro, President B2C Europe at Omio, added: "At Omio, we believe travel should feel exciting and accessible, not intimidating. With so many incredible destinations reachable by train, bus, ferry, or plane, we want to give people the confidence to explore beyond the obvious. We know that even small barriers, like unfamiliar place names, can make travel feel daunting, so pairing up with Alex to produce the guide will help keen travellers to discover new destinations with ease."
Seven Tips for Pronouncing Difficult Place Names
The guide offers practical advice for mastering hard-to-pronounce names:
- Tip 1: Don't read it like your own language. Even when languages use the same alphabet, letters often sound completely different. In German, Dutch, Scandinavian, and many Eastern European languages, "j" is pronounced like a "y", while in French, Portuguese, and Catalan it becomes a soft "zh" sound.
- Tip 2: Use technology to help. If you cannot ask a local, use tools like AI or Google Translate's listen function to hear pronunciations and identify unfamiliar sounds or stress patterns.
- Tip 3: Focus on the stress. Getting the emphasis on the right syllable is often more important than perfect pronunciation. For example, people are far more likely to understand "BIR-ming-ham" than "bir-MING-ham".
- Tip 4: Learn the pattern. Many languages follow consistent pronunciation rules. In French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Catalan, the letter "c" is pronounced like a "k" before "o", "a", or "u", but changes sound before "i" or "e".
- Tip 5: Some letters are silent. French is famous for silent letters, especially at the ends of words. Places like Calais and Bordeaux are pronounced much more simply than they look. As a rule of thumb: if you are in France and unsure whether to pronounce a letter at the end of a word, you probably should not.
- Tip 6: Don't let language put you off. Some of the world's most exciting destinations, from Poland to Thailand, can also be the hardest to pronounce. Do not let unfamiliar names stop you from exploring somewhere new.
- Tip 7: Don't be afraid to get it wrong. Nobody expects perfect pronunciation. Locals usually appreciate the effort more than accuracy. You might make a few mistakes and earn yourself some knowing smiles, but give it a go and see what worlds you might unlock.
The full pronunciation guides are available to download now via Omio.
