Some of the most difficult place names in the North East to pronounce are found in Northumberland, with spots like Cambois, Prudhoe, and Ulgham confusing those unfamiliar with the region. The spelling of these locations often gives little clue to their actual pronunciation, especially for outsiders. While these three are perhaps the most confounding, other local names also pose challenges, including Alnwick and Alnmouth, which share a similar spelling but differ in pronunciation, and more widely known areas such as Ponteland and Seaton Sluice. Here is the full list of some of the trickiest place names in Northumberland to say correctly.
Silent Letters and Unexpected Sounds
Alnwick, one of the most famous places in Northumberland, has two silent letters, the L and the W, so it is pronounced as if it were spelt An-nick. Confusingly, there is also a smaller town near Hexham called Anick, but that is pronounced Ay-nick, adding to the complexity.
With Alnwick having a silent L, one might think Alnmouth would be the same, but this is not the case. The actual pronunciation, with the voiced L, is Aln-muth, and the River Aln is also pronounced with the L.
Villages with Soft Gs and Norse Roots
Bellingham, unlike the England footballer's surname, is pronounced with a soft g, so it is said as Belin-jum. Berwick, similar to Alnwick, has a silent W, making it sound like Berrick, with the pronunciation being phonetic.
Cambois is undoubtedly the most confusing place name in the region, with the seaside village, just south of Ashington, easily being mistaken for Cam-boys or Cam-bwar. However, neither is correct, as the BO is silent, and the pronunciation is actually Cam-iss. Cowpen, which might seem like the enclosure for cattle, actually originated from Old Norse and is pronounced as Coop'n.
More Local Names Decoded
Newsham is expected to be New-sham, but it is correctly said as New-sum. Ponteland, which stands on the River Pont, should be pronounced Pont-eel'nd, not Ponty-land. Prudhoe, which caused upset in July 2022 when Come Dine With Me narrator Dave Lamb repeatedly referred to it as Prood-hoe, is actually closer to Prudd-er.
Seaton Sluice, the most southerly town on the Northumberland coast, is pronounced Seaton Sloose, while Ulgham, known as the village of the owls, has the letters LGH making an FF sound, so it is said as Uff-am. Whittingham, similar to Bellingham, uses a soft g, pronounced Whittin-jum.
